The Denver Jewish news., 1925-08-27

Eress Us 1t should. The people Of our
time are hungerlng for some spiritual
force which Will make their lives
brighter and more placid They are
literally whiting to be- sold ON this great
force Religion need only spread this
message To find ready and willing
market
Is IL not the most reasonable thing
In the world TO believe that this great
force which we know as religion,
which has so happily affected the lives
of untold millions, can exert an equal.
Ily good influence upon the world al,
largcy Here indeed, is the most sale.
able Of all productions. with Il more
popular appeal than any article that
has ever been advertised In The Satur.
day Evening Post" In almost any
regular part of the Saturday news.
papers, but these are not advertise
mcnts Of rcligion-they are advertise
ments of certain services that are being
held-and unfortunately they are often
leven less than that-frequently praising
and putting the minister in charge with
no more dignity than might be cx-
pected from circus acrobat, or n
vaudeville comedian To he sure, peo-
Pile that are attracted to church may
draw from II a measure of inspiration.
Lnt L. tutn Rn
ligion can he sold only by bringing TO
the masses concrete appeals and
promises of the part it will play In
their lives.
The Church is in itself only a means
TO an end. And, all too frequently this
fact Is lost sight of-all too frequently
our Churchmen regard the church as
the end in itself, and they devote more
time and thought to the upbuilding of
The Church, than they do to the great
ideal back of It, In business there is
a term that is widely used-"Waste
Circulation" BY this term is meant
circulation in sections, and among peo-
Pile who cannot be expected to respond.
There are also unnecessary publica-
tiOns that represent duplicate circu-
lation, and that are unnecessary to the
general furthering of a commercial pro.
gram.
| | think that there is an analogy to
this in the multiplicity of churches, on.
ly few of which work To capacity.
Religion must learn that the Church is
only its instrument, and that fewer
Churches. more efficiently maintained,
will prove better means OF spreading
the Word of God, than will many
churches. each struggling with too high
an overhead,
This brings us to a brief consid-
era tion of the third great division of
modern busness-that of distribution.
There is a mistaken impression among
people that the right produce properly
exploited finds for itself ready dis
ltribution. This has not been the eN-
perience of businessmen generally.
| | think 1t was Emerson-and later
Ebert Hubbard-who said "any one
who writes a better book or buHds II
better mouse trap than his neighbor
will soon find a pathway worn TO his
door. even though he live in the heart
of the forest
Emerson and Hubbard We're phil
osophers and hardly to be regarded as
| authorities on Twentieth Century busi-
ness. The fact of the matter is that
regardless of the quality of product,
modern manufacturers and merchants
hesitate to enter a far reaching pro-
gram of exploitation until their markets
have first been covered by adequate dis
tribution.
II is not enough to spread religion
among those who 20 TO church. As n
matter of fact, church-golng people are
generally already provided with a re-
ligious viewpoint, and interest. The
thing is to bring religion to those who
have no. church aflilatiOn, and who
otherwise could not be reached by n
religious appear. HOint olHel way hi"''
be provided to bring religious mes
| sage to the great American masses.
Possibly. this distribution of religious
! ideas may be found in radio. Perhaps
| IT may be found by proper use of the
| moving picture. Possibly, it may be
found by wider and more generous
| use of newspaper columns. Finally, ii
| may be found by using the pubic
schools. When | say this | do moi
| wish to he misunderstood, / realize
| that nothing could be further from the
American viewpoint than to teach sec
tartan religion in public schools. Bu'
| also realize the fact that our children
are entitled TO a religious background
| | believe it is possible to find those re
ligious ideals which all men hold II
| common. and that these may then be
Il "distributed" among our people Wnei