The Monroe journal., 1911-08-15
Why People Don't
Go to Church.


following clipping cut from another
publication and signed Uncle Char
lie. with request to print:
Any kid from Montana will get a
hearty welcome from me, Leon. You
say you guess | never heard OF that
little burg Of Avon, eh? | was in
that burg before you were born, and
/ am not romancing either. had
to laugh at what you said about Avon
having population ofover one hun
bred when there was dance and on
IL about a dozen when divine serv -
was being leld in your local chur. 50.
The people Of Avon and vicinity had
rather dance than 60 to church. They
are more interested in developing
their feet and in exercising their
legs than in soul developing and
spiritual growth. am not going to
lecture the people Of Avon for pre-
fering the dance hall TO the church,
for country people as a rule have a
lot Of nard work and precious little
amusement, and dance is about all
the fun that many Of them have.
Dances too afford them the ouly OPP
por,unity many have Of getting ac-
qusnted with their neighbors, and
haVing a social time. The dance
hall tries to make itself as attractive
as possible, and that is something,
alas, the church does not often try to
DO. People have a wrong concep-
ton Of church and religion. The
average person usually associates
church with death, or preparation
for death-anyway to most folks it
is an institution solely concerned
with the affairs OF another world
than this, and most people are too
much interested in this world to care
much about the things outside OF il
The members Of the most radical
and advanced political parties find
themselves in direct antagonism TO
the church. They contend that the
church has never bad any sympathy
with them in their struggle for bet
ter conditions, higher standards Of
living ,ect., and they are right. The
church has lock. stepped through the
ages with wealth, rank and privilege.
Church and state have ever been
hand in glove. The people today in
democratic England, are still taught
in the church catechism to humble
themselves lowly and reverently in
the presence Of their betters and SUI
periors., The masses have been
taught by the church to meekly sub
nit to the oppression and robbery OF
a privileged class and parasltical
nobility, which has fattened on the
work OF the toilers all through the
centuries, and to patiently endure
hunger, poverty, wretchedness, dis
ease, misery and suffering, and to
regard these things as the will OF
God. II they got discouraged By
the drudgery and misery Of their
lives, they were to hearten themselves
with the comforting fact, that in a
mother world, Providence, which has
permitted them to be outraged in
this sphere, would make amends by
giving them a crown Of glory and
royal good time in brighter and
better land after death. Ii the
church had fought the battles of the
poor, instead Of lock-stepping it
with the rich, we should hear no
complaints today that the churches
are empty, and that the masses are
losing their interest in religion
Quite recently all the ministers of
one Of tie most powerful religious
sects in the world, we're forced to
give their written promise not to
take a part in, or to be influenced
gy modernism Some of the min
isIe.s Of this great religious organi.
zation, had been stirred by the laud
abb desire to see the church absorb
a few progressive ideas and keep
pace with the forward march of civi
lization, instead Of dragging pain
fully and hopelessly in the rear,
They were loyal churchmen, gut
their superprs regarded any ideas
savoring Of modernism as being ini
mical to the best interests of the
church. Think Of that ! What
we want isa church whose ministers
will take lead in every movement
that makes for progress, national up
lift ana higher standards Of living.
We don't want a church that stands
aloof from the great struggle Of a
trust-rieden and exploited people,
for a smaie deal and better eondi-
tions Il living, and concerns itself
solely Fith spiritual things and the
preparation for another world. The
church needn't 50 into politics, but
it codd and should fight wrongs and
abus.s and boost worthy reforms
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