Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-02-15
CHURCH ADVERTISING
Sensational Topics Announced
to Attrs OF Crowu

This is a day of advertising
and even the cbul ches have faller
into the habit, say the Richmond
Times Dispatch. A writer in tn,
New York Independent has beef
given this subject special study
and in order to get material fol
the article which he has written
during the weeks of one whole
year, from January to January, b(
clipped each Saturday from the
daily papers in New York city that
portion of the page containing
church announcements. He con.
cludes from his observations that
the purpose of most of the adver-
tisements, at least, was to attract
crowd. In one whole group, for
example, he says that the emphasis
is laid upon music, the preacher
being secondary attraction. He
finds that attention is repeatedly
called to the fact that the service
will be musical, with brief address
es. He answered" one of the adj
vertIsements by attending one such
service, and found that while the
service was one hour and thirty
minutes long, the sermon occupied
just six minutes. One notice
refers to new organ; another
mentions a string quartette and
organ another boasts of stringed
instruments and of chorus choir.
One of the churches announced
that colored jubilee singers would
render gospel songs and plantation
melodies, and still another an
nounced music By American In
dians.
Again, there is advertisement Ct
the subjects, some Of which are as
follows: Seeking Grars for Mules
and Finding Elijah" "Nathan
Said Unto David, Thou AIT the
Man, or the Crack Detective"
"Out of the Frying Pan Into the
Fire: A Study of Recent Suicides"
elias God a Bodyl" "a Defense Of
Violence to Scabs;" "What Are
Our Inspectors of Police Doing?"
Noted American Gamblers at
Monte Carlo" "The Devil in
Politics: Is He a Den ocrat or Re-
pu blicanl" "The Case Of Florence
Burns" "The Humor of Jesus"
"Christ's Banquet Talk" One
breaches announced as a subject
for "a Christmas sermon Goods
Little Boy"
1t is not a sign of the divinity
Of the Christian religion that II
has prospered and spread in spite
IF the plumbers and sins and
leresy and narrow prejudice and
and false doctrine
md false methods of some. of its
.xemplars and promoters in all
lges. How can preachers and
church officials hope to promote
he cause of religion by resort to
he "tricks of the trader" How |
AN they hope to elevate the
'hurch by resorting to degrading
Ways and means? The gospel is
trongest in it's purity and its
it does not ned to be
up by foxes and fads. If
is not attractive in itself,it can
ot be made attractive by descend
ng to the methods Of the play
Iouses. We believe in good music,
God preaching and attractive
ervices, but the cause of religions
5 never to be advantaged by clap
rap and sensatiOnalism. The end
ill never justify the means.
'rowds may be attracted by their
esire to see show, but if they
ONE in such spirit, they will
ave the sense of being swindled
the show is not Up to the add
ertisemeat, ard if they do see e
satisfactory show, neither they
or the cause of religion will be
be gamer by the experience.
AS the writer in the Independ
Mt says. a crowd cannot be col
'cted by mountebank tricks and
len appealed to with the solemn
nth of God.