The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-25
WHAT Is TO BE DONE ABOUT IT
Further Consideration of the Man
Who Does Not Go to Church.

10 the Edllor OF the Indianapolis Jcurnal.
Under the title What Is TO Be Done
About TIP writer OF remarkable vigor.
who signs himself "Hetero Doxy." says In
the Journal of Sept. 10 that the reason
for the undoubted falling of in our church
attendance is that the average man-our
neighbor in all the relations OF life-no
longer believes in the creeds and supersti-
tons of the church, and therefore stays
away. He remarks that this average man
is here TO stay. and We are all glad OF II.
and concludes by asking. What Is to be
done with him?" The answer is not diff
cult-tell him the truth. And the truth is
that ''Hetero Doxy" is mistaken and that
our churches do not and have not for the
last score of years, preached either creeds
or superstititions. That is one of the bug
bears used TO brighten away average men,
The writer of this article has now TO-
forty years been a fairly constant at
tendant upon the most rigid and conserva-
tive of all our UNCONVENTIONAL churches
the Presbyterian-the mention of which to
the celebrated Colonel Ingersoll was as
red rag to a bull-and has never during
that long time, except in a single instance,
heard creeds preached. Once a little pug
fessor in a theological seminary. preached
with great vigor upon the sad fate of the
heather, /. e., damnation. No one had a
chance to answer him, but at our dinner
tables that day the universal comment Of
the church members was, did not DIR.
make fool OF himself this morn
ing?" If "Hetero Doxy' would go next
Sunday and keep it up until he gets round
to any and all of the hundred Protestant
churches of Indianapolis he will not hear a
word which can be construed into either
creed or superstition. Beyond the general
and Self-evident truth that lin the begin
ming God created the heavens and the
EARTH" and that its Creator still governs
it in wisdom and righteousness, he will
hear no allusion whatever to the first chap
ter of Genesis nor to what the writer OF
this article believes to be the myth of
the fall of man. One thing he will hear.
and hear with emphasis, and that is the
fundamental proposition upon which all
our churches rest-that Jesus Christ was
and is divine and the Savior to all, rich
or poor, high or low, who put their trust
in Him and square their lives by His ex-
ample and teachings. The accent of to-day
in our preaching is laid upon the life and
not upon the death of the man of Nazareth.
The world is saved, not so much by His
blood as by the divine spirit with which
He met His cruel death. The Presbyterian
Church has never made the acceptance of
the Westminster Confession a condition of
membership. True. it required its clergy
to subscribe to it's obsolete provisions
written $50 years ago, but this awakened
such violent opposition that last May the
most objectionable of its passages were
stricken out. Some of the old Calvinism
still remains, but 1t is sure within the next
score years to be eliminated. The church
do move" as well as the rest of the world
And what Is true of the Presbyterian
Church is more than true of all the other
evangelical denominations of the North
Again, l say, Tell the TRUTH and let the
average man who doubts the above state
tests-actual attendance for few Sunday:
at any Protestant church in Indianapolis
If he finds them preaching creeds or super
stition. then let him and his family stay
away. Is not that fair? Observe. the writer
does not count the miracles of our Savior
as myths or superstitions. He freely con-
cedes that a miracle in the hands OF any
one less than divine is a misfit. But 1t is
obvious that such a big subject cannot be
taken UP now and here. That, attendance
upon our Protestant churches Is falling of
is most painfully true. That our Sabbath
is no longer sacred day to a great ma
jority of our people is likewise most pain
fully true. The cause of this Is. in the
writer's judgment, not difficult to state
beautiful spire of Trinity Church domin.
ated the sky line of New York city, and
was the first object upon which the de-
lighted eye rested whether coming from
life. Now Trinity can no longer be seer
because of two skyscrapers which bushes.
has erected upon either side of this once
majestic old church. So with religion il
the United States, or at least north of tn,
Ohio river 1t is being crowded out By
commercialism. Our faith is being lost In
the narrowing lust for promotion, socia
leadership and wealth. Except in the cas-,
of some popular orator like DR.. William
A. Quayle, there is no longer any eveninf
attendance to speak of at our evening
church services In Indianapolis, and oul
midweek prayer meetings are almost Who'll
ly deserted, except by few faithful WON
en-. Even that most democratic of al
Protestant churches, the Methodist, has
and love feasts. The disease which is ruin
ing our churches is luxury, and what Holy
Writ calls ''the pride of life" The poor
beautiful church structures, but as they
are built for class and not for the mass
the mass let them severely alone with the
result of empty benches. Commercialisn
has made vastly worse work in church at
tendance than this bugbear of outgrowr
creeds and musty superstitions. The Jour
nal short time ago in a Sunday editoria
suggested that IL our churches really want
ed to reach the poor they would, instead
of building costly structures on aristocra tic
streets, use the same money to build anc
endow plain churches and social settlement
buildings beside them upon our back street.
and then, what is Of far more Importance
have their members attend them dressed II
plain clothes Nothing of the kind will b.
DONE and still the church will keep asking
why is 1t that our working classes stay
away from us?" So long as our preacher
leave the street work and the slum worl
to the Salvation Army they will continu,
to enjoy their empty benches. The late Os
car G. McCulloch understood this perfectly
and so won the respect Of the working peo
pie that his church was always full, morn
ing and evening.
One more thought: Worship in ou
churches Is giving way to another elemen
--sociability. Under the roof of up-to
date church, there are church kitchens ant
reception rooms, and In last thing IL
church building there are reading rooms
gymnasium and apartments for evening
classes. In a word, our new buildings ar,
no longer churches. but institutions. No
word is to be said against these excellen
activities. But should a church roof cove
them? MY house shall be made hous
OF prayer" is our Saviors command. HUI
manitarianism is one and a most excellen
and Indispensable thing. while worship Il
an entirely different thing, and because TIL
two have been yoked together the formei
has TO degree crowded sout the latter, an,
clubhouses with weekday attachments. Tn
| church social is always crowded, blu
| crowded at the expense OF the prayer meet
ing. IL more stress were laid upon tn
church as means OF spiritual life and les
upon its social functions although by M
means TO the neglect. much less the de
struction. of the latter. perhaps churcl
! members would take more interest in an
better attend what is now most shameful,
neglected-the Sunday night and the mid
| week services. No right-minded Christian
| will neglect. much lees ignore, "applie
Christianity" But there Is somethinl
which lies back OF even good works T
! cultivate that something else" one day 4
seven and sacred building Is set apart
| | believe that the Episcopal and am abso
luteiy certain that the Catholic churcl