Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-11-15

writer must pass one Of these churches,
and, to his positive knowledge, there has
not been one shovelful Of snow removed
from its sidewalks during the last three
winters. Someone will eventually receive
a bad fall on this stretch Of slippery stone,
and then all OF the theoretic religion in the
world win be unable to repair the damage
which a little practical Christianity would
have prevented.
During the winter season. in which every
door and window in the church IL closed
tightly. to keep out the cold, our preachers
will stand up before the people in a room
in which 200 pairs Of lungs, two larGe
stoves and q dozen lamps have been con-
suming the oxygen for an hour OF more
and denounce the man who drinks q pint
OF beer with his dinner as an undesirable
citizen. He does not seem to know that the
pint OF beer may be beneficial while the
breathing of foul air over and over again
is positively harmful.
Our preachers approve OF all sorts Of
games played with oblong pasteboards
made TO initiate playing cards, but II
man and his wife indulge in a game Of
| cribbage' OF an evening they are severely
censured.
They sanction lawn tennis and croquet,
but disapprove OF billiards, which is far
mors sc entific game than the two former
ones They say nothing when unchaperoned
young people OF both sexes indulge in mid
night frolics OF all kinds but when a dance
Is announced the anvil chorus Immediately
begins.
Closing Peel Rooms.
Our ministers have led q campaign which
has resulted in closing the pool rooms A
law which prohibits Sunday base ball has
been resurrseted, and church people openly
rejoice because the hall In which dances
were held was burned some time ago.
Youth must give expression to its exu-
beranoe Of spirit and It's Joy Of living. The
church has no right TO take from the young
people the amusement and reoreatons
common 20 their stage OF life without sub
! shutting something which truly replaces it,
and this the church IN our town has failed
to do,
! The foregoing statements descend to mere
FAULT finding unless supplemented by some
constructive criticism. The writer's plan
eontsmpiates one church and one minister
in each town. and an exchange OF pulplts
| BY these ministers so that while each one
has a parish under his direct care he
would have but two sermons per month 70
f, prepare. Under the present system Of two
sermons each week we have discoursss
which are either original. but rough and
unpublished, or brilliant and profound, but
plagiarized. BY the system proposed the
sermons might possess both depth OF
thought and originality. and the problem
Of How TO bring the men TO church
partly solved.
Suppose that instead OF four or five
church buildings in each Of these little
towns We had one large building designed
with some thought toward beauty and com
fort, with steam heat, q small electric
lighting plant and proper arrangements fer
ventilation. This one building would be
used for sacred meetings and would also
be used as q public hail. Ia which meetings
Of political. social and educational nature
could be held. The expense OF erecting and
maintaining a structure OF this kind would
be no greater than the expense OF con-
struoting and maintaining three or four
smaller churches and the inevitable par
sonaBe.
Instead Of three o. four narrow-minded
/ poorly paid preGehers who seem 20 imagine
that the quality OF q poor sermon may b