Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-02-02
UNDERMINING RELIGIOUS WORK

With due respect for the venerable
editor OF The Friend, there have been
few more timely remarks than those
offered by Theo. Richards at the Cous
ms Society urging that The Friend be
rejuvenated and in some snght degree
brought up to date. Inc Friend, like
the Hawaiian Evangelical Association
until recently, has gone very much to
seed when the important place 1t might
take If properly conducted Is taken
into consideration.
The religious workers OF these Isl
ands whether their field OF operations
is in evangelical efforts N the outside
districts, the ministerial schools, the
prayer meetings or the religious press,
must realize sooner or later that mod.
ernized methods must be adopted II
they are to make any Roadway. The
teachings of God do not change, but
the people to whom these lessons are
presented do. If any influence is to be
exerted beyond the power of a per.
functory prayer, leaving the Lord to
do the rest there must be some appre.
citation that as times change the meth.
DDS of the exhorter, the teacher and
the religious writer must change as
well.
The Friend in its present shape is
the same as 1t was years ago. It
appeals to those who were associated
with the events of years ago" No
doubt there are good mothers of the
hamlet, good fathers of the hamlet
who read The Friend as religiously
as they read the family Bible. They
recall 1t as pleasant reminder of
their youth; they read the remarks OF
the editor or the detail of historical
events and pronounce 1t good. because
It appeals to their views. But when
you get through with the old folks the
interest in, and power OF, Inc Friend
is at an end. This may be all that is
wanted. 1t is not all. however thai
should be expected. The paper does
not draw any new interest to II and II
is not stretching the point to say that
the majority OF the Cousins Society
read the journal more as a religious
duty than anything else.
That the religious journal must keep
pace with the times is shown by tho
experience of every religious paper of
the Mainland. The Outlook, the Con.
gregationalist, the Christian Herald
and any number of other journals
whose prime motive is to spread abroad
and eXpound the faith are examples
of this truism. 1nese journals have
found 1t necessary to keep some.
where near the mark set by the pop.
ular magazines II they hope to keep
their heads above water, be anything
or do anything. The young people es
pecially must first be interested be
fore they take kindly to instruction.
and the young generation must be in
terested and instructed If the church
Is to maintain its hold.
The time is not at hand when the
Cousins Society or the Evangelical
Association can expect to produce in
Hawaii a religious publication that
will take the place of or compete with
any OF these prominent Mainland jour
nails. Times must be very hard, how
ever, and material as scarce as when
the first missionaries arrived, If The
Friend the religious organ OF the
powerful and wealthy Protestant PEG
pie in these Islands, cannot publish
a journal which in comparative excel
lence cannot approach the Paradise Of
the Pacific, for instance.
The Bulletin does not wish to dis
count the good work that has beer
done in the past by the Evangelical