The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-12-01
THE DUTY OF THE CHURCH.

The subject Religion Inside ,he
Church and out" is very interest.
ingly discussed In the current issue
OF one OF the prominent magazines
and In the discussion the writer has
made the church fare very vel
The discussion OF the question of
why there is growing Indifference
toward church attendance and the
spiritual growth OF tho people Is not
a new one The man outside the
church blames organized Christian
ity for the apparent conditions and
the members OF the organized church
bl imes the world Nevertheless or
ganlzed Chrlstia lily has all the bet
ter OF the argument. In the course
of the article the writer gives the
views Of critic and OF defender
of the churches. Il think con
tends the critic that men do not
20 to church because the problems
of their livea-their ethical pro
blems and their moral doubts are
not only not solved. but are not
known to the clergy" This may in
a great measure be true, but that II
Is true is no more chargeable to the
clergy than II Is to the men who
do not go to church There Is on
more reason why the clergy should
make II business TO run after
the men who are careless Of their
spiritual welfare than that these
men should persistently neglect a
matter so confcssedly important
as their spiritual werbcing 1t is To
he noted none of these men demand
that choice piece OF real estate
by the purchase OF which they hope
TO improve their financial condition,
shall be- brought to their place of
business; they 30 out to see 1t.
And this fact goes to sustain the
defender OF the church in the asser'
ton that II is not the business OF
the church to interfere In politics
ar sCcuomics, thI it, business
primarily is not even TO preach
morals. but rather TO develop q
spiritual sense that will be strong
enough TO work into moral action
and he asks: "ls II the purpose o
religion TO coddlc Us, TO sweep oui
doorsteps, to wipe our noses, Il
point the way to political rs wei
as moral regeneration? Must ",
pray to heaven to frame our healtl
ordinances and our traction fran
chiscs and to police the cities witt
archaugo,s 10 bid the lettering oiti
zen to move on? Surely not" AnC
Le concludes:
The clergy never performed thei
mission with greater zeal than a
present II is childish 10 blam,
them for our own faults or for IN,
lack of faith which We have nm
consciously cultivated as hrib,
TO our love of physical or spiritua
case. Tley fight the good hgh
and they keep the faith 1t is al
they can do in the face OF thit
spidcmic OF irrcliElon, Can W,
ask them to change the methods
that through long centuries have
cured tie sous because young mel
prefer the thcatcr to the church
They ear never compete with The
allurcmcnts OF life any more thar
they can take out Of our hands IN,
secular duties that We owe 10 on
race and to the world. Politicians
may challenge them TO ,eaye thei'
chosen field SClelce and Socialism
may try TO tauut them out OF Il
But there they must stay. always
teaching faith and spiritual grac,
as the means toward the salvation
OF mems souls.
Doubtless this is the true view
yet from the practical standpoint
It may still be asked II the church
is performing all OF her admitted
functions as efficiently rs Is within
her power. II Is not meant by this
that the clergy should turn its at
tention TO the preaching OF pro
blem sermons, for these are neyei
entirely satisfying, because, per
hap, the clergy is rot closely il
touc- With some OF the very pro
blems that are the source OF S,
much manifest indifference towar,