Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-03
Methodist Auxiliary
Hear Heart to Heart
Talk by Prof. Mariner

Learn to thing and think with
conservation, from all sides, fairly
and not from the viewpoint of your
desires or prejudice but from results
of your study after weighing both
sides OF problem carefully" declar-
ed Prof. Ernest C. Mariner last
evening at lively. wide awake and
interesting talk given before the
members of the Mems auxiliary of
the Methodist church.
Forty members of the auxiliary
and their guests sat with rigid at
tentiCn while the speaker continued
in his heart to heart message to his
fellow churchmen "rhere are three
ways that a great many of us think:
First. In .everie.' I am quoting pro-
pasanda at the present and must
get it out of my mind. That Is
thinks in the willy-nilly way as we
often do while readin~. scanning the
page with eyes that do not see. and
all at once we wake up to the fact
that We have passed several pages
without knowing what was printed
there.
"Then there is the thinking by de-
cision, or rather making our mind
up to the many, many things that
we do every day. We had to make
our minds IN as'to whether we would
come here tonight eve should not
have to do this but rather have it
n habit that requires no thinking
BIT that is all that decision thought
is--mcrely deciding without pom
dcration.
"Ths third manner Of thinking Is
represented by n rather unfamiliar
word. 'ratiocination.' meaning quick
and decisive way OF responding III de-
fence Of opinions that we hold very
dear. An example of this would be
SC en- If I wero to state here that not
che of you men were even the faint
est prctendance of n Christian You
would Immediately turn upon me with
little thought but with a rising de-
fence.
but there is another way of think
ing and that is by concentration. Care
full and unprecedented weighing of both
sides of the matter"
And here the speaker mentioned the
problem of helping the stricken Ger
man children. He declared that he
had not had time to form an idea of
what attitude he should take towards
the matter. He said that he could see
very plainly that they needed. assist
ance and he could also see other mat
ters that would come up before Ameri-
/
said that he had not thought the prob
lem through in a way of concentration.
Prof. Mariner also told several sto-
rics that were laughable and gave sta
tisticS showing that the church popu-
latien in the United States had gained
n large increase during, the last year.
This he mentioned because of the large
amount of talk heard at this time con-
corning the empty pews' Of the
churches.
All this led up to the object Of his
address the problem that all Water
vile church people are interested in.
RELIGIOUS Education" At this inter-
val he said:
This country, must produce better
men that her forefathcTs. Every
father hopes that his son will be better
and wiser than he. but does not know
what his part is to see that his son
becomes that"
The speaker then referred to the
problem of Christian education. ex-
planning few things that prevented it
in the country. He told of the days
when settlers came to Maine (as an
example of any growing country and
settled at some spot. The first no.
ticcahlc step. he said, was church on
the hill. then school at the foot of
the knoll. The professor explained
how the son in the family was brought
up to work as his father did. and
learned his fathers trade while work
ing with him. while in the house the
mother and, daughter worked together
and accordingly the daughter was
brought up with her mother and
learned to be n housewoman.
Things are different now" de-
cleared the speaker. THE father
and mother may both be working in
the factory, striving hard to give
their children an education at some
college or school and thus the home
life is not up to the standard. Do
not think that / am in favor of 60
ing back to the days Of long ago. but
want to make this plain: There
must be something to take the place
of the home influence in the lives Of
our young people today and that,
friends, is religious education"
Prof. Mariner then went on to ex-
plain how religious education must
be carried on by the church. for at
the home is nearly impossible in many
cases. and the public schools refuse
to handle It.
"It is up TO us, we, Methodists. to
see that the youth Of today gets this
important branch. of training In or
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