Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-03
FOR FEARLESS PULPIT
Dr.. Crapsey Thinks Ministers
Should Have Convictions.
BELIEVE IN THE VERIFY
ut is Natural for Us to Believe; Hard
to Disbelieye."
LESSONS ARE NOT TAUGHT PLAIN
Editors Of Great Editions DO Not
Write What They Really
Think, He Says.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. February 2.-Dr. Algernon,
s. Craprey, whose withdrawal from the
Episcopal Church followed his trial on
charges Of hersy, was one of the speakers
at the annual dinner at the Genessee So
ciety at the waldorf-Astoria tonight.
His theme was '"The Necessity for a Fear
less Pulpit, and a Sincere, Courageous
Press"
Truth speaking is duty" said DR..
Crapsey, because without It human So
ciety cannot exist. We are members one of
another. and so are bound together by our
mutual trust in the word of each other. If
we cannot believe what is said to US, then
human Intercourse becomes impossible
For this reason there is planted, deep in our
hearts. a belief in the truthfulness of our
fellowmen. 1t is natural for US to believe;
1t is hard to .disbelieve
And 1t seems to your speaker tonight
that there is no danger more threatening to-
day to the stability of our institutions than
the habit we have fallen into of speaking
rather than what we think to be absolutely
and really true The preacher goes into his
pulpit. suiting his message not to the needs
but to the wishes and prejudices and whims
of his congregation.
Dares Not Offend.
HE does not dare to give them his own
real earnest thought lest 1t should offend
them, and he be cast out OF the pulpit and
lose his place of supposed influence In the
world. But q pulpit which is not fearless
can have no influence, and therefore 1t is
that we have our thousands of men going
up into the pulpit Sunday by Sunday and
coming down again, leaving their congre-
cation and the world just as they were be-
fore. For all the influence which they have
exerted, they might as well have spoken
backward or mumbled in senseless tongue
We cannot but marvel at the present moral
condition of the Christian world instructed
as it is Sunday by Sunday by some millions
of Christian teachers.
I'VE lose our establishment when we come
to know that the teachers do not teach
plain. simple truths of the religion they
profess; do not insist upon the love of God
and the love of men; upon righteousness,
temperance ana judgment TO come, but
water down their speech to suit the ca
pacity and the conscience of the Elixes to
whom they minister. And what is true of
the preacher is also true Of the writer.
Write for Policy.
"The editors Of our great newspapers,
with exceptions (and beg also to make ex-
ceptions with regard to the clergy, do not
write what they really think, but they
write what the policy of the paper demands
and what will not offend the advertising
patrons nor disturb the political organiza-
tons. I heard a newspaper editor once
describe a certain man as a blear-eyed
pup, and then the next day the same edi-
tor advocated the election Of the blear-
eyed pup to a high Office in the state.
What we need today in this country is
fearless truth-speakers, men who will tell
US just what they think. We will pardon
thousand errors If they will give US one
grain Of the pure metal of truth. The
danger of democracy is that 1t stands in
fear Of the common opinion. It fails to
generate original thinkers, because 1t does
not give them welcome"