The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-23
ON SLEEPY CHURcHEs.
One Cause o. indifference 10 Gambllng ,
RalA DR.. PAFkhnnt.


The churches are about the sleepiest
element in the entire community said DR..
ohAElos H. Parkhurst yesterday In his SER
mon on dynamic moral sentiment at the
Madison Square Presbyterian Church.
They have not enough OF st. Pauls moral
vertebracy. They have not enough respect
for the Law Of God TO care whether the town
il ruled In accordance with the law Of God
or under the administration Of the devil,
1T Ia the press far more than the churches
that stimulates thought along the lines Of
moral amelioration Of civic life, do not
mean that even the press Ia a perennial
spring Of ethical ebullition, but 1t does
more than the Church does. For example,
one would suppose from the way our breth-
rem in the Lord knit their brows while talk
ing about gambling that gambling lie n
Of the principle vestibules 10 the temple OF
perdition. And ! believe II Is. But do you
know that New York State IL a gambling
State and that for years gambling has been
cherished and permitted under the pro-
lection Of the New York Legislature1'
. Continui ing, DR.. Parkhurst said that
protected gambling is rapidly increasing
and that q legislative protection Of gambling
is a direct blow to the State Constitution,
which forbidS gambling and requires that
acts shall be passed 10 prevent II.
Then barking back 10 the subject Of
church indi1 erence the speaker said: do
you know that il the churches would wake
up from their lethargy and convert just a
little Of their hymn singing and feeling Of
felicity into direct efforts for general
Righteousness and decency a dozen horse
Jockey Democrats and the same number of
contaminated Republicans would no longer
he able TO nulify the Constitution Of the
Empire State and drag II in disgrace before
the eyes Of the Lord and the general publloH
Are you also aware that according to
an authoritative statement just made pub
lie a final persuasive and c~onsummate
argument of $4,000 a vote has already
been brought into requisition at Albany
az a meant Of thwarting the efforts Of those
who are irving to drag the State out Of the
abysm Of dishonor2 Do you know these
things2 Have you any sense Of RESPONSE
bility for the existing degrading condition?
Are you personally making yourself heard
and felt as an advocate Of State righteous
ness? Are you not aware that public senti-
ment, II aroused, counts for more, even
with degraded politicians, than dollars?
And are you doing anything to foster pub
lie sentiment
The sneaker paused and then added with
emphasis: THE listless goodness Of Chris
tians ia a more formidable obstacle TO
civic salvation than the energetic deprav-
ity Of lobbyists and susceptible Senator's
or the local administration DR.. Park
hurst told his hearers that the city au-
thorities we're fostering contempt for the
laws. He declared that he did not say this
for the purpose Of r~eprobating these officials
There were other places for that. The
bad thing about this situation continued
the speaker. "is that the knowledge OF
these rotten conditions is 80 widespread
that the churches take the situation as a
matter Of course, when II they would only
act together public righteousness would
triumph over this corruption