Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-05-12
Outside Point of Vie,v

Some of US that are inclined to study
cause and effect have hard knot to
unite. looking over conditions in Mar
shalltown today. Marshalltown in the
past has not acquired an enviable rep
utation as church going town. On the
contrary all clergymen working there
found large number of all classes of
citizens that made no practice of reg
ularly attending church service Still 1t
can not TO put down as an irregligious
community. No town with population
of $4,000 people. that in one year spends
over 100000 for church buildings in
twelve months is irreligious. Marshall
town will spend that amount and more
during the year 1909, for new $4,000
church, a $4,000 church and several
thousand in remodeling other church
buildings. And a new church costing
$4,000 has just been finished. So that
100000 given by religious people dur
ing twelve months is an underestimate,
rather than an eXtravagant statement.
Following this came a city election
in which the churches and preachers
took an active part and TO the surprise
OF many townspeople and outsiders the
church crowd We're defeated. Then one
day several men appeared on the
street and s6,135 was contributed in
one day. all this we are told, by relig-
ious people, for an extensive revival
movement. All of the churches in town
but two or three joined hands. There
was month of preparation in the way
OF special church services. neighbour
hood prayer meetings. building tab
ernacle to seat $500 people, and on the
opening service of the revival meet
ings every seat was occupied.
We have often been told that man
is a religious animal. He's that and
more. Granting all that is claimed for
curiosity, fine music, and a popular
craze. there is in every person of adult
age that attends these meetings. some
thing besides. The city of Boston under
the administration of Chapman, the re-
vivalist. has just had "a revival" that
resulted in thousands of conversions.
Gypsy Smith has Just closed his meet
ings in Minneapolis with hundreds say
ing they were going to lead a better
life. Even Pat Grove of whom many
have doubts concerning his real con-
version. has done some practical work.
In England and Wales during the past
two years. the most successful re-
vivals OF the century are matter of
history.
And here's a serious admission from
the preachers the world over. They say
We can not do this work. Our meet
ings are only fairly successful. One
we'll informed minister says thhat reg
ular travelling men sell the same quail
ity of goods year after year. To sell
something new or to increase the sale
with the regular travelling man a spec
ialist, and he sells more of that partic-
ular kind of goods in one month than
the regular salesman does in year.
So it is with US, we have to have a
specialist to do the work" And evil
IDENTIFY, the argument is a good one,
judging from results.
So far reader and writer can agree,
but now what is it that makes 1t pos
sible for any specialist to induce any
where from 5000 to 5000 people to go
every night to hear the old, old story.
Nothing new can be said. We can
understand why the old deacon and his
wife are there every night. We claim
to understand why women always at
tend religious gatherings, but what is
it that fills the house, Look over an
audience and to your surprise notice
the non-chureh members that fill the
seats. Does curiosity bring night after
night that agnostic that infidel, that
skeptic. Does the music bring that H.
literate tough out of the saloon into
the tabernacle?
Yes man is a religious animal and
more, and that more is fear He's a
coward at heart when he thinks of t!ae
future. He had always had a he'll
ever since the first preacher opened
his mouth. OF late years with our lad
vanced civilization" this hell has been
almost neglected by the protestants
Our catholic friends have never let
out purgatory or hell in their preaching
and today are the most prosperous IN
numbers and wealth and additions N
membership of any sect in the civil
lied world. Our ethical societies, and
to many Of US to preach real common
sense religion. are the weakest in the
world and losing every year in per
centage with the increase of popula-
ton. And so we find the most sue
cessful revival preacher the one that
breaches hell as he finds 1t written
about in the bible. There is comfort
able thought in that our enemies are
sure of such a future abode. And once
more let us repeat man is a religious
animal, and he needs in his religion
belief, the old fashioned hell to keap
him strong in the faith. Needs it be-
cause no other motive is so strong as
fear to keep him in the straight and
narrow path. Incidentally he enjoys
the belief that some day some of bis
neighbors will get what's coming 10
them 1t would seem the regular
preacher can get a pointer here ADD
to the regular church announcements
in the daily papers every few weeks,
sermon in the morning Hell as the
Bible Teaches" THE hell of our fore
fathers, It's the same today" come out
and hear the truth"