The New York herald., 1922-06-19
DEpLORES PARODY
ON HYMN BY VETS
Singing Of FOaming Stems to
Sacred Tune Is Disgrace,
DR.. Reisner Says.
CHURCH IS NO KILL-JOY

The Rev. Christian F. Reisner. pastor
of the Chelsea Methodist Episcopal
Church. Fort Washington avenue and
17Sth street. last night in his sermon
denounced the singing of a parody to
the Battle Hymn of the Republic by
those who attended the meeting which
the Association Against the Eighteenth
Amendment held Friday night at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music.
1T is a sacrilege and disgrace,'
said DR.. Reisner. Il cannot speak too
strongly on this subject 10 me that one
fact that they cheapened tho Battle
Hymn OF the Republic shows more
clearly than anything else what kind Of
crowd Is really supporting the hula
oalloo against the prohibition law. 1t
was bad taste, and worse. and tended
to cheaper that which we have learned
10 regard as sacred. / am willing to
allow any man his honest opinion on ths
prohibition question. but ] cannot see
how man can weave sentiments about
'foami.g stems into the beautiful words
of the Battle Hymn of the Republic
The singing of the parody, as well as
the other uproarious and dstasteful
spirit displayed in the dry parade last
year. when picture OF The Last Sup
per- was held aloft as showing that
Christ WAS In favor OF Wines
Reaction Among Youth.
DR.. Reisner's subjest last night was
Retaining Your Youth" He said that
an astonishing reaction had taken place
among young people In the last three
years. He has returned from q lecture
tour OF the South and a trip to the
convention Of the Associated Advertise
ing Clubs of the World at Milwaukee.
He said that everywhere he went there
were strong indications that young peo-
pie were turning to the church in larger
numbers every day.
Religion keeps you young" said DR..
Reisner. ut Is an antiquated notion
that when one becomes religious he must
throw away all that makes for happl-
ness In this life. The opposite Is true.
/ hold that the religious life is the
happy. natural. normal life. and that
the man who lives that sort OF life will
retain his youth much longer than the
man whose life Is filed with sin. For
sin. after all. Is not natural. II is a
perverted thing.
'It Is the realization of the fact,
believe. that Is turning young people to
the church The tendency Is particu-
larly noticeable throughout the South
IL Is taking place In New Jersey to n
gratifying extent and also In Pennsyl-
vania. New York Is not doing as well
as some other places. but even here the
tendency Is noticeable.
Where our young peoples organiza-
tions formerly were problem. the meet
ings poorly attended and the interest
low. they now are growing so rapidly
that there Is difficulty in taking care OF
them properly. Young people. particu-
larly those of high school age and a
few years older. are coming TO under
stand that religion. the church. Is not.
after ALL a kill JOY institution. With
swimming pools. gyrnnasiums and many
other activities we are keeping up the
interest of the young people They
should be convinced that II IL possible
to be happy on Sundays and just as
consistently to carry their religion
through all the other days of the week"
DR.. Reisner also spoke yesterday
afternoon by radio from Newark. He
Is one of the most enthusiastic advo-
Gates of church advertising. He said
last night that the spread OF religious
ideals through advertising had been re-
fiected during the last year by 1000, 900
added church members in the United
States