South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-11-01
BIBLE INSTRUCTOR
WILL BE SECURED
Final Arrangements win be
Made at Ministers RuI-
ING Next Monday.

Members OF the committee appoint
ed 10 Investigate the proposition of
.escning the Bible in the high school
/ recommended that a teacher be ap-
pointed and classes arranged so that
they would not conflict with the regu-
lar work OF the high school at meet
ing OF the Ministerial association Mon
day morning at the Y. NJ c. A at
the meeting next Monday the entire
lime will be given over TO the consid-
Grafton OF this matter.
According 10 the plans there will be
no consideration taken OF the denom-
inatiOn oil which the student is d MEM
Der. The chapel of the Y. w. G. A.
has been suggested as the place of
holding the classes. Mishawaka
churcnes have asked that their high
school students be included. The
salary OF the teacher will be paid by
the various churches in accordance
with the number of pupils in the
classes from each church.
Rev T.. 5. Shumaker, state super
intendent or the Anti-Saloon league.
reported that between $1,40O ana
81, 500 had been secured in money and
pledges sunday when collections were
taken up in the Protestant churches
TO assist in the work of the league.
-Four churches have not yet reported.
Prof q. A. Diamond entertained the
ministers with a violin solo. Rev. NJ.
{. Hunt, pastor of Trinity Methodist
church. gave a sermon on The Mes
sage of Amos"
lie said in part:
The prophet Amos might be call
ed the father of social reform. All of
the fundamentals of the modern social
message can be found in his book.
And his remedy for bad social condi-
tons is even more fundamental than
many which are seriously prOpOunded
today. Though over $500 years old.
there Is a freshness and up-tO-dateness
about it which might put II among
the six best sellers" he is at times
as startling and shocking as a Bouck
White, and as epigrammatic as a
Billy Sunday. He had the eyes, the
mind and the heart of a desert dwell
er, that is, he could see, think and
feel. A bunting Of these is the price
our civilization demands OF it's devo-
tees. We need more of the desert.
Amos also travelled, studied. observed.
he was not recluse. He was in the
world, thoroughly and genuinely, but
never lost sight of the forest because
of the trees.
The national leaders of Amos day
had three planks in their platform
which he attacked with unsurpassed
VtBOr and cOgency. They held in the
first place, that Israel was divinely
chosen, and therefore was a superior
people, JehOvah's pets. 1t was the
therefore of this syllogism when
Amos assailed. He held that, while
they were divinely chosen, that choice
did not mean special privilege, but
special responsibility That choice of
Gods is a conditional choice, said
Amos, and the condition is, your ODE
dience 10 moral law When the conA-
uOn is broken, the choice is disavowed.
A heavenly life is the only guarantee
of a heavenly abode. There is no SAL
walton without ethical character.
"A second popular belief was IN The
Day of jehovah Israel was incurably
optimistic. She believed in the hours
of her deepest tragedies and direst de-
feats that when the day OF Jehova'
came He would pour delicious ven
geance on ali the enemies OF Israel.
The nation of that day could not see
that Israers defeat would be anything
else than reflection on Jehovah. But
this prophet who never got tangled
up in mis- thought, said, the day OF
Jehovah will witness the triumph OF
righteousness, but unless you are on
that side you will be overthrown.
Bearer to God than thep reservation
of any nation, is the maintenance OF
molly and right standards on the earth.
The most drastic point in the mes
sage of Amos is where he attacks the
third darling idea of the day, the elab-
crate ceremonialism. Worship was
popular in that time. 'Go-to-church
days were not needed. Beautiful
temples, trains of attendants, chant /
ing choirs diverse instruments of mu-
sic, the continual smoke of offerings, |
all these were the commonplace hap /
peningS But Amos scOrned all OF
this, not because il was ceremony, but /
because it was substituted for ethical I
conduct. Underneath all of the cere- /
mony was injustice, greed corruption, /
robbery and display of wealth. Against I
all of this worship Jehovah's wrath \
the most striking part OF the message. |
Il hate. 1 despise your feasts, and L |
Will take no delight in your solemn /
assemblies. But let justice roll down \
as waters. and Righteousness as a per-
ennial stream These words are i'm /
perishable. and express in clearest /
form the dominant need of all times:
Ethical character at the base of indi-
vidual and national life"