The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-14
TEACHING THE CHURCH
HOW TO SMILE AGAIN

lurn bus Is not only big thing, 1t is
"A great thing, and marks n turning
point In the history OF Protestantisru
The originators of the exposition have
done 4 bigger thing than they dream
ed of. and 1t is doubtful If even yet
they realize what they have done. The
fact Is they have humanized the
church and brought back the smile
to the face of religion.
The exposition is religious fair
that we have been waiting for during
two or three hundred years We owe
great debt to our Puritan Fathers
They cleansed the church from an
accumulation OF superstition and err
ror and gave mankind religious free
dom. They saved the life of the
church at the cost of manning It.
They did right, for desperate diseases
demand desperate rem edies. But the
price was high. They took the smile
from religion and gave It sour and
stern yisage.
1t gave men the idea that they
must sin to be merry and bright
They wers stern men for stern Jobs
or surgeons rather than family doc
tors. They took out the stained glass
windows Of fao church and put in
plain glass hoy took the paintings
off the walls end replaced them with
a coat OF whitewash. They took out
the organ and orchestra and put in
man with tuning fork to lead the
singing.
They suppressed the dramatic in
stinct altogether. They took away
! from religion its colors. music and
movement. They shut eye-gate and
left ear-gate only half open
To me the Methodist exposition ap-
pears AS an unconscious protest
against tho continuance OF the Puri-
tan ideal The exposition has brought
back poetry and laughter to religion.
II Is a religious fair and I would that
every hoy and girl could be brought to
it. At this fair they would realize
that religion is a Joyous and natural
thing
Dr. s Earl Taylor Is a layman. no.
minister. and there lies the spiritual
significance OF the exposition He has
brought to his task layman's mind
and gives us An expression of robust
religion without the narrowness and
bigotry Of clericalism without know
religion, and has taught men that 1t
Is RS welcome IN the service of God
as the car. He has opened eye gate
wide and given color to religion
Over the entrance to the fair
ground he has painted a picture. I'm
rnediateiy inside are electric signs as
big as those on broadway, New York.
They tell you that prayer releases
power" and that Methodtsm needs a
million tithers and a revival
There are scores OF buildings full
of pictures Of religious life and work.
and hundreds of people In costume
native 70 lands where missionary work
In done.
There are movie shows depicting
religious enterprise. and a huge screen
on the pace course for the exhibition
of missionary pictures
He has also given religious express
sion TO the dramatic instinct In man.
and vast crowds go nightly to see the
pageant.
In this he IA. gone back hundreds
OF years to merry England" when
the common people were taught re-
ligion in much the same way. for 4.
must not be forgotten that the drama
was originally n sacred institution and
rot a secular one.
Method4sr1 has always been great
or conversion and there have been
many conversions at the exposition,
The grand stand al the race course
has been converted into a Methodist
church and has resounded with Metho-
been converted into a missionary ad-
vocate. The electric sign has been
converted into a preacher on prayer.
And in the pageant the dramatic In
stinct has been converted and given
a Christian stage.
Music. color and motion have been
brought back like prodigals to the
church and have been converted Not
only SO. bnt the exposition has shown
that there is room for all that is pure
and good within the shadow OF the
church.
! have seen there a Wild west show
ard a dirsgible balloon, soda fountains
and candy stalls There are labor
meetings TO help on the Christianza-
ton Of industry Almost all races are
there and all professions There is
worship there, education, recreation
and amusement
II Ia n laVman's view OF religion
and It is the right view.
The Christian world owes debt
OF gratitude to Or Earl TAYLOR and
TO the sane and courageous men and
women who have supported him
The influence Of the exposition WIFI
permeate and change the religious
life OF our time, and through it's sweet
and joyous influence, hundreds OF
thousands Of young people will be
drawn into the church Or. TAYLOR
has presented Christianity to the
world with smile on IT'S face, and
cur Nar-stricken world needs a re-
iIgion Win a smile In It's heart
There is a Cana as well as a Cal
vary in Christtanity-a place for