Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-11-12

Decent people are disguised with yell
XIV Journalism. but there Is yellow
suIpitfsm'' which is no less repr@nen-
sfble than yellow journalism.
RaSbi Philipson. OF Cincinnati. has re-
GENTLY given Il a most just. although
most scathing. condemnation. Among
ether things which he said is this dis
eliminating paragraph in his discourse;
Now. not every utterance OF a
preacher that creates a sensation Is
necessarily sensationalism- Truth Is
often sensational in that u starties
and attracts attention. But this is
altogether different from the striv-
ing after notOriety which marks the
sensational preacher who degrades
thu pulpit in order TO attract notice
TO himself. and who brings religion
into dlsrepute with all high-thinking
people By using the clap-trap meth
DDS OF the Quack advertiser. For there
are ouacks in the ministry as well
as in the medical profession
Recently a pulpit Quack Of this kind
advertised a baseball sermon. 10
which he gave the title. Won at the
Plate; the Home-run OF Salvation
The sermon was altogether in base
hall lingo. and was illustrated by
baseball scenes. OF course the
church was crowded by curiosity
mongers. and the preacher gained his
end OF wide advertisement, but he
had done religion a sorry service"
The Rabbi then spoke OF the sermon
topics which appear in almost all the
saturday evening papers. inserted by
he pulpit quacks who seek TO profit by
such yellow methods: Seeking Grass
sor Mules and Finding Elijah; anoth-
sr. Nathan Said 10 David, Thou Art
he Man. OF the Crack Detective; and
stfu another, "Out of the Frying Pan
into the Fire: A Study OF Recent
Suicide
such debasing stuff can not be CEN
sured too severely. II degrades the dig
nity OF the pulpit and dissipates the au-
thority OF the solemn truth which is sup
posed 10 be the source Of all proper
pulpit discussion II turns the preacher,
who ought 10 be and who claims to be
Gods messenger. into a mere pulpiteer
of a very low order. II smothers the
prophetic inspiration. and puts a buffoOn
Into the sacred place where the prophet
only ought ever TO appear. Rabbi Philip
son has done a service 10 the entire reli-
gious community In his denunciation Of
such profaneness and indecency in the
pulpit When a man who calls himself
4 preacher descends TO yellow pulpit
Isu.'' he prOciaims his utter want OF
moral purpose in his work. He shows
that he is in the pulpit, not to rescue
the perishing. hut 10 entertain the friv-
olous and goddess for such monetary re-
wards as they may incline TO give him.
Il is incredible that any sane man can
believe for a moment that real re-
ugi0us results can be achieved by such
methods; and he who adopts them there
By shows that he does not aim at the
achievement OF religious ends He can
not possibly intend anything higher than
A poor show--a sort of theatre comique
on Sunday IN a church. The people who
attend his shows do not intend or desire
any religious benefit: they simply go as
a matter OF diversion 10 see a sorry ex-
hibitiOn in a place OF worship on the
day when other places OF cheap amuse-
ment are closed However they may
praise the clerical Snowman who amuses
them for the hour. in their Utmost souls
they can not respect him as a man
% God.
such methods show also an utter want
Of faith in the gospel. Many men are
seeking TO employ in the pulpit some