The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-30
CUSStS OUT SHAMS
The HoIier- than thou Brother
Gives Him. a Pain.
Melvin [. White Writes of Factions in Churches,
Peryersions of Scripture and Troubles
in Schools.

To the Editor: 1t is amusing how peo-
PIE ching to old traditions and supersti-
tions.
Some people have ''signs" when TO plant
cotton, when to plant corn, when TO cut
wood and when to kill hogs. They. also,
rehgiously believe in the weather predic-
tions of an almanac, which is medley
of old astrology and other supersItlons.
While it is all right to pray for ram,
or any other blessing, temporal or spIr-
itual, it Is funny to hear the almost
blaSphemous assumption OF the hoher-
than-thou in their Claims.
In a church near here, there has been
a faetional fight for several months. Or
binary lies, Islander, conspiracy, and some
other little things are among the charges
that have been raised between the lac
tions. Two partsans of these factions
were both suffering from drought, when
one got a very enhyenlng shower.
He, thereupon, sent an exultant mes
sage to one of the other faction, saying
that the Lord remembered and cared for
the elect The next day he got hail
storm, and the other fellow got rain.
Then the latter reminded him that he
was a modern Ichabod. The way people
try to pervert scripture, like the ways
that are dark and the tricks that are
vain of the heather Chinese, are peculiar,
Some time ago, man who claimed to
be one of the pure in heart got washed
away. so to speak, by freshet. One OF
his enemies declared that the scripture
was fulfilled which says: Il Will laugh
at your calamity and mock when your
fear cometh.'' Then he applied the Scrip
ture: 1.-The Lord loveth whom he
chasteneth. likewise he seourgeth every
son he reeeiveth.'
Everybody of sense knows that the
meanest people on earth seem to pros
per, for their trust Is in Mammon while
the Book of Job, as well as all history
and observation go to show that good
people suffer affhction.
Speaking of churches and church mem
bers, we often see them exhibit traits
OF character that may well cause the
agnostic to ask: IF that is the work OF
the Lord. what, under the same condi-
tions. would the devil have done?"
Tom Paine Hume, Rousseau, Voltaire and
Ingersoll combined; have not done Chris
tianity half so much harm as the fanatics
and hypocrites.
Being church member should mean
that a person is truthful. honest and
charitable But is a man believed be-
cause he Is a member of some church :
Does he eschew profanity, obscenlty,
SANDER and back-biting?
Will he help an unfortunate brother IN
distress. or faithfully admonish one who
needs Teproof?
few DAYS since / heard man give
an impassioned exhortatlon, In which the
rich man and Lazarus were the characters
portrayed. The rich man was, OF course.
excoriated, for that Is popular, While
Lazarus was glorifed, which Is also popu-
lar. In thrilling and lmpassloned De
clamation and gesture. he enjoined charl-
ty to the poor of the world who are rich
in faith, and you would have thought
that he and his auditors were yearnlng
to feed d Lazarus, minister to his every
want perform the last death vigil at
his dying couch, scatter immortelles on
his grave and build a monument tall as
shot tower over the grave of the late
lamented. But I'd hate to knock at their
doors with brass knucks for a favor I'M
less | could pay money down.
| believe in the Inspiration of the Bible,
and that there are many true and de-
voted Christians. But l don't find many
OF them holding high places in the
church. nor do find all preachers teach
ing II by example. 1 am we'll enough
treated myself. but l see many things
done to the poor. the obscure and the
ignorant, that do not impress me as
Christianity
As churches and schools have the same