St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-12-18
The Alienation of Men from the
Church.

J
Animation there is, but it should be
borne in mind that alienation is not the
same as disbelief in religion There are
men who believe in Christ but are alien
ated from the church because they feel
that Christ's teaching and life are not re-
produced in pulpit and pew. These at
firm that church members while religious
are unchristian am inclined to think
that among the industrial classes where
most of the alienation exists the cause is
moral or dish, lief in the church, rather
than intellectual or loss of faith in Christ.
A remedy there ore is return to the
christianity of Christ and there is hope
of success here from the fact that the
common people heard Christ gladly in
his day.
This means first of all compassion
for men. Christ not only bore our sins
but our scknesses and healed them. He
knew that If a man was sick or was hun.
grv he was more conscious that he had
nerves and a stomach than that he had
a soul aud that he could not get him to
think much alb ut his soul until he had
Quoted his hunger and relieved his pain.
This must be the spirit and attitude OF
the church. Her help and sympathy
must be as broad as human need. Re.
ligion cannot thrive when men are hun
cry, overworked or crowded twenty in a
room, and the church will never reach
men in a spiritual way SO lOng as she
1guores the social question. Ii the labor
movement awakenes no interest
in the church the church will awaken
no ntertst among working
men. SO long as the church confines her
mission to saving souls, she will find
whole classes alienated from her.
On one occasion Jesus had compassion
on the multitude because he saw them as
sheep scattered abroad having no shep
herd. In Christ's eyes the masses were
more weak than wicked, not wolves but
sheep who under the sway of ignorance
and passion had wandered thoughtlessIy
upon the mountain and become lost in
the darkness, and thus while he hurlt an.
athCmas at the Pharisee, his treatment
OF the erring was Charac errzed by great
tenderness. Neither do lcondemn thee"
be said to the woman who was more
sinned against than SHINING. The way
ward must ever feel towards the church
as they would towards mother; rever-
ence her for her putty yet realize that in
coming to her they shall find bosom and
love. The church mission like that Of
Christ is not to condemn but to save the
world. Then Christ saw the masses
without shepherds Agitators and pol
itcians the people have always had, but
shepherds they have St ldUm had, and the
church has sadly failed in the past in her
mission of leadership. do not wish to
be unfair to the church, but is it not true
that in the struggle OF men for better
social conditions and reforms the church
| has seldom taken leadership and very
often been opposed to them.
The history of the Sunday school
movement reveals the tact that at first
it met with a good deal of opposition
from not a few of the leaders in the
| church. Lord SALISBURY stood alone
in his labor in behalf of women and child
rem working IN mines and factory. Not
| withstanding the humaneness OF his re-
| form, he saws in few ustances did any
mill owner appear on the platform with
me and still fewer ministers of any re
| ligious denomination. Think of the
work he was doing and vet to receive no
| held from the church. And coming down
nearer to our own times the pulpit of the
south declared slavery to be divine in
stitution while TIL question was tabooed
from northern pu pts. Here then is an
other cause Of the alienation OF sincere
men from the church; and if that alien
alton is ever conciiated the church must
come out OF her indifference or cowardce
in regard to all reform movements and
assume leadership in every good cause.
Concerning child labor and Sunday work
and starvation wages and political cor
rupton and overcrowded tenements and
the saloon let the church speak no I'm.
certain word and MANY of the alienated
will respect her and be proud to stand by
her side.
One word more. The church has not
possessed the enthusiasm for humanity
or realized the brotht rhoOd of man as
she should in her lite. And by enthusi
asm for humanity mean love and reVer
ence tor man because OF what he is II
himself as a child of God. The church
has as a rule been interested in man wher
he has become possessed OF some eXtrin
sc worth like wealth or education o.
tam e; but with Christ it was the divin,
image in man or his intrinsic worth tina
brought him all the way from heaven t
earth, and it he should come to cart
again believe He would turn away iron
cur great religious gatherings and tn
discussions OF theological problems an,
his Teet would be treading the lanes an
streets OF the poor and outcast OF socit
tv, and if we should chance to meet Hr
be would say: Such eyes l saw tina
Craved the light alone, such mouths tina
wanted bread and nothing else, hand
that supple ated handiwork, men VII
r Their wives aud women will their babe
and all these asking leave just to live, ne
die"
! Now the church will never become pc
sesSed of Christ's enthusiasm for huma
ity until she catches his vision of the !
tlinsc worth of The human soul aud ST
will never realize the brotherhood of m
D in her lie until she becomes filed Wi
u his love and comp lssion for men. VIII
0 McAll went to Paris he knew but tv
sentences in French. They were &c,
G loves YOU" and II love you" When t
church through her pulpit proclaims t
/. first, God loves you," and through t
=. lives o. her members the second, II 10
you" then alienation there cannot
In other words when hearts are trur
the church will win, but not till then.
Is The Cattle COmmisSiOners RopOrt