Omaha daily bee., 1915-09-23
SUNDAYP AVS HIS
RESPECTS TO THE
OMAHA SALOONS
Asserts that the Drink Places and
the bre eweries 1ogetner nave a
Strange hoia on Throat
of the C4ty.
PLAIN TALK TO PREACHERS
Designates Some of Fine Churches
as Nothing More Than Gorgeous
Religious Club Houses.
FORM IN PLACE OF RELIGION


In the course OF his Wednesday
afternoon. sermon. Billy Sunday I'M
plied that Omaha has been "hled by
the throat and choked to death by
saloons and breweries." 1t was his
first direct concrete statement re-
garding local saloon influence. Rls
exact words were:
eff any community has been held
nv the throat and choked to death
NV saloons and breweries, it is
Omaha"
At the close of his sermon, people
thought that Mr.. Sunday was going
To start afternoon trail-hitting for
he called out:
"I go out with the cross Of the
SON of God who will gather be-
meath this standard? All who WILL
stand up"
Practically everybody stood up.
But no further pledge or evidence
of faith was called for.
Mr.. Sundays frequent and vigorous
criticism of preachers and church mem
hers were repeated in yesterdays after
noon sermon, which was based upon
the story of the loaves and fishes. After
whipping his singing lash at ministers,
church members and various religious
and other beliefs and activities not to
his liking, which the revivalist labeled
"jack-ass nonsense" he made his re-
mark about saloons in Omaha. and then
took a falT' out of downtown churches
which move out to the suburbs and re-
build, when the congregations become
large and outgrow their old poperties.
Religious Club Houses.
Dubhing scnh edifices gorgeous reli-
eious clubhouses." Mr. Sunday asserted
that instead of singing hymns in them,
the church members Ought to be down
town, shooting the skunks. digging up
the gophers and killing the rattlesnalHes
of the devil"
They think they have discharged
their responsibilities to the masses left
behind" he continued, when they go
downtown once q year and squirt a little
rosewaterl over the fostering masses Of
humanity there"
Billy SUNDAY n1enUOnc0 no particular
churches in this connection. but his
auditors recalled that several Omaha
congregations have recently moved from
their old downtown locations to the west
part of the city.
Sunda yisIns in Sentences.
Such a policy, Mr.. Sunday asserted,
amounted to ''retreating before the
saloons and the other instruments Of the
devil" Churches ought to stand and
fight. he thought. instead of running
away.
'"rhe church has been on the defen-
sive for 16O years" he continued. 'It is
time 1t was getting on the offensive"
Following are some of Mr.. Sunday s
terse and sayings:
''If God can convert the preachers of
the country. the devil will have harder
time.
God will not listen to lot of worldly,
indifferent, critical churches.
Some of the biggest devils I know
nave their names on church records
Some people go through the forms Of
religion when they are so close to hell
they can smell the sulphur fumes.
I'VE are substituting religion for
)ighteousness.
1T seem to be popular to get a big
head OF steam on for Ak-Sar~Ben, poli-
Tics or business but not for Christ
THE Men and Religion Forward move
ment OF the Young Mems Christian as
VOCATION was the biggest fizzle ever