The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-10
WHAT IS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT.


NO interest in Church Creeds.
To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
Allow me to add a word to the discussion
of the Causes of Religious Apathy" as
manifested by nonattendance at the Prot
estant churches, not only by the wage
Garner. but also by the well-to-do and the
rich. For, be it known, the evil-if 1t be
an evils not confined to those who earn
their bread in the Bible-appointed way.
l have read with much interest what Rev.
McNutt, the wage-earning preacher. has
written on the subject, as we'll as the crit
icisms Of DR.. Hunter and various other
doctors of divinity and laymen. 1 have
also read DR.. I. A. Goodwin's Methodist
Episcopal Churches and Organized Labor.
and after all 1 am compelled to conclude
that they have all missed the real difficulty
in the matter. DIR. Hauser, of this city.
who, by the way, is not doctor of divin-
ity has come nearer the truth than any
of the rest when he declares that supersti-
ton in the churches has a great deal to do
with the nonattendance of the average
man. 1t is probably true that quite
number of working people remain away
from the church on account of the ex-
penses connected with the going, and who
feel that they can spend their money to
better purpose than by helping send mis-
sionaries to India, or to the almond-eytd
Chinaman, or to the dear little 'breech
clout'' in the jungles of Africa. There are
others. no doubt, who stay away because
they believe the church interferes with
their privileges in regard to amusements
and recreations, such as going to the the
alter, or to the parks on Sunday, or to
social dance in the neighborhood in which
they live, and many other kinds of amuse-
ment equally as innocent The contribu-
ton box is a perpetual menace to the
poor, and the small envelopes so conspic
uously displayed on the backs Of the pews
look almost as large as the "hymnal!' Can
he allow the plate" to pass without drop
ing one in? Surely not. If he did he would
actually blush, in the belief that all the
brethren and sisters were criticising him
for his lack of zeal in the great work of
saving the heather. OF course, there is
always a certain number, mostly criminal
and debased, who would not go to church
under any conditions whatever. They can
be reached only through the Salvation
Army, or the street-corner evangelist.
But to the question: why does the
average man fail to go to church," ]
think L have the answer. He does not be-
lieve one solitary word of the doctrines
and dogmas set forth in the creeds Of the
so-called orthodox churches or preached
from their pulpits He has outgrown the
myths and miracles and superstitions that
formerly made poor, ignorant humanity
longer frightened by the fairy stories of
the preacher or by the anathemas of the
Pope. He is probably neither better nor
worse than the average church man. He
is only "a man amongst men, who is un-
willing to accept every foolish fallacy,
simply because 1t is sanctioned by the
| church. He thinks he knows fully as
oh 10 h
er in all the land, and that everything
| they all know about futurity would not
add much to any mans knowledge. He
knows no religion higher than humanitar-
| ianism and knows of no service more ex-
halted than service to his family and his fell
lows. He does not believe that prayer ever
| the raging storm. In fact, he does not
| believe in any miracle whatever even
| though it is said to have been performed
| nineteen hundred years ago or only last
| week. He does not hold any truth more
| sacred if spoken by Paul than If ii had
| been spoken by Parker. He simply endeav-
| ors to eliminate all shams and superstitions
from his mind and his life. He does not
believe a single syllable of the mythical
| story of creation as given in Genesis, or
that other equally mythical story Of the fall
| of man. That being the case, he does not
believe in many other things which are
necessary to the orthodox theology II
follows, then. that he does not accept the
| dogma of total depravity or the trinity or
| of endless punishment or the vicarious
| atonement, etc. He does not believe that
| Christ's death was necessary to salvation
either here or hereafter. He does not think
| the Bible infallible. or any more sacred
| than Huxley's 'Origin of Species" All
| truths are sacred. whether they were spok-
| en- by Christ or Confucius, and all un-
truths untruths still, whether they
! come from the Bible or from the Koran
/ He believes that the church is only a hu.
man institution, and a good one i'm many
ways, but that liz is no more divine thar
| his lodge. He has read Huxley, and Fiske
| and Darwin, and Spencer, and Arnold and
| Savage, and Parker. and thinks il is about
time for foolish creeds and foolish preach.
| ing to be abolished. Now, / respectfully
| ask, What is 10 be done with this aver.
age man, who will not join your church
| and who cares but little about going tC
| it?' He is here, and here to stay AND
| he increases year by year. Is he to be SCI
aside as a poor. ignorant fellow who ha:
| not only very weak head and also a very
| bad heart? Ii will not do. He is youl
neighbor. your doctor, your lawyer youI
| teacher your merchant, your carpentel
| and your friend. You meet him i'm the pub
lie parks and In the crowded street Yo,
meet him in the banks and business houses
| and factories, in the legislatures and il
| the Congress Of the United States. III,
| edits our newspapers and magazines ane
| writes most of our books both here ans
abroad. He has arrived. He is actuall,
| here! What are our preachers and OIL
| churches going to do with him.
HETERO DOXY,