The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1910-01-13
Why rlore r1en Do Not Attend
Church.

Benn, and published by request of
the minister's
The statement was recently pub
lished that less than S per cent of
the men of New York city were
Protestant communicates that S
per cent was a meagre scattering
vote at election periodsj and that
it was difficult to get out more than
q per cent at one church service.
In city of 20 thousand there were
2,6oo voters. A religious census
showed that 2,2oo of these had
membership in ? churches. The
average attendance of men at all
the churches for one month was
about 500, or less than one fourth.
In town of three thousand there
were 400 voters, and 3oo of these
were members of 4 churches, and
the average of men at these church
es for one month was about rs.
These illustrations might be multi
piled, but these suffice to show the
apathy respecting religion on the
part of men. The condition of af-
fairs is indeed serious, and the
contemplation of it raises the ques.
ton, Why more men do not attend
church 2
There are two classes of reasons.
The first class is offered by men
themselves. I. A writer recently
suggested, as one reason, the in
PRODUCTION of so much machinery.
This complicates religion, he said,
and men whose business affairs In
voIve machinery, tends to make
them weary of it, and hence they
turn away from the church. Is
this generally true9 The fact is
there are thousands of churches
which have no machinery at all
The worship is most simple, any
thing but complex.
2. Men want fraternity, it is said,
and the church not affording fra
ternity, leads them to seek fratern-
ity in other organizations. Just
what is meant by fraternity is not
stated. But-observation evinces
that the spirit of traternityis Meth
er marked nor demonstrated in
other organizations. In these, men
fall out, scrap, refuse to speak,
condemn, vilify, and vehemently
oppose one another. The true
spirit of fraternity obtains in the
church. Fraternity roots itself in
love; love to God and to mankind.
Whosoever loveth is born of God.
Love IS the evidence of regenera-
ton and the fundamental principle
of genuine fraternity. The found
er of Christianity had an eye to all
unbrotherliness. He knew the or
igin of it, and-he stated the true
order of origin, cause and effect
human deprasity, Indebtedness,
social, business, industrial oppres-
sion and cruelty. The religion oi
the Lord Jesus Christ is the only
thing that gives the true fraternity
and that really makes one interest
ed in ones fellow men.
8. The failure of the church tc
keep pace with the march of the
times. Society provides resorts
and amusements; the church does
not, and so men seek to pass their
time in places of social amusement.
But is this generally the case.
Think of the many institutional
Churches, provided with Libraries,
gymnasiums, pool and billiard
tables, ten pin alleys, bath rooms
and swimming pools and other like
paraphernalia and what about the
attendance of mena Men are a:
scarce in these as in other church
as which are not SO equipped. The
suth is, men want everything but
essential things. Men want deliv.
erance from poverty. Christ offer:
deliverance from sin. Men wan
wealth. Christ offers holiness
Men want amusement. Christ OF
fers a cross. The cross was no
popular in Christ's day, and it i
not popular in this present day.
4. Men have concluded that the,
do not get anything at church.
this is true it reflects seriously up
on the ministry. While it may b
true OF isolated cases, it:is not tru
of the ministry as a whole. Their
never was a time IN the history c