The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-24
A REMARKABLE CONFESSION.
A -Churchgocr of Chicago Tells a
 Very Frank Story.

The November American Magazine takes up the subject '1Religion Inside the Church and out" In the course oi the article, which is a defense of the church, the following confession of a young Chicago n-church- goer is pub llished:
 Your story of The Rev. Billy Sun day and His War on the Devil, in Sep tember American Magazine refreshed the memory of my own conversion back in 1888 under the preaching of another great revivalst. was il years old at the time.
 "I had been making trouble in school when the meetings began. My people were worried about me. The revivalist offered way to reform. So l was urged to attend the meetings. Of course I heard great deal about hell and the Idamnation of sinners. Scores were be- ing converted There was great ex- oitement. I was pushed and pulled. Finally, 1 surrendered although l was not conscious of anything but a de- sire to please my parents, to avoid fu- ture punishment and to effect the nec- essary reform in my conduct In school
 The next step was joining the church. That was easy. All l had to do was to 20 through the ordeal of a meeting with the church committee, composed chiefly of respected old men m the town whose confidence I was glad to have
 "I enjoyed the experience of being a full-Gedged Christian for a long time. My father and mother were pleased beyond expression, and for years I think that | was q better boy that is, more restrained in my be- havior in school, perhaps I cannot recall any other definite manifestation of my conversion continued to go to Sunday school and to church twice church-goer
 By the time | was eighteen or nineteen I began to grow sick of it all I began to see that l had no genuine interest in the church. l was not go- ing to the bad, either Far from it. My conviction that decency makes for happiness was taking deep root. intended 10 be good man. and I be- gan to want to work it out in my own way. I felt that I was just about to begin my serious life, and-do you want it straight from the shoulder ?-- I felt that l wanted ia begin outside the church I felt just little resent full towards the church. I don't know why l am not arguing this thing or trying to prove anything. I am just 1 trying to tell you.
 Very soon--1 was twenty-one. l ] think-I left the little town where my i father and mother brought me up and i came 10 Chicago to live. That was ninq | years ago. And-shall I tell you? | have never been inside church moro ! than a dozen times since
 Now don't want vau 10 interpret ] this as a criticism of the church Do 1 you think | would rebuke the institl- l tion which has given my ia her and mother that peace which is my happy i assurance of their future weli-being l Neither do I find fault with tho Rev
 Billy Sunday Not one out of 100. o0f i whom he has converted may turn out l the way I have He may not try tc i convert children. either I don't know i about that I think that makes very ! little differnce, however Many people i are children, no matter how old they i are. All l know is that ever since ' ca n remember the churches have been rushing names onto their membership
 rolls. And yet the cry is that the churches are falling off in numbers i Where do the. all gO7'