Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1912-05-08
An Open Letter to Non. Church
Goers.

ma In gOOd OLD SOuIn CaToli
ma, as elsewhere, certain number
of good, clever, sensible people who
do not attend church. Some of them
are nominal members of some
church and some are not. On look
| ing into The matter, we find various
reasons for this non-church-attend-
ance. Of course this is a free coun-
try and people will do as they please
in this matter; the fact is we would
not have it otherwise, but it does
seem strange that a man will vol
unfairly go in, and remain in an
organization like this, that involves
matters of so serious moment, as
those represented by the church,
and then fail to lend to it the sup
port that attendance on its services
would mean.
Leaving out of consideration the
hindrances of i'll health and the
like, lets look into the reasons that
deter you non-church-goers. Some
are very busy, all the week and Sun
day too; the life is absorbed with
ever5 day affairs. Yet some people
as busy are regular church attend
ants; is not the cause worth the sac
riice and effort that busy people
would have to make in attendance?
With some it is just the habit of
not going; some have made rec
ord: haven't been to church for
20 years." They would not break
that record for a twenty dollar bill;
it is the only record they have
made that is worth mentioning!
Some think they can live just as
well out of the church; some find
so many unworthy people In the
| church, though we never heard OF
that keeping any one out who real
ly wants to come and that kind of
hindrance does not keep men out of
law, medicine or merchandise. To
some the church appears cold, ex-
elusive and selfish; for some the
services are tame and uninteresting.
They have allowed themselves to
live on excitement and intoxlcation
of one kind or another, until the
quiet, reverential services of the
house of God does not satisfy. For
the man who sleeps himself in sin
and avarice the church offers no at
traction; it is not the thing his ap,
petite Graves.
Friends, lets see'what the church,
the town, city or little country
church stands for and whether it is
worthy to command your attention
and support, by regular attendance
on its services. God established ii
and committed to it and its mem,
bers the most important affairs
of this life. Like everything which
human beings have to do, it is im'
perfect. Almost all of the letters
, to the churches, which make up sc
! much of the New Testament, were
, written by the apostles to correct
faults in those churches; yet God
! committed to the churches the all
important things of his kingdom
The churches stand as the basis fol
the preaching of the way of saliva
ton, as laid down by the Lord; fol
the spread of the gospel, at home
and abroad. They are the strongest
moral force in the land; how would
YOU like to live in a land where
there are no churches? The civiliza'
: ton of every land is shaped by the
} religion of that land; the civiliza
ton of Japan and China is chang
: ing because their religion is chang
ing. Our churches are the embodi'
s ment and expression of the religion
: and morality of cur land. You and
l believe that it would be for the
good of all if the life of every citi
zen of this land was controlled by
the religion of Jesus Christ. If no.
: body attended the churches, how
much force would religion have?
Dear friends, maybe you haven't
realized it, but by your non-attend,
ance, you are throwing. your infu-
ence against all that the churches
stand for: "What you do speaks so
loud that we can't hear what you
say" Are you not a stumbling block
: to your own children and those of
your neighbors? Why not give the
silent encouragement of your pres
ence to the things that make for the
best welfare of yourself and the