The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-07
DR.. EMBREE LIBERAL
Throws Some Hot Shot Into
Ministerial Thought.
Tired of So Much "ReligiOn"
and Little Christianity.
Says the Secret Societies Are Actual
ly Doing More Real Charitable
Work Than the Churches.

Ihe Ministerial union met yesterday in
the parlors of the Y. M. c. A. DR.. Coun-
termine presided. The following paper
was read by DR.. A. S. Embrea and was
discussed by the members of the union
The majority concurred in what DR. En-
bree said:
Pew words in the English language
are oftener found on English tongues than
the word religion. And of religions our
world has some hundreds so many that
it would be far from beneficial to invent
or start another one. And of religious
people there is no dearth The greater
part OF the human family is intensely re-
igious; notably is this true of those we
term heather, the most of whom may well
put us to shame by the degree of their
devotion to the things they protest they
pretend to believe. The Master said
''whosoever will not forsake houses and
lands, etc, for my sake cannot be my dis
ciple- The Mohammedan is Precisely
such a disciple as that, with Mohammed
for a master. No man hath greater love
than to spend his life for his friends, and
in the Indian rebellion it was that princi-
pie above all others that made English
victory over the Sepoy 50 expensive lux
ury. So it is that we have many relig-
is a religious animal. Indeed we are
suffering from righteousness. The bitter
est prosecutions of which we read had
their foundation in righteousness. Those
who prosecuted We're doing God a service,
so were the witches, martyrs, and even
the Christ crucif1ed. Not only this, but
the most degraded and debased condi-
tions of which we have any account had
their rise in religion. The mother with
crocodiles, the infamous practices in the
far east and all that vast and horrible
system of child widows Of which we have
heard, the cruelties of caste and so many
other revolving and barbarous practices
that an hour would not suffice to tell
them.
mot this only, but to religion we must
charge nine-tenths of the mental blind
ness of the world. The greatest hind
rance to progress and enlightenment is
religion.
Christianity is form of religion, one
among the many. 1t has been guilty
within the period of it's history of some
of the crimes mentioned. AS long as it
is taught as a religion it will share the
common dangers.
'Our business, if I understand it, is to
promote it, not as a religion, but as a life.
AS a religion it has forms of worship,
rites, ceremonies ordinances statements
of doctrines, catechisms, confessions of
faith, general rules, etc. A form of wor-
ship is necessary to decency and order.
Rites, ceremonies and ordinances prop
erly observed are desirably impressive.
Doctrines must be examined and mended
sometimes. If the believer goes no far
ther than to accept and observe and con-
sent to our rites, rules and forms of wor-
ship as his only religion, and to be only
that for the fact that the teachings save
him from heathenism and his surround
ings mold him into genteeler forms, is to
have done little or nothing for himself.
Our neeI is not for a greater number of
religious people, but for states and ma
tions filed with men and women who in
every relation of life will be more Christ
like.
THE churches have become sadly re-
miss in caring for the poor, as this de-
partment in church work has been given
up. The churches dispense what they
call charity in terms irregular and ftful.
The widows and orphans of members are
entitled to it, but, I have said,
the churches have given it up and the Sc
cret societies have taken it up as shown
by their wonderful popularity and sue
cess. The expense is large, but the char
ity is dispensed. The secret societies are
fast crowding out the churches. I con-
L
world is burdened with religion, but is in
need of Christians"
The paper was discussed by all present
and the opinions of all seemed to be the
same as those of DR.. Embree.
Rev. John d. Knox said: when mis-
fortune overtakes a man the church is
the first to drop him. If a man is able
to contribute to the church he is one
of the respected members and he is
h11f he
meets with misfortune he drops from
siebt 7 know of a man who was in Den
yer and was heralded through the pages
of the Methodist press as such good
man. Column after column was devot-
Cd +o him He met with reverses, and
when he died on the Thames there was
two line notice of his death Among busl-
ness men about 98 per cent fail between
the start of their career and the end The
church should stand up for the ones who
meet with misfortunes, not turn thelr
hacks TO them. When I was able to give
81 600 each year to the church was IN
good standing When 1 met with reverses
was not. The secret societies help a
man in time of need and he turns to them
in Distress
Rev. M F. NIcKfrahan said: 1t IS the
boast of the Topeka club that they DO
more good in charitable ways than many
Cf the churches This should not be-
The discussion drifted to the theaters.
or Frnbree said: ''CIean out the theaters.
peonIe will go there, and the proper thing
+o do is to eliminate all the immoral fea~
lures from the plays. Instead of preach
ing against the theater. go there and
make the performances eIevating to the
mind, not degrading"
Mrs. Mary Bird, Harrisburg, Pa.says,
MY child is worth millions to me; yet
I would have lost her by Group had
not Invested twenty-five cents in a bot