Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-19

! - .i4i y "a
an audience of say 500 paid an adj
mittance fee to hear some blood and |
thunder play, where four villains are
killed III the first act. It's fair state
ment that the members of this CHURCH
preferred to stay at home or enjoy
some other way, while OUT
siders, non church members prefer to
spend their evenings in cigar stores
or at the theater.
Now if this detailed case was an UNI
common one an explanation could cas-
lily be given. But its a quite general
condition of affairs, not only in this
church, in this town, in this state. but
in the country over. This is the state
ment. The people that are church
members at least rs per cent of these
in good and regular standing only at
tend church during the morning serv-
ice. This is now so well known that
many cities evening services are omit
ted, or vesper services. OF lectures. or
moving pictures or Steroptican dis
plays or some special attraction is adj
vertised to get people inside the church
walls on Sunday evenings. 1t is not
because the people stay at home, for
the chautauqua meetings are We'll at
tended, the Sunday theaters have their
big audiences on Sunday evening, Billy
Sunday and Gypsy Smith also draw
big crowds on Sunday evening. Many
years ago in a Connecticut town, as
boy the writer was forced lie. moral
reason with something behind iD to go
to church three times on Sunday. The
preacher had to write three sermons a
week, the choir practiced for three
services-one at 1890 a. M. one at 3
D. m. and one at in the evening. Also
Sunday school at noon. And in that
town today, church members have
fallen into the same habit of going to
church once on Sunday. A big church
seating 1900 is frequently filed in the
morning. and has perhaps a hundred
the evening.
And there's a reason for this changed
condition of religious affairs. What is
the reason? It's not question of why
people do not go to church. for they
do go, once on Sunday, but why not
twice. why not three times as custom
airy fifty or more Years ago. It's not
because of lack Of religious interest,
for in this town where only 100 persons
came to hear a beautifully rendered
cantata, over $4,000 was raised and
given in one year for new church build
ings and improvements. 1t is not be-
cause these church members do not
want to hear TWO sermons on Sunday
for they viii not come out 10 an even
ing musical service. OF course one eX-
PLANTATION is that the children now
make more of Sunday school The
young people are tremendously inter-
ested in the Y. P. S. c. e, and kindred
societies Subtract the children, the
young people and the old folks that dc
not leave home evenings, at all, we
have some apparent reasons for the
small audience sunday night.
In the opinion of the writer, the
reason why religious people have be-
come once a Sunday church attendants
is that the religioun, the christian re-
ligion of today only requires one serv-
ice 10 give full and free vent 10 emo
tiona sentiment. Our present forms OF
belief and practice differs widely from
those of former years. The Pilgrim
Fathers religion was an everyday in
the week affair Ours is a one day
! WING, anu d one i1ouI anu d nan III III,
one day. We have taken away the
, vital parts OF belief. punishment. retri.
button, an angry God, hell fire. eterna
torment and in their place we offe
: love. do good for the sake Of doins
good, do right because it is right w
? have unsexed religion, the masculine
the forceful. The strength % creed an,
! doctrine has been changed to the fem
mime, denunciation to pleading, HEAVIER
: and hell no longer are places but exist
ences, the preacher now persuades
formerly threatened. No wonder on
service da9 and a short one at tina
: satisfies the longjngs of the christia
i church member Of 1910. A handre
d years ago, Suddav was Sunday. all day
Now it ends at noon. Doctrine end
e with the Dig sunday dinner Recrea
ton now means amusement Sunday af
ternoon and evening Recreatjo
It lasted all day. IN faot. commenced Sat
e urday night In New England a hun
e dred years sso. Yes one service a ia
e is enough. Life is too short to vast
IS more than one hour and a half in
It week on religion that is all love q
e sweetness. One service is enough 1
: give to a God Of love, benevolence an
s long suffering, TO a kind and beneficer
:, Creator.
!; !: Al5+l>Le~s