The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-03-07
CHTPCH-GOING

ito impress men and women of varied tenn
Iperaments and convictions, and in many in
stances carries the weight of personal in
fluence. By this is meant that in some in
stances the personality of the preacher the
prospective church-goer expects to hear will
Influence the decision. In more than one
instance the anticipated charm of good
music will have its weight in the matter. We
prefer to believe however, that it is the re-
Iligous or moral thought that has the great
est influence in shaping the purpose of the
great majority of those who listen to ser
mons. They feel that it is right and OF
much advantage to go to the house OF wor-
ship. As a result of ell-grounded convic-
Ition and of earnest appeal it is OF evidence
that the churches in these towns are having
larger attendance than usual, and it is to
be hoped that church-goers in general may
Ibe able to feel that attendance is OF appre-
Iciable value to them.
This renewal of interest in church at
tendance arouses some thoughts that must
occur we are persuaded, to others than
The News. Why the need of urging men
and women of this country, this genera
ton to 90 to church? 1t is one of our boasts
that we are a Christian people or nation.
On the money that our government CONS
ARE the words: 'In God We Trust" We
have been seeing people 60 to church all
our lives Churches, more or less costly and
attractive, pleasant places in which to lin
ger or abide for an hour or so, dot the land
perhaps as many churches as school houses.
THE church influence and example are on
] or1I of nIlr
Should not church attendance be the most
natural or normal mpulse-the most nat
Iural experience of this people? 1t would
seem So But we must all realize that the
ratio of church going is not as great now
as in past years. This is notably the case
in the cities and the larger towns, and peo-
pie who dwell on the farms and in the vii
lagos tell us that the same tendency and
conditions are apparent outside OF urban
life 1t is but few days agone that
preacher friend told us: II cannot account
for it, but somehow the people do not come
to church as they used to do. 1t grieves
me to admit this, but it is true" And it is
the truth that his conclusion is warranted.
It must be believed that preachers and
earnest and consistent Church-goers ind
ground for solicitude in contemplation OF
the situation. A friend who is an officer OF
la church congregation tells u.s. Il doubt
Iif more than ten per cent of the inhabl-
ltants of Dawson the adult population, are
steady or consistent church-goers."
Conclusions like these, developments that
iemphasize such tendencies or conditions,
cannot be said to be gratifying, for all
right thinking people-even those not act
lively identified with church organizations
must concede that religion and the church
jes are of value beyond estimate. We have
no quarrel with the man devoid OF rellglous
convictions who holds aloof from church
life He is within his rights, and as man
and member of society he may be as sim
cere, as upright, as useful as his neighbor,
who is what we call "a religious man"
1t is the man, his manner of life; the way
he acts towards his felloWmen, that counts
more than his creed.
But all human experience, the conscience
and innermost realization OF man, tends to
Impress us with the truth that man IS by
nature religious, even as he is domestic by
nature. Most men accept the verify OF
EGod. the hope and belief for and IN the
life beyond the grave, and right there is
the basis of religious organization and &C
itivity in churches and church work. The
man or woman of fair intelligence and fair
minded will cheerfully concede the sound
and ethical value of religious life and work
what society owes to such work. We
would not say to any man, You must be
religious; you must attend church" This
lis a free country and the individual can
follow his own convictions. But it is safe
to assert that but few, if any, of us would
be willing to see religious convictions van
Iish-see religious life and activities elm
Iinated. 1t is our conviction that at no
stage of development will man lose his faith
in God, or feel that society can afford to
dispense with the churches and their IN
Ifluence and work We cannot imagine lite
here that would be worth living without
that trust in God-and religious activities
are the logical sequence of such faith.
Are the masses losing interest in church
going, in religious activities? If so there
is a cause for this tendency We do not
assume to sit in judgment, to tender ad-
vice We must believe, though, that those
who have in charge the activities of the
church will realize that here is matter
that appeals to them as to few other con-
victions or experiences of this life can. In
the situation is there not a challenge, an
II