New Britain herald., 1928-12-31

church time. with sad consequence.
with some men the reason FOR
non-attendance would seem to be
too much prosperity, for We have
seen many turn to the church In
time Of adversity, while others be-
came careless when things WIRE
going we'll.
Then there 10 the individual who
says he can be just a. good outside
as inside and perhaps he can. Yet
such = man would not expect to be
as valuable soldier fighting on hts
own a. though no were in an army
with many others fighting for the
same objects and being trained to
do that particular thing we'll.
Someone else tells us that they
do not 90 to church because they
find hypocrites there. We Challenge
such a person to name any organ
ization where every member lives
up to the obligation in the fullest
degree. And after all. Christ came
to call the sinners. not the righteous
to repentance. II the church were
an organization Of perfect saints.
most Of US wouldn't be there.
I'm some places the moving pic
ture has an influence on church
attendance. especially on Sunday
evenings. Recently in the adjacent
city Of Hartford an agitation has
started to open the theaters in the
afternoon as well as in the evening.
Another reason offered by =
gentleman in . town not far distant
was that he didn't want to be made
pillar Of the church. There
ought to be just = hint for the
churches In this. for in many
churches the tendency 10 to over
burden the few who are willing to
carry the load. The method should
be to distribute the honors, having
more people doing something ana
one overworked.
From someone else we hear that
he doesn't like to 90 alone. This
10 usually more Of an excuse than
= reason. however.
Some men are not going to
church today because when they
| were children their parents insisted
on sending them-and then remain
ed at home themselves. Others say
that they were compelled to 20 81
much when children that they are
merely trying to average up.
Some men do not 20 to church
because OF family cares. And un-
der some conditions ! have more
respect for the man who does stay
at home. The religion Of Jesus
Christ ia one of the home as we'll
as Of the church. Charity may no.
end at home. 1t should begin there.
"Ono Of the great blessings OF
the age, and at the same time one
Of the great problems, is the auto
mobile. This takes some away from
church; it brings other there.
Whether its influence on this par
ticular question OF church attend
ance be good or evil depends upon
the use to which 1t is put.
THE prosperity OF the land as
shown in the possession Of summer
homes has in influence on the at
tendance at our churches during
many months OF the year. What
would be the effect If all who are
thus away from their home would
attend some church?
Another development Of recent
years that has an effect on this
question, especially as 1t affects the
male portion of our population, Is
the radio. Someone has said:
Tho nights shall be filled with
music.
And the cares that infest the day,
Shall increase more and more,
While the people next door
Are making the radio play
And OF course this man who Is
still unshaved and disinclined to
leave his easy chair. can listen In
on the radio and perhaps hear a
sermon by noted preacher,
whether or not the listener is In the
proper mental and spiritual atti-
tude. A blessing is the radio to the
shut-in. Should 1t take the place OF
actual church attendance for those
who are able to 60?
Some men are said to have been
kept from church by desire for an
early morning game Of golf, which
keeps them out In the open air and
sunshine and il said to enlarge the
vocabulary.
"'Give them something and they
will come said one man. while an
other said that he didn't like to 60
to church and hear the preacher
discussing some magazine article
rather than the scriptures.
Another factor in considerins
this problem would seem to be tina,
men are no longer scared by the
old-time fear Of hell-fire and brim-
stone Only generation ago It was
| not at all uncommon to hear SER
mons devoted to this particular
| subject.
After talking with many men on
this subject Of "Why men do not 20
to church," We are led to this con.