Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-04-10

surprised If the world values
Christianity according to the
appraisement put upon it by
those who profess to believe in it. If
those who claim that through Chris
tianity they have found salvation from
sin and consolation in sorrow deal
with it as a cheap and beggarly thing
they have nobody but themselves to
blame that hard-headed. practical
men question the value of all Christi
anity, or doubt the sincerity of those
who while processing to believe in 1t
treat 1t as a contemplate and mean
thing.
These reflections come to me as
observe the way Christian business
men treat Christian enterprises. They
profess TO feel a great and absorbing
interest in the progress and triumph OF
the Christian religion, and for one
desire to maintain confidence in the
sincerity of their professions. But
when 1 see them project on the broad
est possible scale enterprises designed
to make money and at the same time
embody their religious efforts IN
schemes modelled after the most
skinny and narrow plans, have trou-
Die AdAlA III AAAN ~N~~--Ns
their piety.
The object lesson presented on all
sides daily by the disparity between
money making schemes and soul-sav-
ing enterprises is anything but
wholesome and inspiring. There Is not
in America a scheme that gives
reasonable promise Of fair and reg
ular dividends that is not housed In the
most commodious fashion and does not
command all the money IL needs. On
the other hand, there is scarcely
religious enterprise. however success
full, that is not restrained from reach
Ing its highest effectiveness by the ut
ter inadequacy of its income. IL is
quite true that there has been some
progress made in the matter Of lib
crafty during the last Is years, but
commerce has advanced thousand
fold beyond all the advancement that
Christian enterprises have made dur
ing that period. For example, the other
day a great railway operator in New
York was giving testimony, when ne
was Intercepted about transaction
involving some ten millions of dollars,
and replied in substance that the
transaction was so small in COMPARE
son with other matters that he could
not remember definitely about it, l
doubt not he was perfectly sincere.
But who doubts that he can remem-
Der with perfect defniteness his recent
gift of only one million TO Christian
college. That transaction stands out
clearly In his recollection because on
the giving side of his life there are no
ffty milnon or hundred million deals
to overshadow 1t. But on the getting
side a little matter of ten millions cuts
but a small figure. Yet this man Is
known to be far more liberal in his
support of Christian enterprises than
is common and his case is not cited
as that OF one who is a sinner above
ali who dwell in this Christian land
Reference is made to IL as an Illus
tration Of the truth which / seek TO
point out and an illustration all the
more striking because of his exception
al generosity. A thousand worse cases
might be brought TO light here in our
own city II ones personal acquaintance
were sufficiently extensive and init
mate.
Take the one matter of the salaries
of preachers. I dare say, after
pretty accurate examination of the
records that the average salary Of
minister of the gospel in Georgia is
considerably less than $500 year.
good clerk in a dry goods store is bet
ter paid A baseball pitcher goes very
far beyond the figure, and crack
bicycle rider would turn up his nose
at such an income. Yet this poorly
paid servant of the chuFch-the preach
er-must preach sermons, visit the
sick, bury the dead. lead the social
meetings and bear the bulk OF the Ia
Dor Of every charitable plan his con-
gregation inaugurates. His manner
of living must meanwhile eomport
with the scale of living set by his peo-
pie for him, though few among them
spend less in three months than he re-
ceives I'm twelve.
When a church thus appraises the
value OF the pastor and his work viii
st be a strange thing II the world treats
with Indifference, not to say contempt,
the cause he represents? Will IL be a
matter of Just surprise if the world
which observes the business men of
church erecting imposing commercial
structures and employing money
makers at high salaries, which they
worship in a shabby house and pay
their preacher a shabby salary-Will II
be a matter of just surprise IL the OBJ
servant world seriously suspects the
sincerity of the business men who com
pose such a church? II men observe
investment and trying to induce others
to put their money In it. while he puts
no more in It than is absolutely neces-
sary to save his face. will they not
most naturally conclude that he is try
ing TO put forward some bogus
scheme?
But in addition to the niggardly
methods we have been considering
there are ways of raising church funds
which are, If possible. still more rep
rehensible. What must the business
world think of getting money for the
use Of a great and serious interest by
"suppers," fairs" 'grab-bags," con
certs," and save the mark sometimes
by that bastard performance known
as "charity-ball?' Suppose in recent
years the people of Atlanta should
have read in the daily papers for a
week that Mr.. Harry Atkinson would
give an ice cream festival at Grant
Park in the interest of the Rapid
Transit company, and Mr.. Joel Hurt
would give an oyster supper in Inman
Park for the benefit Of the Consolidat-
ed. what would the people have
thought? We would nave known that
both corporations were on their last
legs to say the least of the matter.
The cartoonists would have carica-
tufed them. and they would have be-
ha 4nIr Of Ia