The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-07-03
The Church from Another
Standpoint.

doubtedly there exists a paucity Of
knowledge on the part of the average
layman, however educated. on religious
subjects. A study of the creeds, tenets.
forms, ceremonies, UNCONVENTIONAL diff
ferences, essentials, non-essentials, etc.,
OF the various brands of faith, ancient
and modern, sacred and profane, foreign
and domestic, would confound better
understanding than poor Hans who, COM
ing upon the terms "reincarnation" and
"transmigration of SOUL inquired their
meaning Of learned friend. why"
said the friend, at is this way: You die,
and your soul, perhaps, enterslthe bosom
of canary, which is hung in the boudoir
of lady and discourses sweet music.
BY and by the canary dies and its soul,
and that's your soul Hans, enters per-
chance, into rose, which springs up and
exudes its fragrance, and beauties the
pathway of mankind and by and by
along comes donkey, cropping the her
bage, and he clips the rose and it's soul,
and that's your soul Hans, enters into
the donkey. Soon, comes your old neigh
Dor and he strokes the donkey's ears and
says, hello, Hans! you hav'n't changed
much, -"
A recent article in The journal, couch
ed III original and felicitous expression,
exploited the church as financial in
vestment While not concurring in this
of that freedom of thought and public
expression on topics formerly considered
the exclusive province of the clergy. 1t
is time the public mind was illumined
through the great educational medium
and IN the grand public forum of the
press. The average clergyman does not
educate in theology, beyond the narrow
limits of the tenets of the particular
church to which he subscribed before Or
dination, and this he often modulates and
graduates to suit the spirit of modernism
and liberalism, eXtant to some extent in
all churches
Instead of the old time sanctuary,
dedicated to religious worship and sanct-
fed thereby, we have now the modern
church, with billboard, advertising
vaudeville attractions. Instead of the
evening meeting, erstwhile devoted to
prayer, the holy atmosphere is vitiated
and debauched by smokers" "stag
parties,' cards and billiards. In place
of the revered pastor. preaching the
simple gospel of Christ. we find the
sensational sporting parson, in spectacu-
lar setting, discussing politics, city gov
eminent, social evil and eugenics. but
ignoring the immediate jewel, The
Bread of Life
If there be, as is universally claimed,
decadence in church interest and at
tendance, it predicates, in many cases.
failure and dereliction on the part of the
clergy, who proselyte their high office
and prostitute their holy calling to the
low level of the playhouse.
The Christian religion must stand or
fall on the validity of the bible as the
inspired word of:God and the genuineness
of his Son, as to birth and holy mission.
Either Christ was the Son of God. our
redeemer, on whose intercession we de-
pend for eternal life, or he was stu
pendous lmposter, however nigh his
moral and intellectual attachments.
Either an acceptance of the doctrines
OF Christ as revealed in the Evangelical
Writings, including repentance, prayer
and belief in Him, is the essential Cos
pei or the whole fabric of Christian re-
ligion falls fiat and the bible becomes
obsolete and takes it's place along with
the MYTHS and legends of mytholouu