Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-05-27
FRIDAY EVENING MAY n. 1904
WHY DON'T MEN co 10 cHuRcHl

WHY DON'T MEN co 70 CHURCH,
This question was propolnded BY
the New York Sun recently, and
promptly answered W the statement
that men no longer take an interest in
religion pr the mannef IN which Il Is
proclaimed from the pulpit,
The sun was of the opinion that the
sermons had becomsztoo academic and
that on technical or doctrinal sub
jects The average man finds the
preacher embarrassing II not actual
ly tiresome. II concluded that In
order 70 attract men TO church, the
clergy would have to return 10 the Did
fashioned religion OF the Bible and TO
exploit Il with the simple fervor Of
conviction, that the essential princi.
pies Of Christianity. rather than The
doctrine Or REORGANIZATION win attract
the man Of today. All Of which Is In
teresting and worthy Of consideration.
but We believe that the suns ques-
tion and IT, answer are not justified
by the facts. As a matter OF fact a
great many men do 70 TO church, tho
Il l. true that the proportion Of men
to women In the average congregation
is generally small. That there arc
exceptions TO this anyone who has
made careful observations can aflrm
with assurance. On any Sunday
morning n may enter the Chicago
Auditorium al the hour of services and
find in the great audience which DIR.
Gonsaulus addresses every week. a
very noticeable preponderance of men
-serious. enlightened and successful
men they are, who ind In the power
Of the great preachers ~eloquence sui.
ficient inducement 10 interrupt their
Sunday mornings res after the weeks
labor. The same thing has been Of,
ten remarked or HE audiences which
Dr. I4orfimor, Of Boston, addressed
every Sunday morning In fremont
Temple--the men were noticeably In
the majority. These Two diylnes
preached The Gospel, beautifully and
eloauently, which appealed TO mems
and touched their lives.
J II the sun had asked the question.
why do a great many men never go
10 church. II would admit of 4 more
exact answer. In the FIRST place a
greet many men never enter a church
because they are immoral and the
very atmosphere Of a church would
be oppressive 70 them, then there are
a great many who slave over their !
business SIX days Of the week so that
on Sunday they are worn out body
9nd soul 70 appear Al church would en-
tail a loss Of rest and an exertion not
TO be thought 81. They Illustrate tho
so-called compercialism Of the day,
thinks first and last and always
Of the dollarsand leaves no place for
The mental. moral or physical better
.ent u the individual These are
" the class correctly characterized by
the Sun as taking no interest in re-
Iigibn and the manner III which ii Il
proclaimed from the pulpit
Then there Is also q third class.
composed q men who would 20 to
u they did NOT meet there q
scrt Of exhortation which they resent
they object TO being told Just what
sort Of place the heaven or hen is 10
which they win 70, If they do tits or
hat when they are confident they
Snow inst as much about me nature
y these places az the preacher who
numbers at hem; they do not care for
n elaboration Of personal opinion Or
exposition q embarrassing qaes
idns of theology.
They win listen to tho teachings Of
II they al hear them in at
enough form; II not. they
ave charity neither for the church
or the preacher.