The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-12-22
Lutheran Pastor Protests
Against Conversion Via
/ 'Hysterical Route"
PROCEDURE RESULTS
HELD EFFERVESCENT
Says Religious Enthusiasm,
Under Excitement Leaves
Little Spiritual Good.

While members OF the Ministerial
Alliance were dedicating the Honey
well tabernacle, soon to be the scene of
religious revival, one lone pastor in
Richmond yesterday raised voice of
protest against conversion via the
'hysterical route"
The Rev. A. J. Feeger, pastor of ST
Johns Lutheran church, in German
sermon, opened series intended, as
the speaker announced, to present the
reasons why he opposed revivals as a
system of wholesale conversion. He
limited his discourse to a definition of
the term revival" and in the latter
part of his sermon spoke on conver-
sion.
Il am not actuated by spiritual
haughtiness," began the pastor, NOR
by a proclivity for polemics, but be-
cause l hold that every man has the
right of speaking freely his own reli-
gious convictions. l am impelled to
present my views on the revival ques-
tion, first because I have been asked
repeatedly in the last two weeks why
] did not take part in the movement,
and also because | have received
anonymous letters censuring my oppo-
sition
II mention the latter reason, only to
indicate that l have little respect for
man so base as to fear to sign his
name to a communication. and to indi-
cate that | neither fear the writer's Of
the missives nor respect their argu-
ment from the standpoint of logic.
Right Of Free Speech.
The speaker asserted that he was
interested in the underlying principle
of "revivalism" and not in the persons
engaged in it, for the latter, he held,
are welcome to their views.
MANY of them are true Christians,
and many who oppose revivals are not
Christians, but be that as it may, /
am not interested in that phase. Re-
vivalists have the right to advocate
that system of increasing church men,
bership, but we who oppose wholesale
conversion also have the privilege OF
setting forth our views"
With this introduction, the Rev. Mr..
Feeger defined the term revival.
1.-The term means a recovering OF
life or strength, a recovering from a
state of oblivion, neglect, languor or
depression. 1t presupposes life which
has almost become extinct or ener-
waited"
"If understand correctly the state
ments of leaders in the revival move
ment in Richmond, they admit that
their congregations are in state of
spiritual coma or death, and have been
forced by these very circumstances to
bring a modern revivaliSt here to
stimulate religious life and arouse
their members from state of spiritual
sleep.
'"This, it would seem, is a terrific
arraignment of the pastoral activities
of the pastors of the congregations en-
gagged in the revival, for they admit
publicly that their charges are afro
phied, enervated, desperately in need
of stimulation, in fact, so spiritually
dead that stranger must be brought
to this city to infuse that life which
the pastors themselves on their own
ply.
"The very fact that a revival spec
ialist is engaged. on it's very face and
without going deeply into the condi-
ton, proclaims signally that these
ministers, by that act, admit their con-
gregations are sick, and they are una
BILE to diagnose the cause and pre-
scribe the remedy"
Procedure Is Hysterical.
The speaker then went on to say
that a revival will not bring the spir-
itual animation hoped for. He held the
system was superficial, it's procedure
hysterical, its results in the light of
history, effervescent.
Religious enthusiasm begotten un-
der excitement, with every means en-
ployed to arouse the emotion, to jar
a blase temperament, already over
stimulated by small revivals, ultimate
ly leaves only a bitter spiritual resi-
due that makes the church the laugh
ing stock of sober minded thinking
people.
1.-The whole procedure. by song and
sermon, procession and appeal, is to
arouse emotion, while the appeal TO
the intellect is woefully lacking. No
time is given for reflection and cogi-
tation, and the convert is drugged into
a so called acceptance of Christ before
lie even understands the step he has
taken"