The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-05-01
THAT OBJECTIONABLE SIN.

, "a -
! DO not in any way adopt that particula
! idea as our own. Frankly, the articl
| following does not reflect the conviction
of this paper in several particulars
We think in several instances his OBJ
ServationS are erroneous without 90
ing into a discussion oflhiS views. TIL,
author of the article writes honestl,
and fairly and his views are entitled tt
be considered and we Herewith preSen
his communication:
Editor Rice Belt Journal.
In a recent number of the journal
appeared a sermon of the Rev. A. V
Reese as held at a revival in the Bap
fist Church of Welsh, which is so much
at variance with Twentieth Century
thought that the writer feels impelled
10 make few comments on the sub.
ject.
Inc statements of the Reverend are
aTazing and Hardly conducive to the
upllft of community; they seem to be
an echo tfrom the dark ages, page
from the savage past.
We are told that the objectionable
SIN is not murder, nor adultery, dis.
honesty, idolatry, drunkness or unbe.
lief' but what he calls "blasphemy."
And blasphemy scents to consist in not
accepting all the dope dished out by
sensational revlvaliSt; or sitting your
reason-reaSon the greatest Gift to
man. AS to serving Christ or God let
me say; The best way to serve God is
10 ESerVe your fellowman. The. old
StaEdbyS devil and "hell' had to do
service lin the tsermon,lt although to
most people, that think, the devil is a
ScarecroW and hell bug.a.hoo.
Thou shall not suffer witch to live
was the command given to the Israelite
and accepted by the church until two
centuries ago. But the last witch died
"hen 1.-The last fool that believed in
Wltchcraft ceased to live. So it will be |
with the heliefs in devils and hell: thew
VIII be thrown on the scrappile of the
dusty past, together with the doctrine /
OF predestination, original sin and total
Lie ard death are two subjects of
which much is said and so little known
OF the two life is the greater mystery. |
by study some.of the laws of life have
been revealed, so that now the AVERAGE
S1crty four years, ffrcm ian AVERAGE
OF unity five a century ago. A writer
mas well said THE object of life is to he
happy to make others happy, and to
eaVe the world better than we found
t." w '0'ii0
& Whetheri death is a sleep that |
knows 10 waking" CT the |eatewav to
another life. no one knows. If there is
a lie teyond" evolution teaches that
VIII be betterI life for all mankind
Natures laws are universal, to which
III are subject, without execution
he rate OF enc is the fate of all.
Ministers delight in telling lurid
aleS OF sudden death of those outside
u Inc church: but those Ethat are mem
'ers are also often overtaken, and who
would be so inhumau as to rccptend
nat II was a special punishment
'ome years ago Luthuran minister q
nan Kind asa woman, gentle as child
vas run over bya dummy train when
Idhding on one of the double tracks
While he was waiting and watching the
rain that was to bring him backto the
lty' ftrain from the opposite direc.
ION ran over him and cut him to pieces
ie mad visited his sick wife who wac
laying with her folk in the country
case happened near here when
minister and his son were struck bv
ghtnlng and killed, In Iowa a minis. 4
or and his daughter, kwith whom the {
ritter IS acquainted, were struck bv A
SO that they became nervous :
'recks, and had to go to a specialist in
ermany to get relief. The theme If q =
erman poems relates that a grand.
lotner and child were found in the at. {
tude OF prayer, dead struck by lioht. 4
ing. we doubt that they committed /.
he objectionable sin, but succumbed to
force Of nature.
Lei ministers preach more of good
9edS, less of crazy creeds, more of the {
oodneSs OF God, less of his wrath 4
ct them use their vast influence IN J
ing about conditions so that it will J
} easier to do right than Ito do wrong y
reed and creed have made this earth 9
HE'LL it should be paradise. And if &
Ill BE- for 1.-THE struggle'for existence, d
never hall solved. The earth through 4
g a'd OF nature and science produces ,
Tough for all, and no one need he in .