Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-10
OUTSIDE POINT OF VIEW
Mlllten for the Times Repnblicll

SNer>erS~~N~e<e>~~~~ S~se~~se~~N.e~~Se>
Mntten for he Times Repuplicll.
Mary. the travelling mans wife was
in a quandary. A problem disturbed
her. Naturally, she came TO the fount-
ain for a solution of it. She couldn't
understand why men and women with
the so-called liberal beliefs went to
church. Here was a man, for instance,
" no doubted all that Professor Pear
sen does and yet Sunday after Sunday
went to church and listened to sermons
from a minister who believed in the
divinity of Christ, the literal resurrec
ton, the miracles, the atonement and
all of the orthodox plan of salvation
What good comes to such a man from
going regularly to church? Why does
he go to church? That's what Mary
one of the best church members, asked
Of this scribe.
We'll, Mary" was the answer, I'll
tell you why Pessimist goes to church
You know he's considerably off in his
views-that is, from an orthodox point
OF view. Pessimist, the doubter, be-
l.eves in a God, in the God of this uni
NeISe. i ne 1iedlOI VI tHiS WoItu anu
all other worlds, the Author of Pessi-
mist's existence. Nothing is more natu-
raj than that Pessimist wishes to pub
licly acknowledge his belief. He goes
to your church because he knows that
you and your minister believe all that
he does, so far. Again, Pessimist is a
thinking man. He knows that your
church and the members of it are on
the right side of all public questions.
He is convinced that the world owes
nearly all of the present morality and
advancement to the Christian religion.
While he may rail and funieN over the
sctions and hypocrisy of many church
members, he is willing to show by his
presence every Sunday that he endorses
and is with Christian people whenever
and wherever they work for the good of
humanity. While he freely criticises
the Ito him) many unnatural, impossi-
bic and unnecessary articles of faith,
while he can not say I believe in the
numberless and numerous creeds
adopted by say $50 different Christian
religious sects, still If they will let him
have his own pet belief, and not send
him to eternal torment every Sunday,
why he'll continue to remain a men,
Der of the society, and show his bald
head in one of the pews about fifty
Sundays in a year.
Now Mary" said Mr.. Pessimist,
who had remained remarkably q,\at
While the above short address was be-
ing delivered, I'll tell you why Birds
eye goes to church. You know he is
way off in his 'doxy In fact prides
himself on being an agnostic. Don't
know anything. He goes to church to
set copy for his wonderful newspaper
articles. To pick flaws in the sermon,
goes to church the same as he would
to a lecture-to learn something-and
we. know he needs all he can get in
that line. l have heard him say he
went to church to think. Says that If
the sermon is not to his liking he can
get text by looking over into the
pews in front. There's something in
bis thinking church presence. I have
no doubt that during the previous week
he has committed many sins both of
omission and commission. If while he
sits there during the thirty-minute
sermon, and resolves to omit and not
commit them again. his church going is
q good thing for him, even if he does
not listen to word of the sermon.
While he does not believe in REVEALS,
perhaps during that thirty minute
thinking process he is revived fully as
much as some who say more about it.
know Mrs. Birdseye has less com
r'imentary view of his church going,
but
What surprises me, said the lady re-
ferred to- lis this mutual admiration
society that has sprung up in our midst
Mr.. Birdseye, the mind reader, gives
q complimentary church notice to Mr.
Pessirnist, the iconoclast. He returns
in kind. Now / know one reason why
you both go to church. It's because you
have nowhere else to go on Sunday.
Neither of you want to go to the club
over six days in the week During the
winter you can not go riding or fishing
Your Sunday papers do not arrive till
about noon. Now I'll venture the opin-
len that neither of you would go to
church in the afternoon if the morning
services were omitted. Why don't you
go In the evening? Mr.. Pessimist can
show by his presence in the evening
that he approves of the Christian re-