El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-11
CHURCH IN A RUT.,

FL Paso. Tex, August 9Th, 1911.
Editor FL Paso Herald:
1t appears from Mr. Morrow's letter
in The Herald that he has got a
wrong impression from what said re-
garding the churches of today. He
seems to think that I wrote that ar
ticle in a bitter or revengeful spirit.
Perhaps 1t looks so to one who does
not know me personally, but those
who do know me, know that 1t is not
bitterness against the churches that
causes my plain speaking on the sub
Ject, for all I am today and all I
ever expect to be, / owe to the man
whose cross adorns those edifices and
In a great measure 1 am Indebted to
the churches for my place in the
world today, consequently I could
hold no bitterness in my heart against
the church OF Jesus Christ, the best
friend that 1 or any other mortal ever
had. but 1t is this:
While the good old world grows
broader and the march of progress Is
heard on every hand, the churches are
practically standing still; they use
childish methods TO gain their ends;
methods that have outgrown swaddling
clothes in the 1th century. People no
longer get up and parade up and
down and vociferate when thew wish
thing All this galavanting went
out Of practice with the feudal lords.
but they allow every man a God given
right to his or her own opinion, but
the churches of today use the same
loud and vociferous manner that the
cock robins of the feudal DAYS used.
They take it for granted that because
they, mere handful. do not like a
thing, that all the people on earth
must see 1t as they do and be done
with 1t and that anyone who does not
agree with them Is but as dust under
their feet
They wholly forget that the saloon
element has its following and that
they are human beings and have a
night, a God given right. to their opin-
ions the same as anyone and I believe
that In using such narrow childish
methods that the church element
makes two enemies for prohibition TO
one friend for God and their cause
1t pains me to sec good money
wasted on a lot OF narrow theories
that are a thousand years behind the
times and it grieves me to think that
this way of serving God will finally
founder and the whole world will
have to be rejuvenated and remoleded
and the memory of this narrow mand-
edness wiped out in our children's
blood
I am not angry at the church
want to show the church people their
errors and have been trying to do so
In my feeble way for years. Today
they have their missions to deal with
the common herd; thsy are above the
work but they hire men and women
to do 1t for them and when one Of
the patronesses Of the mission con-
descends to visit 1T in person. 1t is
heralded- She Cor he as the case may
be) must have due press agent SER
vice so that as many Of the gaping
public as possible will be on hand 70
worship at her shrine. She sits upon
the speakers bench as cold as a piece
Of marble, dividing honors with God
God Is a jealous God and does not care
to divide honors with anyone, but
even he must step into the background
when one of his rich children, who
build churches with missions attached.
detgns TO visit and they must listen
to thousand year old talk that prog
ress has left behind and forgotten.
In plain English. the church is in a
rut but no one dares to say So II
the church really wants friends and
converts and prohibition it will have
TO win what 1t covets, by love, and
kindness The days or burning
Ella P. Haust.