The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-02-08
CHURCH NEWS
LARGELY ROUTINE
Therefore It Gets Little Space in
the Newspapers, James schermer-
horn Tells Church Class.

Y The newspaper does not report the
church news. is an indictment brought
against the daily press. said James
Schermernorn In discussiuO The
I Newspaper and the Church before
the Business Mems class OF the First
/ Congregational church. The answer
10 this is that the church does not
produce news within the definition OF
newspaper that must tell the story
OF the whole world and has space only
for the more striking, the more vivid
and out-ofthe-ordinary Things. II the
church clings TO dogma and only
medioerity Is getting into the minis
try. how can YOU expect things that
are really readable and humanity COM
polling 10 come from the religious
held Take a pulpit OF power. one In
sympathy with humanity and in touch
with modernity. with message for
men In their present problems and
struggles. and il Will have space in
the press. The vital movements, such
as the response OF the church TO
emergent calls for relief, great feviv'
ais and laymen's missionary projects,
or works OF civic regeneration and so
cial service. are generally included In
the newspapers survey of the things
worth while The Indifferent repor-
torial talent is sent 10 do the average
religious event because the newspaper
reasons that nothing worth a lot oil
space will develop. II the religious
world wants more space let II DO as
the sporting. theatrical, financial and
social world does-make it's demand
felt in an imperative way that the
editor cannot misunderstood. When
readers look for the latest sermon as
eagerly as they seek the baseball
score or the closing stock quotation.
church news will be featured. IL is
the wise editors ambition TO give the
people the kind OF paper that they
want. The Christian Scientists have a
prosperous daily after their own
hearts because they want a daily de-
voted TO the wholesome and cultural
side or life, earnestly enough to Sab
scribe for such a paper. But the aver
age UNCONVENTIONAL paper is a poor
half-starved, anaemic publication. in
dicating that church folk are not as
fierce for religious reading as they
profess TO be"
There is a good reason for deyot-
ing so much space to the evil men do.
Publicity is a police service, a deter
rent. Let not the hearts OF the church
people be downcast. Crime gets into
print because il Is abnormal IL Is
an implication that the churches and
other forces OF righteousness are
keeping the majority OF the population
in good standing When the churches
lose their fight altogether. the vir-
tues. decencies and proprieties OF life
will become news-win be reported as
the unusual bizarre and picturesque
You will read then that Mr.. and Mrs!
Jones have been discovered living to-
gether in lawful and holy wedlock.
that there Is an honest banker In our
midst and that the pastor and the
/ soprano were In their accustomed
places on Sunday.
Churches do not get more space
because their happenings are OF the
scheduled order. Crime Is chronicled
because II is outside the schedule OF
the normal and the recurring, and.
therefore. becomes news. Nothing
that happens needs a censor; but with
the immature, there should be an In
terpreter There Is no health In sup
preston and no progress In conceal
ment. Mistakes occur I'm telling the
DAYS story because II is a hurried pro-
cess. and therefore the offense Is for
giveable. But the greatest mistake
would be to prevent the depictment
OF life as II is. for that would be Rus
sian tyranny and therefore intoler-
able"