South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-08-21
LACK OF RELIGION
CAUSES BUSINESS
ILLS, SAYS PASTOR
Rev. B. ID. Beck Analyses
Greed of Roger BabsOn
in Sermon Sunday.

when Roger Babson says that a
lack Of religion q the trouble with
business ne simply voices Gods truth
ares n.d The only surprising thing
about g is mat statlstician and
business man says it instead Of a
preacher"
This was one or the statements
made by Rev. p. d. Beck in his
Sermon a. Grace Methodist Episcopal
church Sunday morning in testing
out some OF Mr.. Babson's business
creed BY the BIbIe. His text was
Deuteronomy, SIS: Thou shalt re-
member the Lord thy God: for It Is
he that giveth thee power 20 get
wealth"
Among other things. Mr.. Beck
said
God was teaching Israel that the
source Of their future wealth would
not be in their material resources
but IN their religion. In land that
abounded with plenty they could fail
as they Rad seen other nations fail.
II they failed It would be because
they had forgotten God.
God also warned Israel against
the temptations 10 forget God in ma
terial prosperity. There was little
likelihood Of them forgetting Him
when they had an empty purse and
would have had an empty stomach
but for the daily mama IN the viii
dernss. But WIN thy got into this
goodly land. had eaten and we're full.
sen the were lkely to say, my pow
er and the might of my hand hath
gotten this wealth Thus other peo-
le had done before. Still others
have done the same since. II Is
harder for a man 20 keep religion
i'm prosperity than IN adversely.
Prosperity Often Fatal.
But God wanted them TO know also
that II they allowed their prosperity
TO turn their heads and break up
their religion that their prosperity
would fail. The prosperity OF fools
SHAH destroy them The wicked
shall be turned into hell, and all the
nations that forget Cod Doom
awaits the business OF a man or ma
tons that fOrgets God.
THAT is the truth that Roger Bah
son Is preaching to business men
BE SAYS. From fine immem0rlal
periods or prosperity have been &C
cOmpanied by a decline in religious
interests and by a. laxness in moral
and social customs Conditions re-
ligiously. socially and morally are
sfvvavs at their worst immediately
preceding a severe crisis or panic.
The perlIs OF 4 nation during a period
m prosperity are much greater than
the perlls accompanying a depres-
sion He insists that when people
prosper they forget God. When they
lose their religion business begins a
decline.
Religion Is Remedy.
What Is to be done about bust
ness now2 The thing TO do is TO get
religion. Mr.. Babson says. What
gas is 20 a motor, steam to an en-
CINE. fertility 10 an egg. religion Is
TO business What makes business
good or bad Is motives, purposes
Intentions, conduct Of folks. Busi-
ness simply records the character
OF a nations people, II no more
changes its conditions than a Their
mometer changes the temperature.
There is never a period Of business
depression unless men have tried TO
monkey with the 10 commandments
or the multiplication table
III every merchant would go 10
work in the morning to give an
honest value and every labOrer TO
give an honest days work. bust
ness would prosper before the whis-
ties would blow for noon. More
cheering for the other side is need
ed. Labor will prosper when cap
ital prOspers and only then. Cap
ltal will prosper when labor pros
pers and only then. There is too
much thinking about ourselves and
too little doing for the other fellow
Mother wins by doing more than we
expect. That is the way al closes
are "a WIN That Is religion. The
change IS I'm the soul. The results
appear IN business. People need not
look for happiness and prosperity
as long az they forget God and live
irreligiously."