Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-02
BEST THOUGHT IN AMERICA
DIGEST OF THE MAGAZINES

interest and concern that men have un-
consciously grown TO regard it as of that
gender and so adopted toward it a spirit OF
mistaken chtvalry. At any rate, to it's own
disadvantage, and by Its own consent or
ganzed religion has occupied a position OF
privilege which has shielded 1t from the
free criticism essential to the life of secular
organizations, with the result that one Is
regarded with certain disapproval if he
ventures to question the values of much in
It's corporate life The appalling drift from
the ranks of corporate Christianity Is as en-
phatic on one side of the Atlantic as on the
other, the only difference being the colorng
que to local environment. True, the American
man may have better, because a more
clearly defined, understanding in his own
mind FOR his action, but generally speaking
the plain simple truth seems to be that the
old charm which once attracted and held the
hearts of men has somehow or other gone
out Of the modern life of religion. The one
and sole reply to the question which forms
hackneyed religious diversion at religious
conventions, namely, Why don't men 90 to
church? is to be found in the statement that
the American man is pragmatist. lie asks
Wiil It work? And his absence from church
and his general indifference to the life of
religious organization is his reply
These are critical days for Christianity,
ana tEough the word crisis is one we in
Variably associate with fears it simply
means a time when matters have so shaped
themselves as to leave humanity very plastic
and capable of being nodded easily for the
good or Ill of a cause.
There Is a personal impression of BILLY"
Sunday as he appeared in his tabernacle in
Philadelphia by Francis Hackett in the New
Republic 60:
The two men whom Sunday most recalled
to me at first were Elbert Hubbard and
George NJ. Cohan. In his mental calibre
and his pungent philstinism of expression
ne reminded me of Hubbard but in his ply
slcal attitude there was nothing of that
greasy orator. He was like a enthusiastically
SICK salesman OF his particular line of
wares. As he developed his homely moral
sermon for his attentive middle class con-
sregation' It did not seem to me that he had
one touch of divine poetry. He humored and
argued and smOte for Christ as a commodity
that would satisfy an enormous .acknowl-
edged gap In his auditors lives He was
putting over Christ In awakening all
the early memories of maternal admonition
and counsel, the consciousness of unfulflled
desires, of neglected Ideals the ache for
an insurance agent making a text of "over
the hill to the poorhouse." He had al his
finger tips all the selling points for Christ.
lie gave TO sin and salvation a practical
connotation. But while his words and
actions apparently fascinated his audience
while they laughed eagerly when he scored,
and clapped him warmly very often to me
he appealed no more than an ingenious elec-
trio advertisement, a bottle picked out
against the darkness pouring out foaming
glass of beer.
And yet his heart seemed to be in it, as
salesman's heart has to be in 1t. He spoke
Tor faith In Christ and left the rest to tho
clergy, And to the clergy he said eff you
are too lazy to take care of the babv after
1t is born, don't blame the doctor"
And various factory ,superlntendents and
employers mingle benignly around glad OF a
religion that puts on an aching social system
such hot mustard plaster.