The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-04-20
ECCENTRIC DR.. CROKER.

!
tain states deliver series of lectures explanatory
OF the position of Unitaranism face to face with
what is known as Protestant Christianity The
Reverend gentleman lectured acceptably in this city
few days ago, and before leaving for Boise. con-
scented to be interviewed by representative of the
Salt Lake Herald. Assuming the accuracy of the
statements of DIR. Croker given publicly in
morning contemporary the religious denominations
or bodies known as Protestant churches threat
ened with dissolution and the fate of all organiza
tions purely human. "The church today says DR..
Croker "is not moving commanding dominat-
ing the life of the people. 1t is more convenience
than an institution of God with the right to decide
what men shall believe and what men shall do" In
these two sentences Dr. Croker confesses that Pro-
testantism, as organization institution estab
lished to propagate the doctrines of our Divine
Lord and protect against and if possible destroy the
errors taught by the church of Rome, IS pitlful
failure He acknowledges that church divinely IN
stiuted has the right and of course the authority
to decide what men should believe and-in the SUI
pernatural order-what men should do. The church,
meaning Professionalism, he adds, is more con-
venience than a church of God" By convenience
he means, we suppose. an understanding among in
gious bodies thai they shall preserve the name and
outward appearance of Christianity. Further down
in his interview he excaims, "Organized religion"
that is Professionalism, has very largely lost its hold
upon the conscience and reason of intelligent mon
and women" In other words Professionalism has no
restraining influence the morals of its people and
nothing in it which can appeal to the intellect of
the educated man or woman. Now let US be fair TO
each other. Are the Unitarians of this city, we
specify for convenience, recognized members of
a Christian church? Are they accepted by the Prot
estants of this city and accredited by them Chris
tians! If they are, then DR.. Croker, who has not
been publicly repudiated by any Protestant church
of this city voices the sentiment and opinions of
the non Catholics of Salt Lake on Professionalism.
If the Unitarians are not Christians, they are in
fdels and their churches are literary and social
clubs. What right, then, has DIR. Croker to the
honorable title of Reverend and by what argument
will he persuade the public that he is not pre-
tender and parading his views as an mposter To
be honest with himself and with the public, let DR..
Crooker proclaim himself to be what he Is so
connective engineered Broad Gauge church" which
believes neither in the inspiration of the Bible. in
Christian baptism, in eternal punishment or in tie
divinity of Jesus Christ Dr. Crooker with plaus-
ability of speech and sophsm very seductive, pro
fesses his belief most profoundly in the church of
the living God, / believe most profoundly in the
real gospel of Jesus of Nazareth" But if the church
be but convenience and has lost its hold on the
conscience and the intellect of man, who is here to
tell us where and what is the church and what is
the real gospel of Jesus of NAZARETH It's all very
fine to talk gliby about Science democracy, phil
anthropy and educaton.' These words have been
tossed about so promiscously by platform jugglers.
egerdemain men and slight of hand artists like DR..
Croker that sensible men have arrived at the con-
cluson that articuated wind is substitute for
rational speech. To tell u.s. in one moment that the
church is a convenience. whatever that means and
in the next that he believes most profoundly in this
convenience. is no compliment to his intelligence
and is an insult to ours. And this is the man our
state university honored with an invitation to adj
dress its professors, sophomores and matriculants
It's all very we'll for the Doctor to proclaim his pro-
found loyalty to q church which has no existence
and his belief in the gospel of distinguished his
torcal character known as Jesus of Nazareth whose
divinity he denies, but practical will measure
the sincerity of the one assertion by the hypocricy
of the other. By process of evolution practiced
by particular class of men who mystify the com
mon people in fog of big words, the Doctor tries
to persuade his hearers that in the religious life eff
fects remain without cause for their existence
While 'the people today" says this gentleman, "do
not read religious books, do subscribe to mis-
sion funds do not attend divine worship and do not
observe Sunday, yet there are many indications
that the people are religious than in the
past That is to say the less respect the people have
for the divine command to keep holy the Sabbath
day; the less they study religious literature or read
pous books; the smaller their contributions to the
support of those sent to preach the gospel to the
heathen and the oftener they absent themselves
from divine service, the greater will be the intensity
Of the love of the people for God and their neigh
oors There is no other conclusion to be drawn from
he views of this Unitarian preacher expressed in