The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-15
MINISTERS ACCEPT
CHALLENGES GIVEN
BY LABOR LEADER
False Assertion Of Demagogues
Says DR.. Christian of State
ment That Church Tool Of
the Rich.
Some Grounds for Charge Says
DR.. Young, but Often More
by Those Who Attend So
Seldom I hey are Not Conn
petent to Judge.

The challenge to the church thrown
down by President f. c.. Dawson, O1
the State Federation of Labor. at tbs
federation convention in Newport
News last week. in which he declarod
that the church is not the friend o.
the poor man, but the tool OF the rich.
was taken UP by three ministers In
Richmond last night and from the
pulpit came denial, pointed and em-
phatiC
One OF the ministers. Rev. W. J.
Young, ID. ID of Centenary Methodtat,
did not spare the church. declaring
that present day churches too ofton
forget that their mission Is TO go Out
from the midst of their luxury -
minister to the needy and to the
poverty stricken" and did not hesitate
| TO declare that incidents have been
known of preachers silenced because
| of a rich mans service, but on the
other hand he declared that many 81
| those who made exaggerated state
ments such AS those made In Newport
News attended church services too in-
| frequently TO be competent judges a.
conditions
Fires Broadside.
DR.. Asbury Christian. Of Union Hta-
ton Methodist church. did not -
broaden his subject. but leaving what
ever criticism ne might have to make
of the church to another time and oc-
casion, devoted himself solely to .
passionate defense, censuring Its &c
lcusers Numerically and making mat
denial of the arrogant. demagogic and
false assertion that the church y the
tool of the rich"
! DIR. III. D.. c. Maclachlan. OF the
Seventh Street Christian church. also
took up the gauge of battle and made
answer to the charges
! Dr. Young began by saying that
There must be some apparent Justice
in the criticism that the church. has
grown away from the working man.
since declarations to that effect hava
come persistentIy from many sources-
from individuals, the press and books
but he did net admit for an instant
that there is any truth In the sweeping
charges so frequently made against the
sincerity OF the church's purpose or
that there can be a line drawn between
Ichurch- going people and workino
men
Many Growing Away.
To-day is one OF luxury. he said.
land too many of the churches ara
dependent upon the wealthy Tor tn0tF
maintenance in the style TO WHICH
they are accustomed. Incidents nave
I been known when the pulpit has been
silenced because OF q rich mans sar~
Vice to the church and the preacher
kept from proclaiming the full meas
sage of God because such a couIne
might deprive 1t of the mans patrons
age. The luxury of the modarn
lchurch in music. furnishings ana
comfort ia conducive to the IDEAS
which have been advanced leading 70
the belief that 1t is primarily for the
Then. too" continued the pastor.
there Is a trend from the church on
the part Of almost all kinds OF men.
Scholars, bankers and working men
Frequently find ii possible to remain
away from the services more than was
1.-The custom in former years. This n
ltrue all over the country, but II ~
more noticeable that 1t Is tina Workin6
men who are drifting away in the
greater numbers.
According to DR.. Young the church
stands for things as they exist and a.
a rule men who would be -eformerH
/ have to march out of the congregn-
/ ttons leading others In order to REFORM
/ the church The church, too, often
stands for things as they are. O1ten
these things are bad. notably in the
social and Industrial worlds. It ts be-
cause of these facts that men ana y
very easy to believe that the church y
not In as great sympathy as 1t should
be.
Do Not Attend Themselves.
L Opposite these facts, however. stanQ
those that the great majority o. tn
nreachers are from the working cias6eA
and in a time of dissolution should
there be a LOT of righteousness IN their
Gauge. the clergy would stand with
the masses They do not 1--we IN lux
II ury as is shown by the fact that tn
average salary paid ministers tnroue
out the country Is ssoo.
"a
bv Mr.. Dawson and hosts OF othere
DIR Young said that exaggeration Ox
| real conditions and the fac. That many
~ those condcInning the church attend
services so infreauently as ret 70 po
in a position to really judge q tne
prevailing conditions are cnieiiy -
blame for their pcsitlons-
.~rha thing the church needs to co.
| declared DR. Young, lis to learn tn
| worlds needs SO al to be better uSIe0s
to consider the problems. the neo09
and tho grievances. and 70 meet To-
real conditions with justice. Ihcr4s
should be more preaching from xh49
standpoint or social Christianity- 80
Or. Christian took mis- text fr0n4s
1 proyerb 22-3: The rich and the p0o4
meet together; the Lord Is maker u&A
l them ALL" The sermon was IN e&a@3
phatic denial OF the truth Of thN'
charges made. and a strong arrai9ns}
ment of those who maiiciously 49,
I them. sSs
Liquor Back Of II. 8
1 This ID a day Of fads and faddtatnS
said the pastor. "but the most col
temptibie faddism Ia that Of the A
tant infldel, who. for selfish mot1xe
seeks to array class against claaes a
stoops to the depth OF arrayfn9
workingman against the church g e
/ living Cod HOE
Taking from his pocket cop3
tCoptiAusd on 1ssoad Pa9A @ss