Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-11-24
The Third of DIR. La g ud's Series
of Sermons on VIII! Busi-
ness Men of Decora INK
of the Church G IA
Sunday.
ANOTHER BIG AUDIENCE
HEARD THE THIRD SERMON
Next Sunday He Will Preach on
What Business Men Think Most
Important Phase of Church
Work.

Every seat in the Methodist church
was taken Sunday evening to hear
: the third of the series of sermons on
What the Business Men of Decorah
think of the Church" Madame Solem
was unable to sing owing to a sore
throat. She will sing however next
Sunday evening and Dr. Lakeland
will speak on What the Business
Men of Decorah Think is the Most
Important Phase of Church Work"
Last Sunday evening he said in
part
From the bulk of replies that
have been received from the bust
ness men, it is quite evident that
they are little concerned with any
particular theological theory that the
church may hold. The thing that ap-
peals to them is the task of the
church and the program that it in
tends to put in operation.
Question number four asked,
Should the Church be a School of
Instruction as to Local Moral Prob
lems?' All but one reply was in the
Affirmative. The exception wrote,
The matter of handling local moral
problems is always one more or less
OF opinion, and think the opinion OF
q minister is as likely to be mistaken
as that of anybody else 1t seems
strange that this individual is will
ing to have the church discuss all
things moral under the sun IN THE
ABSTRACT but when it attempts to
s come down to earth and attend to
practical everyday mat +ers a protest
is raised. LII the possibility of MAX
ing mistake is reason for mac
tivity then all progress would cease.
1t seems to us that only society
or organism which had something
TO hide from the light or moral inves-
tigation would object to moral dis
cussion of the same. If the church
does not expose the immoral situa-
tiens of a community from whofl
will the people obtain their informa-
tion?
"If ii be objected that this is out
side the realm of the church, we
merely retort that Christ stressed
teaching as much as PREACHING.
With this in mind Prof Ely of Wis
cOnsin advocated that preachers util-
ize one half their time studying So
ciology in order to best reach the
channels thru which christianity can
be- applied to the needs of men
Over three-fifths of the business
men thought that the church could
do more than it is doing 10 prevent
Poverty, Intemperance and Juvenile
nnrt a.
best done by teaching the young the
effects of disease BY teaching the
laws of nature and by so doing. build
better bodies. This makes stronger
minds Another advocates, The
Church should instruct on the scien-
tific facts of criminology, eugenics.
hygiene. etc. A third suggests, The
church can do more to stop poverty.
interference and juvenile delin-
quency Lv working for more direct
results. The church should seek to
work amongst the poor, the intem-
perate and the delinquent with jeal-
Gus care The people found in any
of these classes have taken the
wrong course and it is customary
for these people to think no one
cares for them A fourth advised
the church to prevent the above men
toned deficiencies, by Lectures,
moving pictures to entertain the
young toward higher and better
education
1.-The first OF these letters is
worthy of note. OF course no church
can overstress the spiritual but it
has been often done to the excluding
4. foI riCt
never divided life into compartments.
No man can reach the highest spir-
itual development with a dwarfed
body. Nor can man render his
highest service without an all around
life. A study of criminology would
do much to awaken the church ID
the need of prevention of crime. The
church has been too ready to attempt
to Rescue the Perishing,' but all
week its doors have been closed with
out making an honest attempt to
substitute healthful activities in
stead of poisonous pastimes which
lead to crime. Ii Is just as much the
mission of the church to prevent as
it is to heal disease. 1t is serving
Christ more to teach people to pre-
vent matrimonial blunders than to
rail against divorce.
.'Christ was always practical IN
His service. He miDistered to the
sick, fed the hungry. and helped men
at their work. He placed the petition
for daily bread in his model PRAYER,
His picture of the Samaritan taught
that our brother is the man in need,
His test of Judgment was, 4 was an
hungered and ye gave me meat; !
was thirsty, and ye gave mp drink;
was a stranger and ye' 1 me in
Continued on p I'D