Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-05-27

Herald recently, another editorial APP
peared headlined, 1.-THE Men and the
Churches" There is a connection be-
| tween the two newspaper utterances
that seems worth noticing, Here's the
Heralds editorial:
! There is just now closing ir Detroit
the first convention of the Cbngrega-
tional Brotherhood of America, whose
object is said to be to. revitalize the
interest of the men in the church
| The necessity for such a work seems
/ to have been emphasized by the first
session of the body, at which only 200
of the 500 delegates were present. Fur
Their on Rev. DIR. Washington GLADDEN.
of Columbus, Ohio made all address in
which he said: There should not be
such predominant feminine influence
| in the church and its work IS
There is no doubt that there is a
marked predominance of women, not
only in the Congregational body, but
in most Christian churches and denom-
nations. Possibly the pred ominance is
more marked now than formerly, but
1t has existed in every age The found
err of Christianity Himself was sur
rounded chiefly with women who min
istered unto Him of their substance,
and who We're the last at the cross and
the first at the sepulcher. 1t is a bold
pastor, therefore, who hopes to see any
other condition in his church"
Many articles have been printed
many sermons written. ard in many
religious conventions the question has
been discussed, why men do not attend
church services. To the writer, and he
is not speaking for himself altogether,
the answer. is, the present sermon is
written for women. 1t has been
said that our present Chris
tian services are feminine in
style. thought and expression. I'm
consciously the preacher of this day
and age writes and speaks to the
most appreciative part of his audience.
IN the good old Puritan days in this
country back in England 200 years
ago, 1t was the men the preacher
talked to. He talked hell fire punish
ment, and Justice. He spoke to the
head of the family, when the text was
IAN eye for an eye" He did not move
the hearts of his congregation by the
trecita.ls of the cruciRxion; rather he
told them OF their own future fate If
course of living Two hundred years
ago the preachers sermon was mas
cuHne in the fullest sense.
-
Probably the most successful pub
fishing house in this couniry-for that
matter in the world-issues two week
ly papers, the combined circulation be-
ing nearly two million copies per week.
One is for women and the other for
men readers. And here Is the point
to be brought out. These shrewd pub
fishers cater to the taste OF their read
ers, the masculine and the feminine.
Think what it means to preach to two
million people each week! Next Sum
day morning with the wife and child
rem in church, the man is at home
reading a paper that satisfies his mem
tai condition. Perhaps on the table
beside him. is the other publication
issued by the same firm, it's the one
his wife takes He does not even
open it, much less read 1t.
And no more striking illustration Of
this theory OF cause and ERECT can De
mentioned, than the increasing growth
in membership. comparatively speak
ing, Of the Roman Catholic church, the
world over With it's edicts, its bulls"
Its official utterances, positive and GER
tain, its unconfpromising attitude on
many of the public questions of the
day. even its personal interference and
control of the family affairs-all this
and more, that to many of us seems
unwarranted and unwise-the fact
remains, it seems to be the religion
the masses want. whether in the cir
cles of wealth in our large cities, or
on the plains of South America, where
the uncivflized are in the majority
There's no question but what the Ro-
man Catholic religion stands for some
thing.
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