Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-02-03
THOSE WHO WOULD
KILL THE CHURCH

BY sTELzLE.
huron fff1ciencN Export and consulting
S%ociologist; Formerly Head of the
Social Service Bureau of the
Presbyterian Church.

Socioioslst: Formerly Head OF the
Presbyterian Church.
The chlrch is Il cross section of the
Whole people. 1T is probably composed
of about the same relative number of
each group found in the nation. We
working men who are %alienated from
the church. forgetting that there are
unquestionablN MANY rich people out
of the church. The probability is that
the proportion of rich people who are
indifferent To the church is greater
than found among the poor. What
makes the absence of the poor so con
%spicuCus is that there are SO many OF
them.
One of the greatest fallacies in this
conncctiCr is the belief that the church
is supported by the rich. The main
support of the church comes from the
So-callcd common people, Sometimes
q great memorial building is paid for
ny Il rich man or oma and OCCASION
any a large legacy comes to a philan-
thropic or missionary M of the
church. but in the main the church re-
celHes its principal support from work
ing people or those working on a COM
par&tively small salary.
Another common mistake is the sup
position that the church is gradually
dying. The Protestant churches have
grown during the last century from
seven per 100 of the population to "a
per 100. The total membership of all
the churches today is nearly 10000 900.
me church has grown Faster than most
OF the organizations and societies which
nave IONS been rroplcsyir~ its early
death. 1T has grown faster than most
on the movements which de- iare that
they are superior to the church. in their
appeal to the people.
1T has taken the American Fedora
tlon OF Labor "a Years to acquire O.
OOO,O 600 members. Probably thrce-fourths
or the entire membership OF the church
TO-DAY has been added during this
period. That is. While the federation
mas won nearly 80. 600. 90 More than
this. the attendance at labor union
meetings is only about 10 per cent Of
thelr membership, while the attendance
at the services of the hurch is ordi-
narllN about one-half of the member
SNIP IN many cases it is much larger
than this.
The fraternal organizations i'm this
country have about 10. 900, 900 members
although large numbers of these are
'repeaters." affiliated with more than
one organization.
vote at the last Notwithstanding like
1000, 00-bu only about $780, 900 of
them belong regularly to The party and
pay dues. There are actually very few
people who profess Christianity who
are not identified With the church and
enrolled in its membership. paying sub
scrlptions week after week. with
scarcely amy complaint. and with a
regularity which is really remarkable.
True. there are a good many back
sllders, but even these are quite ready
TO defend their religion or their de-
nomlnational doctrines. Is there AIRY
other organization that has "a more
powerful grim on tho ,,nnrlo f1,~ tLn
church?
Men will "cuss' the union and some
other societies, even while they are
but YOU will rarely find menu
ners OF the church who will pou OF
vituperation upon the church as s,lcl1
while they are related to it.
The church is here to stay. 1t op-
ponents may as we'll recognize this
fact. But to it's real friends this situa-
ton is not the source of satisfaction
winch 1T is to some short sighted peo-
pie. The latter imagine that the churcn
is Owl and retaining it's hold up
on the hearts of men and women be-
cause OF their defense of the faith,''
fought in a narrow fashion. They are
altogether mistaken. The church mas
grown in spite of their narrowness. 1t
mad this to overcome. 1t vindicated it,
self. even though it had to drag along
tnose whose conception of the signifi-
canoe and comprehensiveness Of the
church'S mission was so very restricted.
Talk about killing the church? You
might as we'll talk about tearing down
the Rock of Gibraltar with bare hands.
This would be a task far easier. And
yet, 1T behOoves those who constitute
the church to make it the medium of
greatest blessing to all mankind. The
tremendous power which the church
possesses makes its responsibility and
accountability so much greater. If the
church fails to accomplish certain OBJ
vlous reforms and changes in our So
cial and economic life, men may rightly
charge it with neglect-and worse.
At any rate. it may be set down as
a fundamental fact that the church will
win out in the end, n that it will ac-
compiish all that God gave it to dc.
Whether it be in the present form or
not doesn't matter. Those who worId
have the world brought to a realization
OF its best self and redeemed from all
that STILES its best aspirations will ac-
eomplish h a purpose most readil
Through this tremendous organizatinn
which. in spite of its SHORTCOMINGS is
undoubtedly at this time the divinelv
appointed agen to accomplish the viii
of God in the earth.
Town and Country.
But, could you be content to bid adieu
10 the dear playhouse and the playerA
too:
Sweet country seats are purchased everv-