The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-11
INDIFFERENCE TO RELIGION.
REV. c. IL. STRONG CONSIDERS WHY
PEOPLE DO NOT ATTEND CHURCH.

| Nor Opposition to Old DogmaS
which Keeps Them Away, Not the
Varied Attractions of the Age, Hut
the Lack of the Motive and Inter-
est Which the Church Has Failed
to Suppiy-what Questions Men
should Ask Themselves to supply
These NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Exer-
cising a Greater influence Upon
Civilization Than Ever Before.
Why people do not go to church was dis
cussed by Rev. Charles H. Strong at st.
Johns Church last night, his topic being
Causes of the Growing Religious Indif-
ference" Mr.. Strong referred to publish
ed statements which have been made from
time on competent authority as to the
| growth of religious Indifference. and es-
| pecially as TO the decrease in church at
tendance, and said that his observation
and study of the subject had convinced
him that these statements are based on
fact.
Many reasons. Mr.. Strong said, have
been alleged for the decline in church at
| tendance. Some of these alleged reasons
are revulsion from the old religious dog
mas, the increased struggle for wealth and
the enjoyments which it affords, which
have occupied mems minds to the exclu-
sion of religious matters, the attractions
offered by the newspapers and magazines,
and the aristocradc atmosphere said by
some to pervade the churches
Mr.. Strong discussed the question of
how far church attendance has been at
fected by the intellectual side of the ques-
ton, by the discussion of religious dog
mas and the antagonism to some
of the old doctrines, especially that
of endless punishment. This doctrine
he said, was the result Of a complete Sc
quence of thought, naturally resulting
from former widely accepted conception
of the scriptures and so connected with all
the chains of that sequence that all are
more or less involved the conclusion.
Men whose minds are antagonistic to the
idea of eternal punishment are thus natu-
rally led to reject ell the ideas leading up
to such a conclusion. Doubtless some re-
main away from church for this reason.
on the other hand IL is undoubtedly true
that many remain away from church be-
Mr. Strong said that 1t was his expert
ence that only few people are affected
by the intellectual side of the question.
or the most part they are willing TO leave
these discussions to the pulpit In the
business world, especially, men have not
time to consider these things. He did
not think that people remained away from
church on this account.
Under the head of Indifference, Mr..
Strong quoted a New York divine as say
ing that people were more pious in hard
times than in good times, that when in the
full tide of prosperity they give but little
attention to religious matters. New York
ers, said this divine, are chiefly concerned
with what they shall eat and drink and
wear. 1t is not their opposition to relig-
ious Dogma because they do not think
about these things. The idea of an end
less hell rarely enters into an ordinary
mind. Mr.. Strong agreed with this to
some extent. 1t was his experience, he
said, that in times of sorrow and adversely
the heart is open and responsive to the
word of God. While he believes it to be
true that some people are kept away from
church by the excitement andS luXuries of
life, he is not satisfied with this reason.
Mr.. Strong advanced as his own ex-
PLANTATION the lack of the true motive and
interest which should inspire men with
religious devotion. Men require motive
he said whether the building up of a
business or in whatever pursuit in life they
are engaged. Does the Church to-day sup
ply to men the necessary motive and in
terest 20 retain their active allegiance?
he inquired. Has she done this in the
past, and Is she doing 1t now? He con-
fessed that he did not believe that the
necessary motive and interest had always
been supplied by the Church. Men should
find in religion motives and interest which
should cast into the shade everything con-
nected with worldly affairs. Why is 1t
not so? He was almost ashamed to ask
the question. Let them ask themselves
these questions-What of God? What of
Christ? What of life? What of the world
to come? Out of these should come a
motive and an interest which should out
weigh all other considerations.
Mr. Strong held that the views of these
questions should be of God as a loving
Father, ever present with and caring for
His children; of Christ, not as an his
toric character, but as an ever present
reality, life as Gods great gift
to man to make something out of,
of the world to come as the great exp'7
ma ton of this life where everything here
must bring its proper answer and salts
faction. These were not light and trivial
things, he said. Once fixed in mems minds
they would be willing to undergo every
their religious duties.
Mr. Strong commended that 1t is not true
that religion has lost its hold upon the
world. There was never an age, he said,
when religion exercised so much influence
upon the civilized world. This is to be
seen In the movement to do away with
war and in the efforts to ameliorate the
hard conditions of war when war prevails;
in the great gifts which men of wealth are
making to charitable and benevolent pur-
poses, and in the discussion of everything
which affects the rights of the individual,
such as the effort for the suppression of
trusts The atmosphere which produces
such results was created by Christianity
This side of religion is evidently not los
ing ground. On the other side. he was
sorry to say that the Church is losing
ground. as is evidenced by the growing
to religion. This is simply
the repetition of the history of past ages
There nave been a number of periods In
the history of Christianity when religion
was at low ebb and the Church and the
people in a sad state. This seems to be
such O period, but the Church is passing