Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-13
fES5iMiSM or TIE pul or
gloomy Views Of Present cordit;o, :.
Society Not Justified. W

FOR some time past there haa -
manifested tendency by yar,ora
preachers in different sections to cor Co..
the country without sirift or annea1 ~ 81
the demnition bow vows. One dyejI 70
on the evils Of divorce des,rovirr n
family and wIecking society: anotber ~ ae
on the growing spirit of comrnerci,l,..Ip W
ana the wide prevalence Of corrIIr,tiot' 3,
local politics and public life; sin annf, y. ~
sees ruin and downfall in the ravages =
the demon drink. while others base in u
pending decadence and disTuptinn On sah
PAIN breaking. thcater going and danc
ing. Each one is sure that If the evil ~.
Is attacking could be done away w,th
all would be well and no two vhan,,
agree In the remedy which should be an
piled. Taken together, they have nro
duced the most dismal and dispiriiin,
chorus which has been heard since ~
, new century opened '"s
! This is In general way famiar
ground for the cloth. though thev bava
been taking such subjects into the pills.,
more frequently OF late, because do,tl+
less, of the fact that The old tnruIo,Ic,I
discussions and doctrines Of heaven Raj
and salvation by blood have ceased -
draw or to be of any interest to the mar
or woman OF average Intelligence
such discussions monOpolized most NJ
the time and thought Of the preachers N
all sects n generation or two back but
they still found occasion to indulge peri
2dically in very much the same pessjmis.
tic walls as to existing conditions wn,rh
we-are hearing from the clergy Of n.
day.
They held belief in regard to sneo
ial p-ovidences which modern science bav
greatly modified. If not wholly DESTROYED.
ana whenever an earthquake a shin
wreck, Il destructive stoIm or an, unta
ward event happened, they always saw in
IL. ana announced, the punishment N
some sin fragrant in the community. and
fresh disasters were predicted and m
Voked Tor those who broke the law
whether divine or ecclesiastical. Special
wrath was reserved and positively MON
iscd for all those who failed to "belieye
Absence of belief was a more haniuus NJ
Tense than absence Of morality; II WIS
more frequently and ficrccly denounced
and was threatened with the raost dire
ful consequences. The clerical pessimIs,
If not so frequent IN his exhinuion of d.
spair and foreboding. was still abroad in
those days. Tie h cf difference was that
instead of being told. as We are now thai
we are i'm an alarming state which unless
corrected must entail serious conses
Hu"nces. the hearers of those DAYS wern
shaken over a literal ana fiery hel, ami
told they would he dropped in unless
they mended their ways.
We Of the independent laity have no
wish to criticize orr check the efforts NJ
the pulpit or Of any good men to expose
and correct evils in society and lift il 40
higher level of charity. brotherhood and
personal character. On tho contrary We
would cooperate with them: hu; We do
not conceive that in order to do so IL Is
necessary to represent the world as
preachers constantly do. as going lapjdy
down to irrc;rievabie ruin
1t is not true: the very opposite Is true
Never was there a time in all history
when the general conditions Of humanity
were as favorable as they are today Go
back to the days of Rome and follow the
story of mankind down through the fear
full periods of Intellectual darkness
moral degradation. cruelty. oppression.
ceaSleSs devastating wars, religious per
secution and almost universal slavery.
and compare them with whai we find to-
day. The rights of man as such, then
hardly dreamed Of. are now conceded to
every one. The protection Of the law and
justice, then for the few. now belongs
to all; the prisoner and the insane treat
ed then worse than beasts. are cared for:
woman. then plaything or a drudge is
mans equal: few then could read now
none need lack an educai ion; ara the pro
portion of poverty to the population has
greatly decreased. Then freedom Of opin-
ion was suppressed in the torture cham
her and at the stake: now every man may
freely express his views.
While wars have not ceased. they ares
less frequent and less protractcd and
cruel and men the world over are kindli-
er and more ready to recognize the duty
to one another which common brother
hood involves. Read the personal NOM
cirs and correspondence of any earlier
period. and numerous persons will be
found who, taking up. as DO the preach
arS of s'totftpSs -somn aIta rticaRp HksrfaEefs
society. insisted that the world was on
the brink of proCipice and about to.
fall in: that the end Of all things was at
hand. and that unless immediate attcn-
lion was paid to what they thought and
said all hope was gone. Go rs far back
as YOU please and you will find the same
sort of thing. and you will find, too. that
in spite of such predictions. and right
along with them. the world has slowly
but steadily grown better.
Gentlemen of the pulpit cheer up, Get
a little more perspective and brush up
your history. II is not as bad rs you he
ieve. or think You believe, or think You
ought professionally to believe. or at least
think you must persuade other people to
believe. 1t will help MS along great
leal more to convince us that We are on
the right road; that We have moved.
though ever So little. and that the thing
to do is to mend our pacc-Archibald
Hopkins in New York Sun.