Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-05-16
MANY MEMBERS OF CHURCHES MERELY
 MARKING TIME
John D. Rockefeller Urges Christians to Render
 Active Service.

Cleveland, O., May 15.-John D. Rockefeller, Jr.. addressed today 5 session of the international conven- ton of the Young Mems Christian as- sociotions of North America, urging a campaign to be called "The Every Christiap- Man at Work Movement"
 Multitudes of men whose names ap- near on the church rolls as Christians are merely marking time, said MT Rockefeller. like soldiers parading the streets in dress uniform instead of rendering active service like the men in soiled and disheveled khakl.
 christian manhood, like muscular or mental power, is only to be maln- tained by it's use," he said "1 call upon the ministers of this land to rouse to action that vast horde of Christian men enrolled in the churches but seldom seen in the pews, who are only waiting for some service which requires manly quail ties in order to be again brought in to active relation with the churches. The day for the preaching of gos- pel looking toward the preparation of the individual for a passage to the skies on flowery beds of ease has passed. and may it never return.
 "rhe inactive army of Christian men will be drawn into service the more quickly when they have come to recognize the brotherhood of man as a necessary corollary to the father- hood of God An interesting and unioue argument recently advanced for compulsory military service in this country is that the sons of the -to-do families of our communl- ties might thereby be thrown into close contact with the sons of the working people, so that the great gap which too often exists might be bridged and as a result of daily as soGiation in common tasks these two classes of men brought to see that the difference between them is super ficial rather than inherent.
 "As we face the great industrial problems which are arising daily it seems clear that the only hope of their permanent and satisfactory so- lution lies in the widespread accept ance of the doctrine of the brother hood of man. When men of widely separated stations are thrown togeth- CT, come to know each other, to ad- mire the strong and manly qualities which they sec in each other, when they are working side by side for the advancement of common interest, then and then only does personal dis trust, hatred and misunderstanding give way to q spirit of fair play jus tice and desire for the common good" f e8
 Mir. Rockefeller paid tribute to the success of the Young Mems Christian associations in having "done more throughout the civilized world than any other single force in helping to hrng about cooperation between Christian men of different denomina- nations" It was to be profoundly regretted, he continued, that Chris tian men should spend moment of time, an ounce of strength, cent of money in contending among them selves in regard to their individual interpretations of scriptural. mean ings, instead of uniting together un- der the common standard of the cross to oppose with solid front the hosts of darkness" '81
 In launching the proposed cam paign to put every Christian man at work. MT. Rockefeller proposed the appointment of a special secretary of the international committee of the Y. M c. A. to have charge of the under taking. and he outlined some of the general requirements of the organi zation. Ut is hard" he said, 'to conceive of any single effort which would go further toward revitalizing tho churches of North America and reviving the interest of man in them"