Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1912-02-15


(EASI0R RUssEID) than ever for
hankfulness,
Christendom Is losing the sentiment of
gratitude to God, and Thanksgiving
Day Is TO many merely holiday. In
religious matters in general. Christen-
dom is rapidly approaching the condi-
lions prophesied By St Paul. when
men would preserve the form of god
liness but deny it's power. III Timothy
iii. s. The cause Of this the Pastor
traced to the increasing intelligence
of our day which. along religions lines.
has cut loose from the Bible and pro-
portionately cut loose from the true
God.
Higher Critics. not content with the
rejection of the creeds Of the Dark
AGES. have attacked the Bible, preju-
4 ed against it by the inconsistencies
of The creeds. Thinking to render as
slstance to humanity and to the Truth.
they have for fifty years been quietly
and successfully engaged in undermin-
ing the faith Of Christendom in the
Bible as a Divine Revelation. They
claim for themselves similar inspira
ton to that of the Apostles. while they
ridicule the thought that holy Prophets
of old spake and wrote as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit Of God
II Peter i, 81. ..5
Evolution and Higher Criticism.
Rejecting the Bible as special Di-
vine Revelation from personal Cod
the next step Of the Higher Critics
was an easy one-to proclaim nature
the god and creator of all things-an
impersonal god. Thus they were just
In line for Darwin's theory of Evolu-
tion-that nature Is god and cork is
the law of nature-the survival of the
fttest-and the ittest the most pug
nacious and overbearfng. and selfish
and scheming.
Thus we have gradually reached the
place where the masses Of Christen-
dom doubt the existence of personal
God, and are inclined to believe in
blind brute force-a nature-god-and
to hope that by some process of evo-
luton their children's children. in the
far hereafter. may attain to something
better than the present; but they see
not even the assurance Of a future life
for themselves. any more than for the
brute creation, a5 2,sySsa,s,4 p. .s...-., 81,
Unthanl<fuI, Unholy, Covenant Break
ers.
This explains to us why the masses
feel little interest in Thanksgiving
Day. except as a holiday They have
lost their God-the living and true
Coda Heavenly Father. Under these
circumstances. declared Pastor Rus
sell, it is not strange that they are un.
believers-that Thanksgiving Is be.
coming a mere formality. that the
churches are nearly empty and the
prisons overlooking and many of the
world pleasure-mad. st. Paul's words
without God and having no hope II
the world" surely fit the majority 0.
Christendom today. These conditions
breed the reverse of thanhfulness
namely dissatisfaction. Thus we Sc
the world enjoying blessings as neve
before. and discontinued as never DE
fore The opening of the eyes of III
Outstanding TO the fact that our rae
Is enc, and that the blessings OF cart
belong equally to all. is now comm
to men These are great truths. Wit
this knowledge should come an appr'
citation of the Divine supervision {
the earth's affairs. and a knowlede
Of the Divine Intention to recttfy a
the inequalities and in-equities OF ii
present time in a future Age,
= II.
happiness, our college men are q
philosophical In proclaiming theol
which is destroying happiness. al
which threatens shortly to destroy o.
civilization through anarchy.
What unthankfulness Costs. y@
We may be sure that unthankft
ness today Will bring upon man. nj
urally. a great cnrse--a great caian
ty. We see 1t comingi Unbelief
God means more trust In self mea
more discomfort means strife to
tain the things coveted means 9
archy- means the disruption Of o
present social system. as the Word
God foretells. Daniel iii. IL Re
ut your convenience the Apostles !,
gument on this subject y. Romans i
The silver lining to the dark cloud
In the Divine promise OF rescue, ar
the world shall have learned a less
for eternity The Scriptures assufe
that the time of trouble aud an5ire
WIN be followed BY the establishrns
Of Messiaf's glorious Kingdo ~
binding Of Satan 7ti1e letting loose