Fergus County Democrat., 1914-03-17
RELIGIOUS UPLIFT.

Va AdIO Colo anu particularly Ill
the last two or three years, we have
observed tendency toward a gen.
eral depreciation Of the reduction in
attendance upon some forms of re-
l1gious service, not confined to any
particular section Of our country, but
common to nearly all, though not so
much, perhaps, in the agricultural and
village life of the older states as in
the larger communities and amid
scenes of later and more energetic ac-
tivities, says the Cincinnati Enquirer.
In numerous churches, on any oc-
casion of worship or ceremony, we
will find many empty seatings and
even whole pews lacking single oc-
cupant. When we consider the gen.
eral influence of the thought of Chris
tianity, its recognition by the hun.
dreds of millions of individuals and
in the laws of many nations, and, in
our country, the states in general, we
are led to ponder over some of the
facts presented and to wonder when
and how the change for the better
will come. It well may be said for
the better, for the fact that all over
the world, whatever may be the form
of worship or whatever the name for
the great Power, there is belief in, or
at least hope of, better life in the
future than We have in the present
and that to reach that better we must
seek the aid Of an unseen influence
One proof of this Is in the fact tha,
all civilized peoples shrink from q
lartlng from the dead without some
form of religious service. Then, sure
ly, we bow before the Master.
We hear and read of many reason.
, fer this condition of growing indif
ference to public expression of devo
tlon' such as the tendency to a lati
tude in social diversions leading t,
the point of frivolity; the passing o
the old forms of life at home, whe,
there were more real homes in pre-
, portion to the population than now
. IN which, in times of fewer and small
> er aggregations of people, the rea
nome influence was most exerted b.
the mothers of families, who were
more than the men, the recognize
!. leaders in church life and of the az
> tual family attendance at services;
: lack of attractive pulpit oratory o.
. the part of men of inferior mentalit
= and of less earnestness of purpose
;. who have been passed through the de
, nominational colleges and been calle
! ! to pulpits to take the places of thei
; elders and betters, and whose con
- pensation for service has become to
= low for the necessities of the time.
- and offered no encouragement In con
. parison with other walks of life.
i. Recently we have seen printed tn
e views of some women who state tn
j. foregoing, and that the retrogressio
d on the part Of their sex is partly du
l. also, to lack of encouragement in tt
e social life of the. church from thos
,r IN the more prosperous and fashio
1t able circles to those in the humbl,
v. walks.
is There is, after all, no good reasc
n. for lack of faith in the future of pu
* lie religious observance in our cou
he try-such as shall restore attendant
ic to those churches now lacking it.
I'd a study of the mutations of our soci
Is conditions during half a century '
H. cannot fail to recognize the prou
n nence OF women In movements lea
al ing to important results. In the
as hglous revival of the future WON,
re Will have commanding place.
as Temperance in living will be foul
at IN closer harmony with thought g
ef walton. The time will come when t
Pc student of statistics no longer W
ch shock us with the figures to show th
B. the churches of numerous denomi1
pa tions devoted to the teachings
ed Christ In our country have three tim
ct the average seating capacity Of t
average membership per organizati.