The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-10-25
THE HIGH COST OF CHRIS
TIANITY
By n. ID. Cochran

Before that Detroit rumpus between Christian
capitalists and Christian laborers got into
papers few Of outside of that great Industrial
ter had heard anything about $5,000000 Y. NJ. c. A
building in the Michigan metropolis
Possibly 1t has set other people to thinking on the
high cost Of Christianity, know it has interested
me,
When such shrewd business men as Henry Ford
Sebastian Kresge and other eminenty successful and
enormously rich captains of industry and commerce
invest millions in Young Mems Christian Association
building, they certainly must consider it sound in
vestment,
There can be no direct cash dividends on the In
vestment, of course; for the Y. NJ. c. A. is not
moneymaking insttuton-lke automobile factory
5and-10cent stores, 1t is fair that
investors in such costly buildings givo their money
to advance the good Of Christianity, and expect
to get their reward In heaven instead of here earth
All of which is praiseworthy; for we have been
taught that it is better to lay in heaven
than pile it up in bank safety deposit vault But
m not quite clear as to the exact in which
such unselfsh investors expect to advance the
Of Christianity.
was In Y, NJ. c, A building once. 1t had
roomy auditorium where meetings could be held and
speeches made. The gymnasium and swimming pool
were admirable. And there many rooms in
which young men lived went there to hear
friend deliver address, The address all right
but what shocked was the prayer with which the
young secretary opened the meeting.
He stood at the speakers table and with hand
In his pocket and the other on the speakers stand
he calmly closed his eyes delivered prayer that
impressed me as sort of intimate, personal and ia
mlllar, not to say patronzng, conversation with God
He prayed like an efficiency expert.
What shocked me, probably, was the startling
progress that had been made in prayer the days
of my boyhood when 1 attended church and Sunday
School regularly, got down on my knees at night
before went to bed and said my prayers at nv
mothers knee. 1t may have been ignorance on NV
part 1t may have been prejudice in favor of the
oldfashioned prayer that had much Of reverence
in it. But whatever it was, was shocked and didn't
like it. ~
Possibly had lost track of the progress that
mad been made in method for had been wears since
mad attended church-any church. Churches are be
coming so big and so magnificent ones mind Is ant
to think more Of architecture Of religion Mavhe
that's why can get more Of thrill out of a modest
country church than the gorgeous temples of the
cities w
Anyhow I did get the impression that modern
y. M. c. A. building is splendid hotel where vouno
men of moderate salary get good room and board
below COST And that's fine for the young men IF
these young men can be made perfectly good Chris.
tans, then it's fine for Christianity If thew can no
developed into the kind of perfectly good Christians
the wealthy Christian contributors like then II will
be fine for the contributors their earthly reward
Will come in peoplng the EARTH or a small mart M
It, with the kind of safe, conservative Chris
tlans they want to act custodians of the cause
In that event So 100000 Y. M c. A. building NAV
be worth the price and good investment Otherwise
one might be dubious about the ultimate effect of
the high cost Of modern Christianity.
NEXT Queen Marie.