Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-09-22
WHAT AILs THE PULPIT

A contributor 10 the Boston Tran
script gives the interesting results OF
some observations he has made with
regard to church going, particularly In
Boston and It's neghborhood.
one OF his conclusions Is that about
three women attend church TO every
man that is found there. The proper
ton varies greatly In different places
OF worship, but In rare instances do the
men equal the women in the Sunday
audiences. The writer specifies by
stating that In three churches located
In Massachusetts, avenue, outside OF
Boston, the attendance In the Uni
tartan was one man TO four women, In
the Baptist one 90 three, and in the
Unlyersallst somewhat less than one TO
two, He found several churches In
witch the number Of men was not more
than one TO seven or eight women.
Another feature OF church-going the
writer has also given some attention
and he found that, as a rule, not more
than one IN three or four Of the adult
population can be olassed as church
attendants In most towns and cities
not more than one.half OF the people
/ living there are In any sense OF the
word identified with churches, Very
few cities or towns in Massachusetts,.
ne finds have church accommodations
! for more than one-fourth Of the per
sons Of church. going age, and that
fact alone proves how small proper
tion OF the people attend church.
! Another observation made also Is
that the Protestant churches are com,
menclng to abandon the evening ser
vices. The consequence Is that those
who desire the best the preachers can
offer must attend the morning services,
and as many are prevented from doing
this, they are left without the benefit
OF the public worship
The contributor to the Transcript,
unlike others who have studied the
subject, does not believe that the sun
day paper and the sunday games are
responsible Tor the falling N In church
attendance. The fault. he thinks Is
With the churches themselves. The
! latter have drlfted away from the In
/ tel.feual lie Of modern times, What
! -ap. think and talk about today, the
| preachers seldom hear The pulpis
arc not in touch with the world, The
| preacher. ia other words. offers his
bearers the theology OF the past ages,
which hos no practical bearing on
modern questions. though they once
we've of popular interest
There Is a great deal Of truth In this
observation Every age has It's own
| problems lts own struggles. At the
time % the reformation when the prob
lem wes TO break through the walls
erected by centuries OF ecclesiastical
domination. and 20 establish, right or
wrong the independence OF the ndlyid-
ual without which ensuing revolutions
would have been Impossible, It was
necessary 20 scrutInize every estab-
ished dogma. and 20 weigh every ac-
| cepted principle. Then 60 was in order
10 dig from the dust Of ages the ponder
ous tones Of fathers and councils"
and TO discuss their sayings and dicta.
But 10 continue Tor ever In the same
! groove. without regard 10 the flight Of
! time and the work already done, ls OF
course grave mistake II ls that
which helps to empty the churches
our present time Is busy not 50 much
with the distinction between Sub