The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-08-29
SHORT CUTS LEAD
To QU|CkSAND
Continued from Page One

like2 Simply. that they are supposed
to represent occult influences beyond
the control OF the will. which. if YOU
can manage TO avoid their evil eve and
curry favor with them. will work for
You instead of against YOU. and guar
antee immunity from danger and a sure
road to success, and leave YOU care free
into the bargain.
'These. however. only begin the
enumeration. Men are after the short
cut III health. A familiar advertise
ment pictures gormand with a
broad smile on his face seated behind a
plethoric turkey sprinkling it with pep
salt, some such legend as this under
meath: He has no fear of a hearty
meal The advertisement is a svmp-
tom; it answers to a widespread de-
mand. the demand for some device by
which man may eat what and all he
pleases, abuse his digestion, violate
every law of health, throw caution to
the winds and be immune from the
consequences. Many man, and wom-
an too, has use for the doctor only as
a sort of insurance to cover the risks
of reckless indulgence and vicious
habit
Men WANT the SubII cut III business,
and so long as they want it with such
unanimity there will be no lack of
lambs to be feeeed by the bucket shop
and devoured by the larger carnivora
of the board of trade Each new day
Will furnish a fresh quota of gullible
victims for the fake mine, oil well and
real estate promoter; and all the king s
horses and all the king men will not
he able to hold back the crowds that
throng the gambling halls and pore
over the colored dope sheet of the yell
low press Mighty is the hunger Of
humanity to get something for nothing
MEN want intellectual short cuts.
Multitudes have found a haven of
mental rest in the Roman Church; for
the church has said with siren voice.
Trust your minds and consciences with
me, and / will hold them in safe keep
ing. Leave your doubts with me for
solution. ! will think for you, prescribe
duties for YOU, solve problems for you,
guarantee the future for you.
''Storm- tossed and perplexed spirits
through the centuries have Welded in
vast numbers to the fascinating spell
of great institution that saves them
tllC Sttil II HStcSSItN VI iidIu IuIUk
and perplexing discrimination, and
stands ready at any moment to speak
the final word. It's power will continue
SO long as men are caught by the lure
of the delusive short cut to spiritual
certainty
Men want the short cut in charac-
ter and destiny. Most men, it is safe
to say all men, would like to be better
than they are. They would rather be
good than bad. They would be good,
if it weren t too inconvenient and cost
ly. If only they could take goodness
in capsule or tabloid form at night and
wake up the next morning Transformed
III tastes, purposes and enthusiasms-if
they could but take their old natures
to the tailor or cobhler, and, like clothes
or shoes, have them mended while you
wait-if only they might make a lucky
find of a remnant character on the bar
gain counter, to be purchased for a
song-you could have heaven on earth
tomorrow. I believe with all my heart
| IN genuine and passionate evangelism.
But if popular evangelism is suffering
any disrepute, it arises from the fact
that it offers to the unthinkinp crowd
the one thing it dearly loves, viz. an
easy, too easy, short cut into the king
| dom of heaven. Thousands repudiate
the Christian life today because they
! look upon themselves as the victims of
misplaced confidence. For were they
not assured that, given but the lifting
| OF hand, a word of confession, a
breath of prayer in a moment of con
faglous excitement. and, presto' old
| things would pass away and all things
would become new; whereas. thew fouud
themselves facing the old devil the next
| day, with fercer fight on than be.
! fore? The hunger for short cuts in re-
| llslon is ineradicable: men are bound
| to have something in character for moth.
| ing. And in the reaction of disilInsion.
| ing and disappointment that inevitably
follows the ahoftive attempt they re
| nounce the whole quest with a curse
| 10 the infinite loss Of the Master and
| their own.
An evil and adulterous generation
seeketh after sign replied Jesus to
the demand of the crowd. 'and there
shall no sign be given it but tbs
sign Of Jonah the prophet: for even
! as Jonah became a sign to the Nine
vltes, so shall also the Son of Man be
| TO this generation.' What hapnened
| simply this: Jonah the prophet went tc
Nineveh and warned the people of i'm.
! PENDING calamity. The Ninevites saw
! the point. They did not parlev. or
raaver, or hedge, or shuttle. or evade
Without more ado they did what al
people IN the possession of their senses
| should do-they set about averting the
! calamity They knew where the shoe
| punched, They made use of eve, ana
| ear, and brain, and conscience, and com
mon sense. They repented, reformed
their lives, paid the price in changed
characters, cleaned house morallv-ant
the threatening clouds cleared away.
And that Jesus saws to tn,
! Pharisee, is all the sign YOU shall have
The signs Won are after are not outsid,
YOU. hut inside. You ask me TO con
vince your doubt by a spectacular dis
| play OF magic power. It would mea1
nothing if / did, Here [ am. Nv ere
dentials are the words I speak. tn
things | DO, the life I live, the man
am, Use Your eyes. YOUR ears. Won
brains, YOUR consciences. These are tn
only signs you or any other men Wi