The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1922-10-28
WOMAN PREACHER
SAYS MINISTERS
TOO FL|RTATIOUS
Rev. Martha M. Rogers Advo-
Gates Reducing Number Of
'LiIIy-Voiced' Pastors.
BIZ. WESTBRO0K PEGLER

United NeaOS Staff Correspondent
NEW YORK, Oct. 28.-If there
were fewer soft-handed, lily-voiced,
flirtatious preachers of religion, there
would be fewer cynics criticising the
ten commandments, fewer members Of
the spiritual Ignorant to pay them
heed and fewer debaucheries of the
cloth by such clergymen as the Rev.
Edward Wheeler Hall of New Bruins
wick"
After pausing to affirm these SEN
timents concerning the days two
tingling religious topics, the Rev.
Martha NJ Rogers, assistant pastor
of Brooklyn's big Hanson Place
Methodist Episcopal Church and the
only woman preaching the Methodist
Episcopal faith in this part Of the
country, seized another grip on the
big subject of Americas religious
faults and boldly spanked it.
She is no beskirted Billy Sunday
either, but an earnest and dignifed
person, approaching niddle-age, who
holds religion too sacred to slang 1t.
She has come to recognize, however,
a repellant factor in the sewing-circlS
plety OF too many ministers Of the
present day.
las for Colonel George Harvey.
who represents the United States
Government at King Georges Court"
said Miss Rogers, "at first thought
it is too bad he has taken advantage
Of his prominence to give such loud
voice to those doubts Of his concern.
ing the ten commandments. But on
second thought maybe 1t was a good
thing to get such matters into discus
sion so that the forces Of religion
might say their say with the oppor'
tunity Of equal prominence.
Applies to Women
Mr.. Harvey says. see, that
women may infer that they have
carte blanche to do all the things
forbidden by the ten commandments
because the commandments apparent.
ly were made for men only" said the
woman pastor, reviewing tbs account
Of Harvey's speech in London. "Of
course the commandments do apply
to both men and women. The tenth
commandment specifically forbids
coveting thy neighbours wife, but we
naturally infer that It likewise for.
! bids coveting thy neighbours husband.
| The only reason why husbands
weren't mentioned. too, is that men
are polygamous whereas women, in
| the past at least were homogeneous
! But If there be any doubt about tt
considering the days divorces and
! small-arms practice-Miss Rogers is
| willing to be practical Let religion
| speak out and say that women must
| Tot covet their neighbours husbands,
| That would be a simple way OF al.
| laying the confusion which seems to
possess the minds Of some women.
The trouble is," she said, that
there are a lot of foolish, insincere
women who overeat and overdress and
have not enough to do. and who fluts
ter around the men Of the ministry.
| They regard them almost as goda-
! They harm the ministers,
In Dangerous Position
| Take that New Brunswick min.
lister. the Rev. Edward Wheeler Hall
He was in a dangerous position and
there are many clergymen who, in
making pastoral calls, usually pick
/ out the women of their congregations.
Unless minister's nobility Is very
broad and deep he is in danger He
causes the world to look on the church
with suspicion.
And the clergy is honeycombed
With such men. They make littls
talks at strawberry festivals and rum.
mage sales, whereas they should have
women assistants for such duties,
which are not matters of religion at
all. Let the men take part in manly
affairs and then men will feel that the
minister understands when they come
| to him for spiritual counsel"
Miss Rogers has come into prone
inence not only by her ordination as
minister. but principally because oE
her charges that many Of the men Of
the clergy take to the profession bes
cause 1t affords ease and influence,
not because Of any spiritual urging
| to preach the divine message,