The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-06-18
I'm THE RELIGIOUS WORLD

ms TRENDS are a diverse
ms friends are a diverse company.
SIMON hough to have Jesus and the
Twelve at his table. He was resent
tul when he learned that in the train
or his unconventional rabbi came a
woman OF the street. Admit Jesus
INTO our scheme of things. and we
ind following Him a countless COM
pany, not only Of earth's greatest
and best, but also of NEEDY and "un-
de~sirable.'
There have been attempts-everv
one or them a mockery of the gospel
to establish churches made up Of
the socially elect, OF mutually con-
GENIAL persons from the same social
circles. There is an absurd preacher
IN n OF the Philadelphia suburbs
who is better known for other quail
ties than his religion, who advertises
ms church as rich and FASHIONABLE
de and it have been a tragic failure
as representatives OF religion. Wher-
ever a church undertakes to shut out
the great mass OF humanity, with
us shortcomings and sins, it newt
aDly flnds itself without Christ: for
ne Will not go where His poor friends
and all seeking sinners are not well
come. Jesus never excluded the rich
and 1t is notable hat TODAY He
is more criticised for dining with the
fAar1see than Tor receiving o%utcasts
and by the same token He will not
forego the poor and the erring.
Simon was filled with self-right-
eouS indignation because a soiled and
penitent woman came to his feast in
search OF Christ. He thought Jesus
no prophet because he received her.
Today we have SO far advanced that
we glory in this as the very proof of
the divinity of Christ. Much Of our
music tuned to the refrain.
Sing it Ger and DER again,
Christ receiveth sinful men,"
'Ihe Woman Who Was a Sinner"
In a ~lavishnesS OF love and passion
Of penitence, a woman OF the city
had sought out Jesus. The social
customs of the time gave the public
adInittance to social functions such
as this feast. So she, IN an excess
of gratitude, amounted the Guest sit
ting at meat from an alabaster cruise
of ointment, and, standing behind
him, weeping, wet his feet with
her tears and wiped them with the
hair OF her headd, raining devotion's
kisses upon his feet and amounting
them with such ointment as his hos
should have poured in honor upor
His head It was romantic and over
whelming, revealing the woman!
depth Of desire for a new life.
Simon looked on with contempt
Doubtless having this incident il
mind, Miss Adams remarks, Ma.
we not say that the Supreme religion
test Of our social order is the hideou
commerce of prostitution, and tina
istered in the hypocrisy and hard
the sorry results of that test are reg
ness Of heart Of the average goo'
woman?" She further points GU
the significance Of this ir%religiou:
attitude that develops apace the tw'
SinS-cOntempt for a human crea
ture, and self-righteousness-cOn
corning which Jesus was most Sc
vere.'
This attitude on the part Of tn
Christian is the more difficult to ex
plain because Jesus Himself was mos
explicit in the declaration Of His ow
position in regard to the fallen WON
an. He did not for a moment impl
that h could not be drowned int
the radius Of that wondrous affectfo
/ He promulgated the love Of all man
kind SO new in the history Of tn
, world; nor that the new solver
could not melt down-if I may us
; the phrase-that obstinate mass {
, Wretchedness."
! The Supreme Test of Religion
Miss Adams calls the social ev
/ the supreme test Of religion. A mob
pastor of a great city church, who's
ministry unlocks to him many tragi
human stories, said to me the Othe
! day, II wonder how / would act
l one Of my daughters should 6
S astray? 1 question whether I Shout
S display the same patience, tenderne:
and forgiveness that [ find with
many fathers and mothers who hay
in their trial learned the very min
e Of Christ The doctrine of TO
S g%iveness has often been pointed Q,
as the unique distinction Of Chri
r tianity. In the same wonderful az
S dress, which has already been quote
n Miss Adams makes this general Of
e servation,
"All over the world are traces
a changed attitude toward the scci
evil. Not only are American citi'
recommending restrictive measur'
v looking toward final abolition, b
It European cities such as Vienna a
Il doubling the value Of their long e