The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-14
SHELDON CRITICS.
Topeka Preacher Author Re-
plies to Them.
Not Sacrilegious to DO as Jesus
Would.
DAILY APPLICATION.
APPLICATION.
Says Jesus Should Be Brought
Into Life and Work.
World Reeds Closer COmmunica-
tiOn With Christ's Teaching.

In the current issue of the Christian
Endeavor World. published at Boston.
Rev. Charles NJ. Sheldon takes occasion
to answer some Of his critics who at
tackled his motives in his recent jour
nalistic experiment. A large number of
people, among them many ministers,
criticised Mr.. Sheldon for asking the
question, What would Jesus do?'' on
the ground that no one could tell what
He would do. and that it was sacrilega
for anyone to ask the question, because
1t made the name Of Jesus too common.
The communication which Mr. Sheldon
writes to the Boston paper is his first
comment on any of the criticism to
which he has been subjected. He says:
A good many persons, some of them
honestly, think it Is sacrilege for any
one to ask the question, What would
Jesus doY because, they say, il makes
the name Of Jesus too familiar and
brings contempt upon sacred things to
drag them into the doings of everyday
life.
"A great many newspaper editors
have expressed great concern that the
name of Jesus should be mentioned in
connection with the publishing of a
newspaper, and have cried out against
1t as an act of sacrilege that 1 should
dare to say that 1 would try to edit
daily as thought Jesus might do in
my place, as if to attempt such a thing
was to be guilty of unspeakable irreV-
erence. Let us have done one of these
writer's says, with this pious Hypocrisy
IT is sacrilege to drag the name of
Jesus into the everyday affairs of men,
Let that sacred name be reserved for
religion, where it belongsl'
i will allow no man to go beyond
me in reverence for Jesus Christ, whom
1 honor and love more than honor and
love any being ever born into this
! world But 1 wish to enter my tTe
mendouS protest against the attempt to
/
/ The plea that it is sacrilege to bring
/ Him into it. The real sacrilege con
sists in not letting Jesus into daily life.
/ The real sacrilege consists not in ask
| ing every day, What would Jesus do in
| my place? but in not asking it The
| editor of a daily paper who attempts to
| manage his paper without asking what
| Jesus would do is attempting to con-
| tinue the wolld-error of the ages IN
| separating the religious and the secular,
and making a distinction between a
mans life on Sunday and on Monday.
| The cry which the last part of the
century has heard very often, Let the
| preacher stick to the gospel, and not
attempt to mix gospel and politics and
| business, is the cry OF the world-spirit
| that does not reverence Jesus, and doss
| not want Him to rule IN the market
| place, or in any OF the sdaily money
| making or power-making walks of life.
- Thank God I have said hundreds
| of times lately, the Christian EndeavoI
| SOc1etleS OF the world, the young chris
tian people of this weary old globe are
| beginning to bring Jesus into their
everyday life. They are beginning t.
see that the irreverence, the real irrev-
erence and sacrilege of the ages is in
keeping Jesus out of daily life, where
He has right to come And, whether
you edit newspapers, or run a store. OF
a saWmiu, or teach school. or run fOi
office, or get up in a pulpit to do your
work for God, on, young men and
women with the glory OF a new century
already shining in your faces. I beg oil
you do not let the world deceive YOU
with any cheap cry of sacrilege
Whatever ye do, do all to the glory o.
| Cod Bring Jesus into your cOunsels
let Him share your money-making anC
your pleasure getting and your politi
cal and business plans And a few
years more of such daily reverence an
honor for Jesus will transform the hypo
critical life of the kingdom of rule OF
earth where Jesus is shut out into tn
kingdom of Jesus, where He is maste
on every throne Of power that meI
| know. The real sacrilege of human lif
is to exclude the Son of Man from
mans life. The real reverence for Hin
is TO place Him humbly, unostenta
tiously. but firmly, on the throne o
every davis conduct