The Detroit times., 1914-03-18
SAYS FOLK FAIL
| TO MAKE MOST
OF RELIGION
Don't Invest Enough Capital,
Rev. Warren l. Rodgers Tells
Leaten Audience
CORRUPT MANAGEMENT
GIVEN AS ANOTHER CAUSE
Lack Of Enthusiasm Is Stin Fur.
ther Reason, Pittsburgh
Rector Declares

The Rev. Warren L. Rodgers, OF
Pittsburgh. In the second OF his noon.
day Lepten addresses In the Miles
theater. Wednesday. said in part:
IN the parable OF the unjust stew
ard. our Lord aimed to modernise IN
old truth. He desired to revive the
languid sptrits and the atrophied willis
OF His hearers to induce them TO make
the meet az their rsaisiOa. II % q e
Ia our day He we're 10 pick ~ daily
cleysruess and energy OF IN astuts
CRATER IN politics or business. asd
then were 20 say: There IL =. II
the Christtan people were a alert and
energetic In the WORK at the kingdom
- some Of these knaves about N ere
In their buslnsss. what = difference
there would b In the growth Of the
kingdom. But the sons Of this world
are In their own generation wiser than
the sons q iiSAt.'
I'm choosing our path We arc nike
wise men. bat In walking In 1t We are
like fools. We are penny wise and
pound foolish. We do not make the
most Of our religion.
Now 4 u q fair question to ask
Why and how do We fall 70 mako the
most Of eur religion.
We DO not invest enough OF our
capital % insure succesA II business
men put no more capital into their
businesses than many Christians put
into their religion. they would soon be
bankrupt. and We could attend . are
sale. We often say. Money talks.
So may we say, Religion talks. But
Il depends entirely upon the amount
Of capital Invested. We need men and
women who will earnestly and whole-
heartedly promote religion. n boy
spends his time reading law books. or
engineering journals. or medical trea-
tises. we commend him. But II he
reads the Bible we think he 10 q molly
c0ddle. Men invest large sums Of
money for advertising for keeping up
Appearances Of their businesses. But
these expenses are not the main busi-
ness. There IL something else; q ID
making automobiles. or molding
stoves or rails, or dealing n real -
tate, or administering q departmep<
store. We hnd many people who are
willing to keep up appearances In 70
ligion: to be respectable enough 70
90 to church. But what about thu
main business of religion? n IL enough
to say, was confirmed when 10, or I
hold q pew In the church. or I attend
some Of the societies, What 10 our
capitalization? How much personal
Investment have We made? 10 what
extent Is the weight Of our Christian
characters being felt IN society 10
that we swing the subtle influences Of
life In favor OF Christ and His king.
dom?
again, we fall through Indifferent
or corrupt management OF our ousl.
ness. One or the most fundamental
ideas tn religion IN that of stewardship,
by which we come 10 realize that We
are but trustees. managers. car1ng tor
the affairs and interests OF our Lord.
Think you the Christian will make the
most OF his religion so tong n no
says. Now. this much Of myself, my
talents. training, possessions, belongs
to God--but all the rest belongs 10
me, and shall do with Il ~ per.
sonalIy please, not TO the glory Of
God. bat to the qualification of my.
self To the Christian, To such Q one
~ recognizes the principle OF steward.
ship, such an Idea means mtsappro-
priatIon OF divine M well ~ human
resources.
We make the most Of our religion
only when we ASSUME that oil W.
have belongs to God. and when We o.
fer unto him 'Ours'sves. our souls and
bodies, to be reasonable. holy sud
living sacrifice Not ownership, but
stewardship. IL the Christian idssi
Lastly. we fall TO make the most
Ut our religion because we DO not be.
Iieve IN II. The men In the business
world believe absolutely In the things
they are doing. They know the mar.
keu Of the world, end yhey beliovo
|sAsy can ~ ~ ns<0 - tAssS 1ar