The Greeley tribune., 1912-03-21

isles OF cnlisting nsen IN rcuS'1
St.tistics indicate that the rtsaA IN.
,S,,est of n,en In the church " No.
p,xat. and the observation Oh nN",
~ M is that men ~ u rule At't1e'
church because their wives iilh.s..
thcn,. Their attitude towafH t's
church and worship genesy
trler>nt. rather than enthlhsiassT'
Religion Of sOusc sort is tnh.'rs'n'
In mankind. The mysticism os "ne
unk nown. the still depths IN our ma
tu,,, that suggest the divine and IRE
,"..xeIs ~ creation are impressive
To even the savage mind. me eA-
ps<essiOn Of our religious oea,c'e 'N
varied and oft times eNtrssosh"Ty
People have been tortured ma'
starved and even killed IN sne "
servance Of certain rituals. A'.
struggling with the words oi o'1's'
for 1000 years we are still gropns.
Frequently congregations Will splAs
assunller over the choice oi "'"-
ister to lead the flock. :.
And thus II goes. The aas -.
dogma Is passing. Some OF tht Ans
that were guaranteed to send US
straiet1 to hell 100 years ago are
NO longer believed TO be sins. II Is
still the belief with many that the
man who does not openly profess .
creed and pray out loud occasion
ally IL doomed to eternal punish
ment. He may he charitable. kino'
refrain from gossip AMI sian0ef'
temperate and Industrious, but ne
~ a gOner. just the same. I'm uhe
other hand his sour. crabt,ed. clos'e-
listed. scandal-monging neighbor
who does pray out loud Is TO h'ssk
in eternal. joy for his particular
part in this life.
The men and religion movement
il not seCtarian. A baptist or Metno-
dist, or EpiscOpalian. Cathohc'
Cambellite or most any one probes
sin1 a creed Of some sort may heil.
Tte pfOnroters want all men and all
religions.
To the casual observer 1t wOuld
appear a. though there were enough
men and enough religions. For In
stance, we have something more
than a score Of churches in Greeley.
each of which teaches the precePs
of Christ. The population here -
50 near one class that none Is 40
dense that he can not untierstand
in a general way these TEACHINGS.
There is no handicap outside the
church to prevent the members
from conforming In their daily
lives the teachings OF the church.
In Greeley then, 1t would appear
that there IL no particular need OF
any more men or any more sfcts or
creells. or religious atmosphere, II
each man carries into his daily life
the teachings Of Christ, whatever
sect he gets them from.
Politics will be an absorbing
topic before long. There were no
elections in Christ's time. but there
is in the Word he left enough wis
dom to guide those holding cleo
tiOns today. Political issues. ecO-
conditions or personal pre-
ferences may divide men into fac
tiOns. but the spirit Of the Master
could pervade each factiOn-if the
men were willing.
But 1t probably will not. The
men and religion movement Will he
leraldetl in the newspapers far and
vide. as their press agents are al
-eady showing great enterprise.
There doubtless will be large and
meetings, and 1t will
ne announced that . great forward
step has been made. And at this
dnne It occurs that II tSeae repdrts
are true, the evidence will be In the
Oming campaign. Observing poll.
,ics will he the bcst way to learn
4 men are any better than they
have been. for there h NO sphere Of
Iegitimste activity that can stand
more religion ut this time than
politics.