The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1906-09-13
ROOSEVELT ON RELIGION
President Discusses Practical
Christianity at Oyster Bay.
Tells Clergymen and LayHnen He
Regards Belief as an Essential
Part Of Good Citizenship.

SAI1SI GpISCOpdI SuuTCuI Which, uC
attends during his summer stay at
Oyster Bay.
The keynote of the Presidents
speech, which occupied half an hour,
and concluded a series OF. four adj
dresses, was that the wealth of the
nation must not be d~isregarded, but
looked upon as the basis for spirit
ual development, clean living and
civic virtues.
The celebration was held in the
church edifice, which bears the date
1905 On its cornerstone. Admission
was by card and limited to the
church membership and the clergy.
1t was followed by a collation. in the
parish hall, of which the President
partook, and where he chatted freely
with the visiting clergy and church
members.
The speakers preceding the Presi-
dent, and to whom he made frequent
reference, were the Rev. H. H. Wash
burn, pastor of the church, who gave
a historical sketch of the organiZa-
ton; the Right Rev. Frederick Bur-
CESS, DID,, Bishop of Long Island,
who predicted church for future
generations in America, and that the
Episcopal; the Rev. w. Montague
Geer, Of Manhattan; the Rev. George
+. Vandewater, Of Manhattan.
The President said, in part:
Il cannot understand any Ameri-
can citizen, who has the faintest feel
ing of patriotism and devotion TO his
country, failing to appreciate the alb
solute essential need of religion in it's
broadcast sense to the welfare of this
country.
"If it were not that in our villages
and towns as they have grown up the
churches have grown in them, SYM
boiling the fact that there were
among their foremost workers men
whose work was not for the things Of
the body, but for the things of the
soul, this would not be a nation to-
day. because this country would not
be an abode fit for civilized men.
1T Is the conduct of the average
Christian, not on Sunday, but on
week days; not in the church alone,
but in his family and in his relations
to his neighbor and to the State, that
will more than anything else deter
mine in the eyes of the general pub
lie the worth of the creed that man
processes. If a man treats going to
church or mere devotion in word to
his creed Or to the outward forms OF
his creed, not as an incentive to de-
cent action, but as a substitute for de-
cent action. he is in very truth an
enemy to the creed he processes: he
is 4 drawback and not a help to the
church.
Whenever we read IN the news
papers that some man, esteemed to
be a pillar of the church. has been
guilty of business dishonesty. or poll
teal dishonesty, of offences against
the moral law In any shape or way.
all who are members of the churches
ment, should feel a greater regret by
far than those who are not
"The nominal Christian, the man
who has attended to all the outward
observances of Christianity, with no
matter what scrupulous care, who
nevertheless embezzles trust funds,
who is a disgrace in business, in poll
tics, or in home life, has sinned
against the light. and is more, not
less, blameworthy than if he had
never made profession of belief.
Each of us, layman and clergyman
alike, must strive in our actual on
duct day by day with the people
among whom We live to- make them
that what we expect from
folk, if they are sincere |
in their devotion to Christianity, is |
the highest standard of conduct. |
"All men in public life come in
contact with much that is base, with
much that is venal or cowardly, or
dishonest, and if they have IN their |
hearts any appreciation of what Is
really not necessary to true national
greatness they must feel the need of
every force for good in this country |
being multiplied and strengthened to
the utmost possible extent We cam
not continue as 4, Republic, we can.
not rise to any true level of great
ness, unless that greatness is based
upon and conditioned by a high and
brave type of Spiritual life
Men of wealth generally are not
harm but a good to the community,
if they appreciate that they are trus-
tees for that wealth., that the use of
it must also be a use which tells for
decency in private lifey for honesty
and courage in business anG in public |
life. No man is going to be of any |
use to others until first of all he
is able to carry his own weight, and
if a man entirely ~disregards the
of the body it means that SCme
one else has to regard them for
him.
He cannot be a factor for good in
the community at large unless he is
able to support himself and those
upon him. That is a
a basic duty for every
man, and if he does not fulfil it he is
not fonly doing wrong to those who
arenear him, but he is depriving him
self of the chance to do decent work
for foptsidcrs. So we need material
well being in this nation as a founda-
ton without which no superstructure
can be raised"