The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-11-05
INTERESTING RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY.
HIGHLY AMUSING AND EDIEYING TO
THE LISTENERS.
DEFEAT OF The PoMPOuS INDIVIDUAL.
TIE DEBATE WAS \ NOVEL,. TREAT
TO THE CONDUCTOR.

The following incident is vouched for
by a friend who lately saw it happen.
Nevertheless we have faint rccollcc-
tion of seeing the answers among our
old acQuaintances. We give them, how
ever, as related:
The crowded Second street car had
just turned the corner of Jefferson. A
man took off his hat as he passed st
Michaels church, whereupon Il pompous
fellow-passenger seeing it and desiring
to be funny, called to his neighbor in a
loud voice:
"Say, Bill, have you heard the latest
news? '1is awful! The bottom has fall
len out of purgatory and all the Catho-
lies have dropped into hell!"
''Too bad, too bad!' said the gentleman
Of the hat in a clear voice. Il pity the
unfortunate Protestants underneath;
they must have been crushed to atoms!
The novelty of the remark and the re-
sponse at once caught the ear of the
passengers, who were now all attention
to hear what might follow.
"Ah!" said Mr.. Pompous, smartIns
under the rctort and anxious TO turn the
laugh from himself, 81 sec you are Il
Catholic. You belong to that supcrsti-
tious set that ignorantly doff their hats
to churches and crosses, that believes III
what they don't see and are in fear of
what can't hurt them, the blind idiots!
See here. Now, show me the devil and
I'll give,you fifty dollars!"
mot SO fast, my friend,' said Mr..
Peaceful, with a genial smile Don't
condemn your neighbor without Il hear
ing! If you knew who was in the church
your hat would come off for Him also
Neither should you accuse me of be-
lievng what l don't see, for you yourself
believe You have brains although l nm
convinced that nobody ever saw them;
and as for showing you tho devil, keep
your money, wait awhile and take my
word for it, you'll see him for nothing"
A general litter was heard all over the
cur. No one was anxious to leave; even
two old ladies with passes for Girard
avenue concluded to keep their seats in
order to hear the result
Don't take me for un iniidcl, sir, "
said Mr.. Pompous, getting quite excited.
II am a liberal Protestant, who respects
every honest mans religion. But 7 have
no respect for idolators who make little
gods out of men. There, for instance,
is your Pope. The power you attribute
to him makes him a god on earth. You
even address him as Holy Father. Why
can't you do as we do in our church and
have no head but the Lord God in
hcavcn?"
That's what puts you where you are, y
said Mr.. Peaceful. "Thc want of a visi-
bic head leaves you in a heap Of error
and confusion. Don't you see that no
organization here below, whether bank
railroad or other society, can exist with
out head? The Pope is no god with
us. If he thought VIC believed IT, he
would be the first to condemn it. But
we believe he is a ,divincly appointed
teacher Of the whole flock. and we have
good grounds for our belief. But what's
the use in giving sensible arguments to
a fellow like you? Mick Moneys ar
gumcnt on the necessity of a head for
the church is the best for your COM
prehcnslon The holy scripture tells
u.s. said Mick, that our Savior com
mandcd us to hear the church. Now
how could we hear her except she spoke
and how could she speak without a
head and "a mouth?'"
A hearty burst of applause was the re-
sponsc to this rcjoinder. The conductor
even joined in it and Mr.. Peaceful felt
that he had the sympathy of the audi
cnce.
But Mr.. Pompous came quickly at him
with large string of charges, many of
them apparently so serious that it was
feared lie could not answer them success
fully.
Il attended your services one evening
Of ,late.' said he. "and was Mortified at
what ] saw and heard. You had some
kind of devotion going on in which you
offered ten invocatons to the Virgin
Mary for one that was offered to tho
Almighty God, and you concluded the
whole thing by n prayer for what yol
suppose are souls in purgatory! You
also have candles, crosses, vcstments and
the Lord knows what in your worship
You won't allow flesh meat on Friday
though you can eat the eggs and drink
the milk that comes from the meat or
Friday! These and many other con.
Trajectory and unscriptural practices
you cannot deny. They are proofs thai
your church cannot be the true one"
"Wait Bit" said Mr.. Peaceful. "Don't
shout till you are out Of the woods
You attended no principal service Of oul
church, but an evening devotion Of thu