Evening journal., 1920-06-12


Before the average student comes 20
college he has had more or less reli-
gious instruction and training in his
home or church. When he comes TO
live at college all this religious cul-
ture seems TO wither away, partly be-
cause he does not continue TO go to
church and partly because 1t Is so
convenient 10 become Indifferent to
religion while in college. / venture
10 say that II several fellows were
loafing in a dormit0ry room during a.
Sunday evening and one OF those fell
lows decided to go 30 church the 9TH
CT fellows would laugh at him. Nat
urally, 1t would take a person with a
stiff backbone TO Withstand these
mockings, and in all probability that
fellow would not go 20 church that
evening nor any other evening should
anyone sneer at him for going As
a rule, we all fah 90 do the right thing
when somebody laughs at us for do
ing II. / do not mean that we should
become what the world sometimes
calls "gOody- -goody" people; | mean
we should endeaNor TO practice the
religion which we brought here with
us.
Many churches have Biblical verses
on their walls and among these verses
is usually this passage: Remember
now thy Creator in the days OF thy
youth" When the Scripture useS-the
word youth" / believe that 1t is re-
ferring TO that part Of our lives
through which we are just beginning
t0 pass. But the important question
want 30 raise is this. Are we re-
membering our Creator in the days Of
our YOUTH Without hesitation l
Say mo- In fact. there are. l dare
say, students IN this college who do
not acknowledge that there Is a God.
Do not think I am pessimistlc about
the present-day youths. How could
be2 ! am one OF them myself. IL is
my belief that past generations nave
not recognized the claim which God
mad upon their lives and I think the
future generations viii follow in the
paths OF the preceding generations m
| this respect. This passage, II seems
TO me. does not wish us TO remember
our Creator in the days Of our youth
/ because we are regardless OF God at
this period OF our lives, but because
1 al this stage we arc apt 70 grow away
from God and not return until late in
life.
one Of the FIRST habits new student
acquires I'm college Is thai OF borrow
ing and possibly lending. Let us see
I what the Bible has "a say about hese
ionics In the NTH chapter OF Mat
thew we find this verse: Give TO
him that asketh thee, and from him
that would borrow OF thee turn not
. ayyayu I'm the thirty-sevcnth Psalm
is this massage: 'aThe wicked bor-
royveth and payeth not again, but the
! rirhteous shOweth mercy and giveth.
The first passage / quoted exhorts us
10 lend TO our neighDOr nnbegrudg-
| ingly and ! am sure every student
i here has that benevolent attitude. As
have quoted the FIRST passage for the
benefit OF the lender, so have 1 quot
ed the second passage for the guid.
ance Of the borrower. I hope thai
there are no students here who would
mt themselves IN that class which
Inc Bble calls wicked" because they
borroNv with the intention OF never
returning that which they borrow.
one had practice that Is very com
mon about the campus is the taking
of tho Lords name In vain. There Is
moi The least doubt in my mind thai
This habit has been unintentionallS
and mconsciously formed, hut ina,
does not prove that the hablt Is no
wronr. The Bible explicitly states
arrhe shalt moi take the name of tn,
Lord. thy God, in vain" Therefore
, IN We take His name In vain, we arr
doing wrong. The use OF profan'
, Language also sets bad example foi
the younger generation, as man!
vounger boys learn to curse by hear
= inc older hoys do a.. When we ar
; with women friends we do not lik
10 hear other people use profane Ian
gnare. surely. that Is indicative tina
/, nrufanity is Objectionable andn no
I me best of language. But that is Onl'
) one OF the hundreds Of reasons VIII
/ we should begin now 10 take prolan
: il,y out of our category Of bad habits
In an probability the thing whicl
concerns us most and with which re
ngion has 10 do also Is our success
, NE an want success and we are 90
. ing 20 strive had TO attain IT, In ref
4 erencc 20 this topic let me quote yo
verse from the flrst chapter q
! Joshua. This book Of the law shal
moi dcpart out OF thy mouth but tho