The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1910-07-14
FIGHT THE SUBJECT OF REF
WALDRON'S SUNDAY DIS
! COURSE TO BAPTISTS.
Dominant Passion
In millions Of civilized peoples is race
prejudice, says speaker, and
naterialism cutters into all human
affairs.

large and very attentive audience
the majority Of whom were men-fI-
led the spacious auditorium of
Shiloh Baptist Church, in this city,
on last night to hear sermon by
lev. DR.. Waldron, the pastor, upon
the subject Some Lessons From The
Johnson-Jeffries Fight. The ser
mon had been we'll advertised, and as
consequence there were numbers
OF people from all parts Of the city
present. ~~----~-. ..............
AT the beginning it appeared that
some of the audience were not pleas
ed at the Pastors preaching upon
this subject, while many others SEEM
ed to think it was the thing to do,
out almost all-if not the entire
audlence-at the close Of the SER
mon gave up their adverse criticism,
and seemed to feel that the fight in
cldent had been we'll used to en- force
a number of practical and very help
lul lessons. The Minister took as
MS text the following words from
. raul End Letter to the Corinthians
Chapter 8, Verses 24-27 which are
as follows:
For you know that in the races
IN the stadium, though all may run,
yet but one can gain the prize: And
every man who strives in the match
es, trains himself by all manner Of
sel1-restraint; yet they do it to win
crown Of fading leaves, a
crown that cannot fade. I, there
lore, run not like the racer who is
uncertain Of his goal; I fight, not as
the Pugilist who strikes out against
the air; but I bring my body into
bondage, crushing it with heavy
blows lest, perchance, having cal
led others to the contest, I should
myself fail shamefully of the prize.
DR.. Waldron said, in part,
'Olympic Games, Gladiatorial COM
bats, Boxing matches and other
sports were common in all the civ
: 1llzed countries during the time Of
the Apostles. There are MANY
references and illustrations drawn
from these games in the writings of
the New Testament. The Apostle
Paul refers to the Foot-races in the
Stadium, Gladiatorial combats, Box
ing matches, ETC., more than twenty
times In his writings and draws from
them many striking illustration with
which to enforce Spiritual truth, and
If the Sacred writer's could make
such excellent use of the games and
contest Of their times, there is no
good reason why Ministers should
not do the same with regard to prize
fights and other contests of physical
endurance today. Indeed, the con-
dltlons in the sporting world and the
prevalence Of sports of all kinds in
all parts Of the earth make it neces-
sary and desirable that the preach
ers of the Gospel have something to
say concerning these subjects in or
der that pernicious physical contests
and amusements may be abolished
and all legitimate sports and recrea-
tions encouraged and given their
proper places in the lives Of individ-
uals and Nations.
For eighteen months the daily and
weekly secular press throughout
America and in many places across
the water have devoted large space
in every issue Of their papers to
the Johnson-Jeffries fight; employing
expert correspondence, photographers
and cartoonists, and using the mails;
cables, telegraphs and telephones to
depict in minutest details everything
said ana done by Johnson and Jeffries
and their companions, and when the
night came off, these publications lit
orally overwhelmed their readers
with accounts OF the brutal combat
written & depicted by the ablest cor
respondents and illustrators in the
world. While this publicity has been
exceedingly harmful upon the lives
and minds Of millions Of young and
old persons and should have never
been allowed yet it proves that the
secular newspapers Of the world re-
gard it as their mission and privilege
to give the public that which they
want. In order to correct this evil
Of the press everybody who has any
love for humanity must bend their
energies to interesting the people
everywhere in nobler and bafta,