The daily sentinel., 1909-09-14
MEN Do NOT GO
To CHURCH AS
IN OTHER DAYS

N
/ lively few men 20 to thurch. and the
question is often raised as to the
cause Of the absence of so many shin
ing lights Of the community as each
Sabbath rolls around. 1t is so all
over the land.
Men have a good many business
cares and other things to occupy
their entire attention throughout the
week. and apparently they give way
TO relaxation on Sunday. and prefer
to take il easy around the house. en-
JOY drive. a walk or most anything
save going TO church. II is not on
kposition to the church institution.
the preacher or the sect; but there
appears to be a sort OF stubborn re-
sistanCe, doubtless the result of long
habit that impels the average mas
culine individual to indulge in any
pastime rather than enter the por-
, tails of a house OF worship
The church OF today is a different
institution from the church of even
a decade ago. Ministers have broad
ened out. and sermons are no Longer
confined to Holy Writ alone. but
largely to examples or parallels that
may be drawn from the sphere of hui
man operations. 1t is a church of
NV NhNAnAAA anu AlA' IhoNlAuAlbl -
widening in its influence. 1t is
difficult problem to fathom, but per-
haps the layman is also broadening
in his intellectual development and
no longer goes to church because he
believes it the proper thing to do
At any rate he doesn't go more than
one Sunday a month.
1t would seem, however that there
is every reason why he should attend
church along with his wife and chill
dren. Back few years ago the young
men delighted in taking their sweet
hearts to church. Today there an
pears disposition to take them rid
ing or boating or walking Not that
the influence of outdoors is Just as
wholesome, and perhaps Just as bene-
fetal as attending church. but evil
dencing a studious avoidance of the
church.
Sometimes we believe that the in
spiratiou that is given the minds of
children and the manner in which
they are taught, pals on them when
they grow older There is no re-
pugnance to the teachings, but rath-
er a forgetfulness of the influences in
the mature walks of life. where the
individuals mind is shapened to seek
Ah' b'lAti pain DA reason vi contact
with sordid conditions that could not
be the portion of the child. Man sees
more of the world. of its people and
conditions, more of its shams and
trickery, than does woman, and wom-
an is supposed to he his guiding. an
gel, and most men prefer to look to
their wives for spiritual advice. In
other words, man relies on his in
stinct of preservation to protect his
home or family from the encroach-
ment of evil Influences 1t is a prac-
tical religion of his own 1t is nat
ural- The theoretical side of avoid
ing disgrace, pitfalls and danger he
was taught as a boy, and still vague
ly remembers; but in the man the
avoidance of evil influence is made
matter of pure self-reliance. and he
does not depend much on the ability
of Others to keep him out of trouble
Then ii would almost seem that
the church has not advanced in the
same ratio as the boy it taught. 1t
has not kept pace with his instinct.
nor his Development. 1t sowed the
seeds of righteousness. but did not
cultivate them to any great degree.
The church, of course, will say that
it did not have the opportunity in
'h' hpo'h't vi lllt /. Bul
is it not just as reasonable to say
that the inducement that was given
the boy to attend Sunday school
should expand TO fit the man in the
church?
Women enjoy the variation of GO
ing to church. and profit by the pro-
cess. In the general plan of life there
can be but little reason why men do
not attend as often as women And
that little reason would seem to be
in the church itself Diversity OF
opinion is great thing and has
great educational influence The man
finds it in professional life, in bust
ness. in mixing with the crowd in
every capacity, But he goes to
church and encounters, as rule.
belief that he has entertained all his
life, and a belief that is part of his
life. We have always believed that
masculinity is fond of argument; that
il delights in logic and reasoning,
and is prompted to submission only
when a convincing thought is strong
enough to penetrate the shell of re-
sistance. Doing daily battle with
the world, a fact is not necessarily
accepted unless presented in tangible
form. Religious teaching was some
thing nearly every man had as boy.
His later development demands rea-
soning circumstances and smile that
can be proven to keep his interest on
the right track.
When he gees to church he enjoys
keen argument with possibly a shade
of fighting. sometimes a little sensa-
tionalism to get out Of the ordinary
but always topic of present-day in
terest. He knows that every preach
er is good man. and likes to believe
that he is a good fellow in the light
of companionship. He acknowledges
that the preacher who talks to his
family is a profound thinker and
makes good theological discourse
but, it isn't theology he wants it is
something to prove and strengthen
Z his belief in those teachings He