South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-10-24
DECLINE OF ATHENS
SEEN AS PORTENT
Rev. Davis Delivers Sermon
on Message of Ancient
Greek City.

DR.. u. S. S. Davis, pastor of the
First Baptist church, is preaching
a series of evening sermons on Mes
sages of Ancient Cities to Cities of
Modern Times" Last night he
spoke on the Message of Athens. "
His sermon. in part. follows:
When Paul visited Athens. il was
the most famous and beautiful city
in the world. No city had produced
such famous men or influenced the
world thought like Athens. Re-
member. too, that the city was re-
ligious. The city was filled with
sanctuaries. shrines and temples.
Everywhere statutes of the gods they
worshipped, were seen and publicly
worshipped.
Their religion was the worship of
beauty, grace. and heroic strength.
They worshipped no supreme being,
no ultimate judge of human actions.
They had no aspiration for heaven,
no fear of hell. The more promt-
nent gods they worshipped were
Moloch, Baal. Mammon, Bacchus,
Venus AS l have studied ancient
history and contemporary life 1 have
been startled beyond measure by
finding that the men of today are
worshiping precisely the gods that
Athens did.
"Moloch was a heather god Of un-
speakable cruelty TO whom human
sacrifices were offered. When men
worshiped him they descended into
the realm of cruelty, and regarded
not the rights, the interests. or the
welfare of others. Are there no;
thousands of men among us
who care not a rap Of their fin
ger for those whom they sacrifice
upon the altar of their cruel ambi-
tons.
';MammOn was the name that
Jesus used for the god of wealth.
Christ we'll said: 'Ye cannot serve
God and Mammon. Thousands of
men i'm South Bend have faced that
statement of Christ, have realized
its truth ana have deliberately
chosen to serve MammOn rather
than God
For Mammon Ananias lied TO the
Holy Ghost. and was smitten Of God
For Mammon Judas sold his Lord
and damned his soul. Yes. gold is
the price of many a crime untold.
This night the lust Of yellow gold
will lead 10 lying, theft, fornication
and murder. The worship Of gold
preserves the judgment. cOrrupts the
conscience. debases the affections
and atroDhies the soul
"Bacchus, the god If wine and
festivity and iollity. sanctioned
| the most frantic excuses of revelry
and tumultuous excitement. a
mighty procession follow in his
train. and he was the most popular
Of the heather deities. Here in
South Bend this heather god has
I thousands of worshiPers.
"Baal and Venus were the god and
goddess who took men through the
depths Of beast!ality and impuritY
In their worship the passions OF the
varnal nature were stirred and free
/ rein given to lust 1t is the shame
OF our city that thousands are wor-
shipping in the temples of Baal and
I Venus.
1T was the shame of Israel in the
oIden time that while they believed
in God they often turned to the wor-
/ ship OF false gods I wonder If 1t is
not still so among the children OF
God. If we today so lusting after
power. gold, after wine. after sen
suality. we have become worshipers
OF MoloCh. Bacchus. Mammon and
Venus. Athens fell. So will South
Bend and every modern city that
gives itself up to idolatry. our COD
SAYS. Thou shalt have no gods be-
I side me" and when men turn away
/ from our God 10 serve other gods
they are idOiaters, and no idolater
shall enter the kingdom Of heaven. d