New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-18
Expensive Club.
Do Our Rival Churches Often Amo,u.
to Very Much More, =
To the Editor of The Tribun.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: There are too many church,, :
town." is statement often mad. I,
smaller communities, not by tbo.. "a
despise churches, but by those VIII 20
them. Too many little church,.
struggling, none, perhaps, claiming ov..
members, some falling as low -"
dozen. Yet each one must maintain a. '
building and support a minister. rh..u
division in social responsibility and q
appeal TO public morals. There 1.
ping. There is waste. The great wor,s "
side the churches laughs, and reliso, a. ~.
receives discredit. You will notice Tia, -
bishops and other ecclesiastical l.aa.,,
gray hair; this is one of the reason. -"
When we speak of weak churches ". -,
usually to their poverty and to N. So
Of their members; but in each on. vor -
find some member-the pastor, perhs,,
poor widow-who knows the real w..L,..
and could tell you truly that IN. ,,,..s
Of the church is far less than even ,,.,
and money indicate; that the majority =, a.
members scarcely know why they ar, a.
lists or Episcopslians or what M, -
those to whom their church and n, ~,
ciples are vital issue, fghtine matt,
pitifully few.
The root Of the problem lie, in hi, a..
that large part Of the members Of .v.,
smallest church have nothing to di,tns,A
them from their neighbors in the a.
across the way. The trouble is not ,h,,n
are too many churches, but that Their, 1, :.
little difference between them. Ru,,.
church for a Russian colony is The dss,a.
meeting of definite need: so are ms,
man Catholic churches; so is a p5.,.,
meeting house. 1t is the Tweedledun IT,.
dedee churches that make the iuS.,..
grieve. They are clubs, that is all. ANA 4.
price that is paid for these clubs in 4,
harm they do the cause Of religion /, !.
orbitant. Expensive clubs are out az ,l,..
in a world that is on fire spirituay a, M
as materially.
If the members of such clubs wish >.
prove to the world that they are not ,l.el.,'
let them fight. Let them fight for wh,. ~,
are supposed to believe. Let each o. a,s.
jettison his pious horror Of "proselvt,,,
and shock the village street by prOcl,ir,.
to his neighbor: 81 believe in something ~
portant. What | have you need. mi ~
give up until get you" And il his p,,l.
Dor happens TO be a member OF the w.,
church across the street, let him roll 10 M
spiritual sleeves and say: Not muehl n
get you" Then We shall have in NAM,
town a church row that is worth someh.,
There will be casualties. The chureas, 4,
the individuals that have nothing 10 a.,
for will not make good Members will u
lost and doors will be fortunately clos,
But those who have something that men no,
will learn their own richness in the at,,,.
TO give TO others. Some Of the chgrek,.
multitude will succumb 10 the assaults 4
their ncignbors who would never have ,.
wsrded the missionary efforts Of The b.
of parsons. And the crowd on the sid, lr(
will feel a warming of the heart tOslr
good fighter, and respect, curiosity, ir,s
est. perhaps even desire, for the relSr
that is live enough to make men fght <
Snowville, n. H., Aug rs, 1917.