The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1901-05-23
A MELANGE OF
LIVE TOPICS
Penned for Journal Readers
by a Local Scribe.
Sacrileage.

"What church would Jesus join?
What would Jesus do as q mem
Der of the city council?
Would Jesus be a member of a
labor organization?
What would Jesus do in Atlanta
society?
Would Jesus vote the Demo-
cratic ticket?
What would Jesus do as a
preacher"
Except the first and the last,
none of these subjects are of a
spiritual nature, and it is difficult
to conceive how they can be so
tortured as to warrant their being
used for religious discourses. AS
to what church Jesus would
join" there is no profit whatever
in discussing such a question rs
that, as every church member be-
lieves his own community to be
more in accordance than others
with the Divine will. If this
minister's intention is to try to
show the superiority of his de-
nomination over all others, why
does he not do so directly, and
without dragging in the sacred
name of Jesus, making Him ex-
press preference for that particu-
lar body, when we have no reason
to suppose that any church las now
constituted, would meet with His
entire appreciation and endorse
ment?
"What Jesus would do as q
preacher" is best answered by re-
ferring to what He actually did in
that capacity, which was to preach
the simple gospel to men, warning
them of the wrath to come, and
leaving severely alone such fool
subjects as this mountebank works
off every Sunday upon a gaping
crowd of sensation seekers. Jesus,
as preacher, was about as far
from this minister as heaven is
from earth. If the congregation
of the latter wish a practical an
swer to this question let them con-
slider their pastor and his antics,
and they will have it in a negative
! form.
The South, until recently, has
been free from the disgusting pull
pit exhibitions SO common in
other parts of the world; and ev-
en- now this odious practice has
not obtained a foothold here, be-
ing confined altogether to the new
importations, or to natives with
"up-to-date ideas" This may be
sign of that "shiftlessness, y
want of enlightenment end pro-
gress to which Doctor Parkhurst
referred in his recent sermon on
his trip to the South, Ga great
text for a Sunday discourse wasn't
it p but it is a condition to which
the Southern people as a body will
unswervingly adhere even at the
risk of losing subsidies for oul
schools and colleges. All secular
matters, whether economic, social
political or even indirectly moral
have no right to be heard in s
church or in a church court, arc
it will be a sad day for Christ
kingdom on earth when this re-
!striction shall cease to be observ
ed.
The New York Sun, few day.
ago, took this same Atlanta min
lister to task for using the express
ion God knows" in an irreveren
manner, and by way of emphasis
as one would employ an oath
Some people, preachers among
the number, seem to consider tina
by reason of their excess of piet,
they are privileged to say and d,
things viii h in others, would b
accounted improper. The Allan
: ia minister belongs to that class
constituting himself a censor il
matters of propriety, ethics am
religion, but in a most discourte
GUS and unchristan way attacking
others because they may happier
to disagree with him in some o
his peculiar notions. 1t is yer,
wrong for people to use profan
language and to be uncharitabl
in their views and expressions 0
their neighbors, but your liam
holier-than-thou" individual con
slders himself justified in going t
: the length of sacrilege in his ref
erences to the Savior, and to tn
degree of malice in his attacks Ioi
others because, forsooth, he
supposed to have a monopoly o
the fine qualities of heart an
mind.
But censor or no censor, | al
weary of seeing the Son of Go
, | i 40 j H. 1o.-o1 &C :,