South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-01-13
BLAMES MODERN
MODE OF LIVING
FOR CRIME WAYE
Movies" Shown in South
Bend Openly Immoral,
Says Minister.

we cannot blame the present
unrest OF the world upon agitatOrs
and Reds. but upon ourselves. The
great wave Of crime that is sweeping
the country today may be traced in
large part TO us who live in cities
and towns as good citizens of the
land, and this because of mode Of
thought and action and manner Of
fulfilling the mission of our lives.
Great and growing challenges have
arisen from the age and we have
failed to meet them because we have
fallen into the ruts of easy living
and have everything followed the
line OF least resistance, instead Of
rising up and facing the evils before
US"
These were the words of Rev.
Albert +. Monger. pastor oof the
First NJ. T.. church, in the course Of
his address at the Church Family
Night supper and meeting Wednes-
day evening in the banquet hall OF
the church. Supper was followed by
congregational singing, led by Col.
Seymour Bullock.
Bitterly Disappointed.
The world expected a Spiritual
uplift after the war" said the speak
er. I'VE anticipated a great moral
elevation in the thoughts and deeds
Of men. We have been disappointed
and bitterly so. Even here in our
own city we have typical instances
of this. Crime is prevalent as much
as II ever was before and there seems
TO be no remedy. SO will it always
DE while we turn away our heads
and hold Indifferent ears TO the noise
of the evils about us.
Instead of standing forth and
facing this state Of things we live
on in our diffident way of thinking
and doting on the little and trivial
things of life until they have become
the big things in 1t and thus our souls
are become warped and puny. our
ideals furnished and our sense Of
service to others lost form our vision
We all remember Cabel andJoshua
from the Bible and think of them,
more than we do of the other ten
tribe leaders, because they had a
sense Of service and desired to be
continually doing great things.
Cabel said when he was four score
and five years old, to his masters
when 'they were contemplating the
land of pleasant valleys and of milk
and honey: Give me the hill
country" for he wanted TO go out
from common ways and be a PIONEER
among men.
Jazz Through Life"
That is what we need in our hears
today, the slogan of Cabel, GIVE
me the hill country" We have fallen
into the ruts of life and we pursue
the even tenor Of our days without
a thought of service or of doing
something good for others. We've
been jaZZing our way through life,
content to let our minds rest upon
our own little affairs and let the
rest of the world go hang
We must meet the challenge of
lawleSsnesS and that of miseducatiOn.
We must take pains TO have our
youth properly educated in the right
morals and principles OF good living
II must indeed be a terrible state of
affairs when we can take the most
popular and common means Of
pleasure and educate the movie
and find il rotten and corrupt beyond
words. The movie" in itself is a
good and great institution but when
Il is put to such uses as many recent
productions have been then it is
high time to sit up and see what is
happening before our eyes. A recent
picture shown at one OF the leading
playhouses of this city furnishes an
example in point Even its adver-
Using Nas thoroughly and openly
immoral beyond all points of dis
erection or common decency. And yet
the crowds fiocked there and the
youth OF this city were among them.
Church Must Lead.
This is our problem. There is
only one remedy. 1t devolves upon
the churches Of this city 10 lead the
way in opposing the evils upon US
and IN facing the challenges that
bid fair 10 work harm if we sit still
and do nothing. The flag of Christ
must not retreat before the encroach-
ments of evil. Under that flag will
the people rise 10 their knowledge
and faith in high ideals and prin-
ciples. and under that flag only can
that come about"
NJ TT-r.JT