The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-01-06
THE ONE BEST BOOK OF BOOKS


proved by its increasing popularity We learn that last
year the American Bible Society distributed approximately
50 900 600 Bibles in the United States alone That means one
Bible for about every third person America If the average
family this country counted at five persons then nearly
Bibles bought in 1919 to every family IN the land
However it is not to believed that every family acquired
Bible Doubtless there many thousands OF families which
did not add Bible to their households One wonders
then just who did buy all those millions of Bibles The fact
that they bought remains and that cause for rejoicing
We have read statement in the past day to the eff
feet that Survey" rural Oklahoma indicated that religion
is waning in this state.
We don't believe ii.
Religion is not waning in this state, in any other
1t may be that the figures show churchgomg mas
decreased there 1t is well to go to church, but
church-gong does indicate accurately the gauge of e
ous belief and practice There many persons intensely
.gious who seldom go to church.
Your religion inside yourself; it is a part Of your moral
and spiritual urnme it nheres in your personaly,and is
indicated always by the number of times you attend church
prayermeeng Sundaschoo yet indeed by the us
your hymngng by the oudness of prayers
Your religion is your life.
The degree and the quality of your religion indicated
by uprghtness OF your daily wak-seyen days week
Your religion to be gauged by what you do not by what
profess. We know personally and apenty who
profess particular creed and who wall, uprghy before
God and and who perform daily, in apparent uncon-
couSne of the fact deeds and duties ndubtab Christian
of the highest type Their modest simple earnest lives are
benedctions to their fellows.
Rural Oklahoma, urban Oklahoma, is growing less re-
gous If figures say figures lie. And for that matter
is Just well to suggest that can't reduce religion mah
emaics There ogarithms in religion common
nor decimal fractions, no square nor cubic roots
Religion be reduced science, and should
be reduced if it could be- science stationary thing
system of rules whilst religion is an endowment of
progressive principles Your religion should 90 forward and
along with it and you progress ahead of it
and if you lag behind it will leave you hanghaed upon
dull and dreary island of isolation.
AS the Bible, everybody should read it and study i'll
with open mind with the windows the soul opening out
ward to let in the light The writer Of this editorial has not read
the Bible through since his boyhood and he is ashamed of him
elf for moi having done He has been busy the MAIN but
nevertheless he has squandered time which he might have
ned to Bible reading and ightSeeking And very likely
Is that there are many other and many who simi
ary negligent in this respect
There are many good books but the Bible is the gaod
look Of books.
We are not arguing for literal Interpretation and blind
acceptance of everything fabe human may read into or
u of the Bible We arguing for common-sense studv
md honest effort toward appreciation of the Bible as the
history of the word Of God Our belief that if one follows
he cardinal teachings of the Bible he 90 asrav
Almost the greatest this writer ever heard was
preached in New York City than twenty years ago b
Thomas Dixon The text "All ye like sheep are gone
astray. Perhaps do not quote the exactly We have
acknowledged in humility biblical ignorance But that
the extent of putting of his unchrsan preudces
into certain novels and plays preached at least one
which impressed at least young with the Importance
having real religion in his consciousness and vinc 70
(See Last Coumn)