The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-08-19
Rapid City Black Hinsb South Dakota, Friday, August l9, 1898.
Number SO.

to exercise kindness in word and deed
toward saint and sinner alike. I heard
that minister utter a fervent PRAYER
for guidance from Him who errs not.
| joined with the minister and that lit
tie congregation in singing songs, the
words of which, if put into practice,
would turn rays of brightest sunshine
into many Rapid City homes,-words
which held out hope and encourage
ment to the faltering; words which, if
practiced. would fill every church in
this city with thankful congregations
each sabbath day. l felt that it was
good for me to be there.
What next? heard that same min
lister who had asked divine guidance,
that supposed follower of Jesus OF Naz-
aretb, stand in his pulpit and shame-
fully abuse a religious sect which diff
fered from his own; their methods, he
stated, were the methods of the devil,
they themselves were devoid OF good
sense; they ought to be suppressed;
their worship was next to blasphemy
and their entire theory was a falsity
in itself. Thus the harangue Il a
call it nothing else] went on. Judge
not that We be not judged, for as We
judge We shall be judged" That quo
tation came into my mind and I applied
it to the minister. Evidently he had
lost sight of it. What was the mat
ter: Did this sect on which this SER
want of God poured out his venom
teach inidelity? No. Do they take and
accept Gods holy word as their guide
to eternal life? Yes. Do they look to
God as the creator of all and the final
saviour of all? Yes. Has it helped
men an women to lead purer and better
lives? 1 know that it has. Are there
people leaning on its teachings, .on-
tented and happy in what it offers
when this mortal body shall have filled
its mission? Yes. A man is said to
have once asked Robert G. Ingersoll
this question. Said ne, "Mr. Inger-
soil, what would you do if you we're to
see some robust young man knock
IRON under a helpless cripple the verw
crutch on which he leaned for sup
port?" Ingersoll promptly replied, II
would thrash the young wretch within
an inch of his life" Calmly the cues
tioner replied, ''That is what you are.
doing, Mr.. Ingersoll. You are trying
to knock from under every christian i'm
this country their only hope their on
ly support and comfort in the dark
hour of adversely" My point is made
plain. left the church, dise listed at
the glaring fnconsistency~of this man
OF God.' So did others. Not that T
belonged to the sect upon which this
minister poured his vial of wrath, for
| did not. Neither am ] a member of
any church. Furthermore, | know
that that minister either mis-stated
facts because of ignorance, or else he
did it maliciously. One is about as
bad as the other in this case. What
was the matter? And l ask, what was,
the m~atter?:
like practical christianity-chris-
tianity that will help put clothes on
the shivering forms of the suffering,
and food in the mouths of the hungry
Practical religion will fill u rchurches
but the kind practiced by the minister.
above referred ~to,-well, what do YOU
think of it? l went to a brother not
long ago-one Of those u~nfortunates
who, periodically. gives way to the
appetite for strong drink. Said / to
him, Taking the past five years, how
many times have the church members
of Rapid City urged you to come out
to church, to be a christian, change
your ways and do better?:" "Once or
twice." he answered. Once or twice,
Three or four hundred church mem.
bers in Rapid City and once or twice
in five years has this unfortunate been
given "a kindly word of encouragement
and an invitation to do better. Once
or twice. Time to condemn other re-
llglous scots, but no time to reach out
a helping hand to those within our
reach Do you ask what is the mat
ter-why u churches are not filled,
why there is bAcksliding? Ponder
over the matter. Those empty seats
spoke volumes to me. What's the
matter? If Christ were to come to
City tomorrow there would be
about as many uneasy professed, chris
tians land three or four Minister'S as,
there would be uneasy sinners.
Rapid City, S. d.
Bucklen's Arn,ca Salve.