Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-15
Men Seen and Not Seen at Church

There is a psychologist law in oper-
alton, 1t appears 10 explain the alb
sence of men from Sunday church
services. Belief in the existence of this
law. according to DR.. p. S. Holmes. of
The Westminster. rests npon two as
symptoms First. that men do stay
away, and, secondly, that church serv-
ices are dull. Business life" he de-
clares, furnishes a certain sort OF eX-
citement TO which the mind becomes
lsabituated, and the psychologi. law
makes the dull, emotionless, excite
,ment- lacking church service source of
larger WEAKNESS than even busin ess It
self" That this statement is not made
in a spirit of irony, we see by Dr..
Holmes further words, which are con-
trhuted. to a symposium Of editors OF
r. leious jo,- iais printed n lie u e.
Weekly We read
| III he church Use. &; I fault faT "S :
:.ti, conditi MS. Old n listers rena'i
lin the puipits. VII. hive forgotten .:'e
things OF ws.c:i young men tEinn.
There are as sistaat pastors tn iarsa
churches who have nc ;aore fitness fo4
the places they occupy than TIE ma
jority of tho., 20 MIN they preach
The members oi the churches ar often
worldly AMI worse, AMI The knowledge
u what they are repels men IT the
world.
The church clings TO the same ole
methods and worships in the same ole
way, and the preachers preach on the
same old themes in the same old style
There is no chance to answer back. Il
discuss the propositions the pulpit may
make. The whole matter is one
and the humdrum preacher does thlng
in a aumdrum way.
The bond of sympathy between mel
and the minister is broken.
"They get no dividends of any sor
from the investment they make of tim
and. attention in going to church.
Men of mediocre ability go into tn
ministry There are few rare eNcep
tons. and they have crowds of men t
hear them preach: but for the mos
part the preacher is stupid.
at is not the fault of the gospel.
is the fault of an effete church.
why do not men go to church!
t They do not want to.
ST o1ote a recent letter from Ney
York business man upon the subJec
; He says:
, .Men-by whom necessarily mea
New York business men-absent them
selves from religious services. eiths
' remaining at home or going elsewher
t for mental relaxation or physical recre
I alton. because they become so fatigue
in the pursuance of their daily bushes
duties as TO dread the effort and be
:. grudge the time spent in attending
Y gathering which, in the nature
t things. is formal The demands of bus
h ness on a man in this city do not tern
: mate with his nominal working-hour
: hut are almost constantly with him ar
seem TO require perioHcai respit
u such as Sunday at home or aheid a
e fords. Religious indifference seen
e more prevalent than active disoelleI
{ any doctrine.
DIR. Holmes law, as was said. II
y opires the assumption that men don
: % ia church. But another Philade
: mia editor. DR.. C. G. Trumbull, of III
IS sunday School Times, thinks they
: 90 He SAYS, "the question, Why don
IL men go to church? reminds one OF II
old question in logic, Why did you X
vo,,r grandmother" You didn't k
}, your grandmother, and men DO go
? church." He adds:
I, .Of course not every man goes
= church. The church's work for Il
. world is not yet finished. But II
$ church is a great deal nearer it's go
: when the secular magazines are G
asking the false premise question, WI
I. tdon.t men go to church?' and devotil
;. pages and pages to pointing out Il
= spiritual unrest and the blasting
e the Rock Of Ages. and the failure ge
r orally OF christianity and the churc
THAN when the world paid no attenti
Ito these subjects. "A dead issue arous