Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-01-17
SHALL CHURCHES CLOSE
FOR COAL SHORTAGE
Church Doctrines Helps Nations
Win Wars
MAKE DEMOCRACY SAFE
Democracy. Like Electricity, When
Handled lgnoFanlly, An Engine
OF Destruction.

count OF the coal shortage?" was the
subject OF a sermon preached recent
/ y in the First Methodist Episcopal
Church, this city. by the pastor. Rev
H " Burgan, The preacher said, in
part:
| The question Of closing the churches
on account Of The present coal short
/ age is being agitated in some COM
I munities At first blush this action
| seems commendable. but there is on
1 second thought q very serious ques-
/ ton involved, and that is, does the
/ community need the coal used by the
! churches more tnan it does the serv-
ice rendered by the ehurch9 Is the
church the institution that can be
most easily dispensed with in the com
munity? is religion such an unim-
portant thing and the functions OF
| the church so non-essential that these
| bulwarks Of our nation can be closed
| without serious loss 60 the land? The
whole question seems to reyolve about
the one consideration, namely, what
is the function OF the church in the
time OF war?
The answer to this question is
threefold. In the first place, it is the
function Of the church at this time
Of crisis and war to conserve the
social. moral and spiritual forces Of
the nation. Our country is called 10
conserve all its resources and ener-
| gies in order that it may devote them
! to the highest interests Of ali human
| ity. The nation has come TO recog-
nize that there are many forms Of ma
tion service. Under the stimulus Of
| patriotism multitudes Of people are
finding in the ordinary processes OF
| life those spiritual values which it has
long been the peculiar province OF
| the Christian church TO unfold. III
| such an atmosphere the churches have
an opportunity with increasing power
TO make clear the meaning Of the
great truth that neither nation nor
| humanity can live by bread alone. that
| only as they seek for the kingdom OF
God and It's righteousness viii "ali
these things" be added TO them. II
| is true that the permanence of ma
| tional life does rest upon the mainten
! ance Of godIiness within the land. Ma
| tions do not fall from outside aggres-
sion, but because .of inside weak
nesses brought on through indifer-
ence to God The church must be
| open, doing business with increased
| energy, in such time as this III or
/ der to conserve those forces that
make for national strength and glory.
| The church, too. in doing this will
/ take an active part in all war camp
| reereational activities, and community
/ efforts to make cities near camps safe
for the men ia the nations service.
! It viii fight social vice, liquor, gam
| bling, it viii battle against all at
tempts 10 break down child-labor leg
| islatiOn the laws surrounding the
workers with safe hours of work, and
/ will as patriotic duty insist upon
| six days work for all workers In war
| times rather than seven The church
in conserving the uplift forces will
take the lead in Y NJ c. A. and Y. w
G. A. fund campaigns, Red Cross ac-
| tivities, food conservation schemes.
/ Liberty bond drives, and all other
movements set going by the govern
! ment in winning q great war for
! democracy. It must see to It that To-
/ cal charities are not forgotten amid
the calls Tor. funds. but win ever be
alert to serve in conserving the CON
structive forces Of our country A
closed church can't do these things
1 On the second place, the church
Unjust maintain the morale OF the ma
tion. IN It's ministrations It can
reconcile families 10 the giving up Of
/ their sons, it can comfort If these sons
fall in battle, it can cheer and encour-
| age the families il severe want comes,
4and awful sacrifice is needed In the
midst Of hunger and cold it can thun-
| der the heartening message that Gcd
/ fed his chosen people in the wilder
1 ness on mama from heaven, did give
fihem drink cut OF the rock. did by
I night win q pillar Of FIRE lead and
warm Israel, and IL America chooses
Him and His Righteousness He viii
+ not forsake. but viii feed, clothe and
| warm those who sacrifice and give
I ttheir all in making q world free end
safe, When Harry Lauder, the Scotch
comedian, lost his son in the war he
/ was broken hearted and almost re-
sentful The first Sunday after his
loss he and Mrs Lauder went 70
church. Within few days he had 50
gripped God and the belief IN fu-
ture life that he marched up and
down the land. telling to the boys in
the camps and the parents back home
that If his son John could be raised
from the dead and returned to him al
once. he would tell him to once more
put on the uniform Of his country and
again die for freedoms cause It is
this kind Of a spirit. made possible
By the doctrines Of the church. that
helps nations win wars The church
as no other institution in the coun-
! try can. has the power TO maintain the
morale Of the nation in the midst oi
all the trying experiences Of want
sacrifice. disaster at the front. death