The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-07-22
STRAIGHT FROM THE
SHOULDER TALK
lent Sermon on Questions Asked
100 Men.

Rev. viii II. Hitler breaches Excel
lent Sermon ON Questions Asked
100 Men.
From the following text, Rev.
Will H. Hitler preached an excellent
sermon last Sunday evening that sup
ports a local flavor:
What One Hundred Men Think!
Text: Prov. 11:14-Where no coun-
sci is the people fall: but in the null
titude of counsellors there is safety.
On the afternoon of Feb. 23, in
response to my invitation hundred
men gathered in the lecture room of
the church, and joined in a mems
service. The company comprised
lawyers, merchants, manufacturers,
teachers, bookkeepers, agents, me-
chanics, laborers, fairly representa-
tive body of the men of Honesdale.
To that body of men the following
questions were submitted, and they
were asked to write their answers.
What are the greatest hinder
ances to Christian life in Honesdale?
2-How can the church help men
and boys in life's battle?
3-How can men help the church?
4--Are the lodges better attended
in proportion to membership than
the churches?
5-Is the world growing better or
worse? Is commercial success pos
sible to a true Christian?
6-What are the chief themes of
conversation in Honesdale?
1 submit that what such a body
think on such subjects is worthy of
our careful consideration and that
the answers of these men furnish
food for earnest thought. Let us
remember that these answers are not
the result of resolutions advocated
and carried by vote, but the opinions
of earnest men each one speaking
or rather writing for himself
There is to me inspiration in the
fact that there was practical unanim-
ity in the replies to the questions as
to the worlds growing better and
the possibility of true Christian life
and commercial success meeting in
the same life. Here were men who
every day are in the thick of life's
battle and SO out of a hundred be-
lieve the old world grows better.
Here are men who know the world
and the temptations of commercial
life but "a out of a hundred are be-
levers in the success of Christian
men.
To the questions, How can the
church help men and how can men
help the church, while the answers
vary in form the most of them en-
phasize the fact that the church
should show a wide sympathy with
men, engage in social service and
strive by all means to win men to
Christ. Nine per cent. name the hy-
pocricy or inconsistency of Christian
people. 10 per cent. say Indifference
of Christians. Twenty per cent. men
ton amusements in many cases,
specifying cards, pool rooms and the
dance. Forty-four per cent. indict
the saloon or some form of the liq-
uor traffic as the chief hinderance to
Christian life in Honesdale, while 5
per cent. more include the saloon
with other hindrances. The deadly
cigarette appears to number to de-
serve naming as one of the greatest
hinderances to Christian life. Take
now these answers and let us re-
member that these men base them
on what they have seen or heard. 1t
is appalling to learn that 8 per cent
of such body have reached the con-
clusion that hypocrisy and incon-
sistency are the greatest hinderances
to Christian life in Honesdale. Oh,
but they know of other hinderances.
Christian man wake up, for men
will stumble into hell over the hy-
pocrite and the inconsistent. Think
again of how far short of Christian
privilege many church members
must be living, when ten earnest men
name Indifference as the chief him
derance to Christian life. The world
can not be Indifferent unless Chris
tians appear to be. 1t may mate,
may oppose, may persecute, but not
Indifference. The answers show a
very decided belief in the helpful
ness of church attendance. They
emphasize the power of Christian
example. While several demand
that the church aid men by institut-
ing Y. M. G. A. and substituting legi-
innate amusements for those that
are questionable. While there is
also an insistence that men should
aid the church by becoming active
workers in her ranks. Are lodges
better attended, etc. AS to attend
ance at church and lodge, opinions
were divided, the majority thinking
that the lodges we're better attended
than the church.
But turn now to question one and
its answer. What are the greatest
hinderances to Christian life in
Honesdale? One man, and he is
one of the most intelligent in the
community, answers: TOO much in
terest in denominations" Several
mention the lack of a Y. NJ. C. A.
Some unbelief. Some the lack of