The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1926-03-13
OUR CHURCHES AND KEY WEST

Two directors Of a bank sat at meeting some
months ago in a city Of normal size in the Middle
West Both were of the highest standing in the bust
ness life of their community The financial board of
local church had sought modest sum for improve
ment on note which all the board stood ready
to sign.
One opposed to church notes, and
in his argument he said, "There are too many.
churches in this town nowi' This aroused the ire
of the other director and he leaned forward and
pointed an accusing forefnger as he said, aSay
going to vote for this loan. There cannot be too
many churches in any mans town.7
The loan went through without dissenting
voice.
There cannot be too many churches in this
town or in any mans town. Take the churches
out of Key West today and Key West wouldn't be
fit to live in one month from today Consider
what it would mean:
No reverence for God.
No day Of rest for even the man unchurched
No word of sustenance and succor from the
Book of the Man who died on the Mount
No guiding hand except that of father or
mother for the plastic minds of boys and girls.
No clergymen to wed our lovers, to ease
crossing of the River to say the last rites for
our dead
No thought of God and his goodness in
common schools.
There cannot be too many churches in this or
in any mans town.
The great trouble in this town is that al.
though we have good churches and good leaders,
we have too few attendants. II those who might
go once Sunday and who may never go any
Sunday except to crawl into back seat late at.
Eastertime or Christmas would attend one meeting
Sunday they would help the church, they would
sustain the wearying minister, they would be bet
ter men and women, fathers, mothers, sisters and
brothers. The children would be better day school
pupils, and more capable of enjoying the glorious
gifts Of nature bestowed so freely upon Key
West; hence, our home life would be sweeter; our
eye-to-eye meetings with neighbors, friends, the
stranger within our gates would be more mutually
helpful; enthusiasm for the good things of life
and of our city would be douby enhanced short
we would be better city all round.
The time is coming when ourschnrches will be.
crowded to their very doors. This time seems to
be about three years away-back up there to-
wards the north and east along a ribbon of ocean
going road that win rival the seven other wonders
Of the world Yet now, in anticipation of that
time, there are none "too many churches in this
town." The trouble is with the people, and they
should this trouble and cure it ere they them
selves get crowded from the pews by the hordes
from the north who win out of their numbers give
a percentage so great it win fill each church at
every service.
There is but flag in. all the world which
may fly above the Heaven-kissed flag of America.
It has scarlet cross on field of blue, and the
rest of the banner is white. This is the flag of
the Christian church. May its ssymbolism of Him
who died on the Cross for us-no matter what our
religion, we have some religion-some
ence for God-bring fresh strength to the churches
Of this Island City.
"There cannot be too many churches in any
mans town.