The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1904-08-19
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Wby Do Elen not
Ge II Church?

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Rev. $. 5. Marquis, rector OF st
Joseph,s Episcopal church, Detroit
contributes the following article to
the Detroit Sunday News-Irbune on
the topic of "Why do men not go to
Church?'
"Why do men not go to church"
Suppose the church were a fault
less institutions. In that case We
would have to look for the reasons
why men do not go to church IN men
themselves. On the other hand, sup
pose the men to be perfect; and III
that ease we would have to lay the
entire blame upon the church. But
perfection is to be attributed neither
to the church nor to the men who
stav away from it, This being true
we may reasonably look for things III
each which tend to keep them apart
AS IA rule the men who do not go to
church place the blame for their an
sence entirely upon the church On
the other hand, the church places
the blame upon the men themselves
If both would face the matter more
honestly and seriously there would
be more men In church than at pres
ent. ..
Il frequently try to put myself IN
layman's place. | try, as best l
can, to look at the church from la%-r
mans point of view. put to myself
the ques ion, If you We're la%lnah
would you go to church? Would yon
give it your enthusiastic support
TO that question my answer IS, l
would feel myself something less
than a man if did not do my share
in supporting and furthering the
moral and religious lifeof the COM
munity in which chanced to live.
The moral and religious lie OF Il
community can no more be lelt TO
chance, or morgamiZed effort, than
can the educational life. II we are
to have all educated community 1t
stands to reason that we must have
schools-organizcd effort toward edn-
cation. The man who would take
the advantages offered by the public
schools, who would send his children
TO them and at the same time refuse
to support them, we would set down
as an unworthy citizen. He Is nol
AN honorable man. He Is feaplhS
benefits for which others are paying
| Internationally he is Il dead beat
| Now, moral and religious education
can no more be left tO chance or uii-
organized effort than can secular
| education. There must be solneSuch
organized effort in this direction as
| the church is making. 1t eNerts an
| influence which advances the moral
and material welfare of the commu-
uity. The mou-church-goer takes in
| directly the fruits of the church $
| work. He let's others support that
which benefits him and he gives
nothing in return. He lodges tax
which he is as much morally bound
| to pay as his school tax, or the as
sesslnemt upon him for the maintell-
ancC of streets and Sidewalks. he
| takes moral and material Dement'S
| for which he pays nothing. lie Is
| religiouslv a dead-beat. Only yes
terday | heard Il minister say that III
| the last wear he had 10 funerals
seven Of which were in church iaml-
| lies:Athe remaining siNty-three were
! in families which were-in no way dI-
rectly supporting the work OF the
church. This is true of almost every
church and minister that they con-
tribute in the way of moral and ma
terial benefits and of service to more
people who do not personally or ii
uancially aid them in their work
than people who do. In. short, re-
! latively u few people are supporting
the moral and religious work done
nv the churCh-the great majority
take the benefits and give nothing IN
return. / think If were a iaNman !
would not want to be moral aud re-
ligious dead-beat, | would not want
to be "a sponge in these matters.
Not every church would COM
llland my personal and financial sup
port, if were laymau. | have my
idea as to what a church should be
A boat that has no room for passen-
gers and freight after it has shipped
sufficient coal for its voyage is not
one in which | would invest. a
church that consumes everything OF
\ itself-that can barely pull its Own
weights not the kind of church
that would appeal to me ! ioob
upon the church as Il means through
which can accomplish more good
than | can aloue-nOt an end IN a.
self. A church doing practical
work would appeal to me, If Were
layman | would feel like investing
Ilny personal influence aud my money
In II church of that kind.
As to the preacher-if ! were Z
layman | would prefer an intellec
tually honest man to one inteilec