The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-03-15
THE CHURCH AND
THE WORKINGMAN

There Is an amazing trend among
the workers, of recent years, to avoid
the churches. Church people, as
commonly termed have become
alarmed, and are at loss to explain
the cause. One minister remarks.
hundred would attend a dance, and
not more than q dozen attend SER
vice cannot understand it shows
the people prefer to dance to attend
ing church. They are more interest
ed in developing their feet and eXer-
cising their legs than in soul devel-
opment and spiritual growth. And
yet this preacher don't understand.
Like most church people he has been
too busy dealing with the effect to
search for The cause.
am not going to lecture anyone
for prefcrring the dance hall to the
church, aud especially not the work
ing man, for he. as n rule, has a lot
Of hard work and precious httls
amusemene and a dance hall al
fords about all the fun that many of
them have. Dances too afford them
the only opportunity many have OF
getting acquainted with their neigh
bors. and having a social time. The
amusement places try No make them
selves attractive as possible. and that
As something Alas the church does
not often do that. People have wrong
conception of church and religion.
The average person usually associates
church with death, or preparation for
death. Anyway TO most forks IL Is an
institution solely concerned with the
affairs of another world than this and
most people are too much interested
in this world to care much about the
things outside of It. (Don't lose
sight of the fact this Is written from
experience by a working mani
The members of. the most radtca
and advanced political parties ind
themselves in direct antagonism to
the church. They contend that the
church has never had any sympathy
With them in their struggles for bet
ter conditions, higher standards Of
living. etc, and they are right. The
church has lock stepped through the
ages with wealth, rank and privilege.
Church and state have ever been hand
in glove The people today in Demo-
cratic England are still taught in the
church catechism to humble them
selves lowly and reverently In the
presence OF their bGtters and SUI
periors 'OMeaning the possessors of
wealthy The masses have been taught
bv the church TO meekly submit to
the oppression and robbery of priv
iIeged class and a parasitical nobility.
which has fattened on the work OF
the toflers all through the centuries,
and to patiently endure hunger, pow
erty, wretchedness, disease, misery
and suffering, and to regard all these
things as the will Of God. If they got
discouraged by the drudgery and
misery of their lives Qike phe Law
| renee strikers or other workers.
they are TO hearten themselves with
that comforting fact that in another
world. Providence which has permit
ted them 10 be outraged In this
sphere, would make amends by Civ
ing them crown of glory and royal
good time In brighter and. better
land after death If the churches
had fought the battles OF the poor,
instead of lockstepping Il With the
rich. we should hear no complaints
today that churches are empty, that
| amusement halls are hllod and that
the masses are losing their interest
in religion.
Quite recently all the ministers Of
| one OF the most powerful religious
sects in the world were forced to give
| their written promise not to take a
part in, or 10 be Influenced by Mod
ernism Some of the ministers OF this
! great religious organization had been
stirred by the desire to see the church
absorb few progressive Ideas and
keep pace with the forward march
Of civilization instead OF dragging
painfully and hopelessly In the rear.
They were loyal churchmen, hut their
superiors regarded any ideas savorlng
Continued on Page Five.