The Indianapolis journal., 1902-08-31
CAUSES OF RELIGIOUS APATHY.
Views Of Laymnn ON Certain Nexed
Religious Problems.
editor OF the Indianapolis Journals;

To the Editor OF the Indianapolis Journal;
From loud complaint from a number or
religious summer resorts and church gather
ings, II Is evident that the church Is having
the hardest struggle it has had for CEN
tury. if not for five OF them. The ministers
are giving many opinions as TO the cause OF
this. and. for variety. occasionally accuse
each other of various shortcomings In the
Masters work.
After considering the subject, 1 beg 20
give the views OF layman as TO why the
church Is falling behind in numbers, ana
more so, in a proper percentage of repre-
sentative people. IL seems 90 me the causes
are very plain. at least are plain TO persons
outside the pulpit.
First, may l say the apathy and indif-
ference are not because the people care less
for morals and religion. but they want them
without superstition. The world. that is.
the educated part of ii. which means Amer
lea and Europe, has progressed beyond the
fairy stories of the past. People cannot see
why it is essential for a person to believe n
ridiculous fable, as Jonah and the fish, or
the fable about the food, etc, while
believing that il Is best and right TO live
honest and upright lives; so. to avoid pro-
Tossing TO believe what they do not, cannot
believe they remain out of the church. l
do not mean to say all those in the church
believe ali the superstitions the church still
clings to. 1t is quite evident they do not,
but for the sake of the great good the
church is doing they belong in spite of the
Objectionable things in IT,
Another reason why the laboring class
and all who have to struggle for their liv-
II =
bers, is. first, the expense is greater than
! they afford. OF course l know this
will be disputed upon the claim that the
| gospel is free and that ali invited and
| welcome. But, If any person thinks this,
! let him try joining and contributing a pit
! tance, such as he can honestly spare from
! his family and he will soon be made to feel
! that Brother .Bigpurse gets warm well
! come because he gives more, and like any
! man with the proper feelings, he VIII get
! out He does not care TO stay in an inStitu-
! tion where he does not or cannot pay his
! full share He does not care to be beggaT.
/ Many laboring man, however, does stay
\ in church and wrongs his family by paying
more than he should for church privileges.
! One laboring man told me he paid 81 every
week, or So a year saying nothing of Vari-
| Gus small donations. This man plainly
J ter should have told him to give less. but
| such advice would be modern miracle.
! What the church wants of the laborer will
! pay his dues in a lodge where he carries
/ $1,000 to $1,000 insurance on his life for his
| family should he die, and sick benefits
| every week should the heavy hand of dis
ease fall upon him. Is it not natural that
| he should prefer to invest his hard-earned
| money in that way?
! When the laboring man who belongs ia
church dies. the church does not give his
| helpless family any 5000. Really, such a
| bereaved family seldom gets over 81 ,900i OF
| course, the widow and children are told that
the departed husband and father has gone
/ to heaven and is at rest and happy, but
| this assurance does not scare the wolf OF
| hunger from the door.
Another cause of many practical men
| and women being outside the church. OF
only nominal members, generally absent, is
the multiciplicity of church fads with the
/ accompaniment of collection for each
| These things have increased until the re-
! ligious services seem, In many cases, only
| the means Of getting a crowd; the real aim
! is 10 get money. The congregation hears
/ of need and schemes for filthy lucre
! over ana over till only the deeply faithful
can stand it. And the unfortunate preacher
/ who cannot bring these collections up
though ne may add souls and bodies to the
| church, will be rated low by the confer
ences. So the preacher has his financial
rating in the church clearing house.
| ApropOs of this read the reports in the
! daily papers about the great amount OF
/ money made by the various religious re-
| sorts 1t amounts to thousands and hun
dreds Of thousands Of dollars and the big
/ gifts of the vain wealthy are heralded far
/ and wide. and the giver lauded TO The skies
| by the ministers Thus Mammon leads the
van. Is II any wonder the common people
! do not feel quite at home along with the
, wealthy religious "4O0?"
When the church drops its superstition
| lets go OF its keen greed for money. preach
/ es the plain gospel Of love for man and
! God and treats a poor Christian lust as
cordially as il does the wealthy one there
VIII be no more complaints, such we are
hearing this summer.
J. A HOITSEP