The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-08-01
A LAY PREACHER.

In the course OF an article pub
lished in the 'Sunday-School Mis-
sionary" for June, r. G. Jefferson,
a wholesale lumber dealer of ST..
Paul, lauds the efforts of the
American Sunday-School Union in
the States of Minnesota, North
and South Dakota, to bring relig-
ious instructions to the young and
takes a fling at the Catholic
Church for her failure to instil
what he calls the "Christ-spirit" "
into the children under her care.
He states that he became inter
ested in the American Sunday
School Union through contact
with actual conditions in the field
which forced him to the conclu-
sion that there was an utter lack
of any religious influence over the
Young in the farming districts Of
our West and an cutter disre-
gard of the Sabbath, not only
among the foreign, but our native
pioneers. (" The statement may be
true as far as Mr.. Jefferson s OBJ
servation goes, but in view of the
fact that the Catholic Church has
her outposts in all parts Of the
West and is everywhere exercis-
ing an influence for good over her
followers, it is but fair to con-
clude that his observations are
either very limited or made
through colored spectacles. A
broader vision and an impartial
desire to give honor to whom
honor is due would have prompted
less sweeping generalization.
In. order to give an appearance
of impartiality and large minded
ness to his views he graciously adj
mits that a statement. which
seemed to be authoritative, that
five out of six children from six
to thirteen years of age in the
State Of Minnesota were without
religious instruction of any kind
should perhaps be qualified, as
the Catholics are doing much more
than the Protestants, getting
many children in the smaller
towns for the Mass and other serv-
ices in the morning." but lest this
admission in favor Of the Catholic
Church should stand in too
marked contrast to the apathy
Of the sects he continues: But
they (the Catholics evidently do
not instill the, Christ-spirit in
them (the children), as the (Sun-
day. afternoon is universally
spent by them in their sports and
farm duties. 1t is evident that
Mr.. Jefferson is imbued with a
puritanical spirit which would
taboo all legitimate amusements
and innocent recreation, as well
as necessary work on Sunday. This
is the spirit of a straight-laced
Professionalism which has ever
been an advocate Of Sunday
whose sky is overcast with the
lowering clouds Of a gloomy re
ligion, So-called, which would shut
out the sunshine of human happi-
ness and rob Christianity of it's
power to bring JOY into the lives
of the people. 1t is this sort of a
religion which was advocated and
practiced by the Puritans and
which has been adopted as a model
by many of the sects in their eff
forts to bring about an observ-
ance Of the Lord s day which
would frown on everything that
savors of innocent, wholesome en-
joyment. Mr.. jefferson does not
know the Catholic Church if he
expects her to instil into her chill
dren a puritanical view of re-
ligion which would rob life of its
legitimate pleasures. That is not
the spirit of the religion OF
Christ. It was not the spirit of
Christ Himself during His earthly
pilgrimage. And if that is the
character of the religious instruc-
ton which the American Sunday
School Union is striving to impart
to the rising generations By put
ting "the Bible into every home,
L \
able for the ages of the occu-
pants, " it will achieve but little
success among right-thinking peo-
pie.
The reason why the American
Sunday School Union appeals to
Mr.. Jefferson is because it is "un-
denoninational. 2 I've all know
how much easier it is to reach the