Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-07-03
DIVORCED FROM THE CHURCHES, AND FROM THEMSELVES
By W.. A..

ruined government. For there is no middle
ground.
Religion was the active cause by which the
American Colonies we,e first organized This fact
is proclaimed in the original charters of the Thir-
teen States and it is set down in the charters of
every educational institution which the colonists OF
North America set up. They did not come to tho
New World in pursuit of gain, or to acquire booty.
They came into the wilderness to worship God, and
to cultivate the fruits of gody living. The genera
lions that have followed them not safely ignore
these facts and try now to maintain political or
ganization upon any other foundation than that
which American ancestors laid when first they
the
Closely akin to the maintenance of religion and
the attendance upon public worship is the preserva-
tion of the Sabbath Day When the sacred day
ceases to be holy day, and becomes mere holi-
day, then worship will decline and religion will
wither away. Every attack upon the institution
of the Sabbath, however such attack may be plaus-
IDLY defended and ngeniousy explained, is
sault upon religion and upon all the things which
depend upon religion for their preservation. SAD
bathess souls, who never darken the door of q
Church. apt to be in the divorce court.
and in other places of evil.
There is something essentially coarse in turn
ing the sabbath Day into day of diversion and
dissipation. Such a proclamation of the day Is
brutal in its origin, and brutazing in its cOnse-
quences. 1t lowers the intellectual level Of people
we'll demoralizes their moral characters. The
disposition to thus profane the sacred day is the
mark of nature which Is wanting In refinement,
and is the prophecy of still further decline in all
those sweet and beautiful things which belong to
the noblest and gentlest people
strain which it has been subjected for centuries
and it behooves all sensible people, who con-
cerned for the welfare of society," strengthen all
the moral supports of the social system. Other
wise chaos must issue from the present conflict.
The people of country especially must re-
turn to God Thousands of them have wandered
away from Him. They have abandoned church
services, and turned to all sorts of diversions
the Sabbath. They have come to think that the
Church is longer worthy of their attention.
They are impatient with any public exercise which
does not amuse them.
From all these delusive and dangerous notions
they must be recovered Once a week all men
must worship and not work. Services of the
churches must be attended, and the spectacles of
the world must be forsaken.
/ It Is quite possible that much of the popular
disposition to profane the Sabbath and turn away
from the churches has come from men and women
running so wildly after every sort of spectacular
diversion and sensational performance. If
pursue things of this kind during the week, he Is
likely to have no taste for the wholesome and
sensational exercises of place of worship. And
the services of the church cannot be degraded In
order to entertain lovers Of more exciting diver
sons Reasonable people will not expect the
churches to be turned into places of amusement.
The Initiated taste which would require the
churches to be as entertaining playhouses, must
be recognized as vitiated taste, and 1t must be
cured, not catered to.