Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-02-04
HE PLEADS FOR
UNITED EFFORT
AMONG CHURCHES

One of the strongest messages de-
livered by Dr. E. E. Violette during
the series at the Christian church
was last night on "Christ's Unanswer-
ed Prayer" suggested by the 18th
chapter OF John, Christ's prayer that
all who believe on him might be one
The evangelist deplored the divisions
in the Christian world and said that
one of the greatest wastes of effort
and money was that caused by Sec
tarianism which was contrary to
the prayer of Jesus Christ. He said
that instead OF so much preaching
on doctrines and dogmas the need
is to preach ON right living.
Christ gave one great picture Of
the Judgment" said Dr. Violette, sin
the 25th chapter OF Matthew, and
the questions put to men by the
Judge indicate how we treat our
neighbors or our fellow men will
determine whether we stand or fall
'Inasmuch as We do it unto the least
Of these my brethren, We do it unto
me- will be the sentence. When
we owe q debt to our grocer we
will owe it unto Christ until that
debt is paid. When I injure my
neighbor injure my Lord"
Laying the foundations or back
ground of his message on Christian
union, Dr. VioIette showed how
divisions had limited Christ and the
! power of the gospel, how it caused
the Bible to be put out of the public
schools, how it prevented efforts TO
outlaw war and bring about world
peace advocated by Jesus Christ.
He showed how it was impossible
| for the churches divided to command
the respect they should, how min
listers were ridiculed in the movies
and how they made it convenient tc
slap the. churches and through
cynicisnl, the greatest modern attack
was made on Christianity. He said
| that when he was a younger preacher
! a newspaper man who was an un,
believer challenged the churches and
ministers to meet him in discussion
| on the question OF whether God
answered prayer He accepted the
challenge and met him in discussion
before 1000 people. The infidel's
first argument to disprove that God
answered prayer was from John 18th
chapter where Christ prayed that
they Gall His followers) might be
one, and then stated that the differ
ent denominations believed in divi-
SionS and therefore Christ'S prayer
was not answered. Br. Violette an
SWered him by telling story about
a man sitting in a train and q
suitcase was in the aisle when the
/ conductor requested him to take it
out OF the aisle. Later the conductor
returned, saw it still in the aisle
and told him it he did not take
/ it out he would throw it out of the
! window. Finally, coming around the
| third time and finding the suit case
still in the AISLE the conductor threw
it out OF the window, but the man
smiled as it rolled and tumbled down
the hill The conductor angrily said
Didn't I tell you that I would throw
that suit case out?" YES" said the
traveller with smile, "but it wasn't
mine" So DR.. Violette told his
opponent that his argument did not
apply tc him because he never taught
division but did everything he could
to bring about the union OF Gods
+, people. Nx
/ The evangelist said that divisions
had caused more infidelity, kept more
people out of Christ, and hurt Chris
tianity more than all the infidels
that ever lived. The speaker said:
I"I am beginning to doubt seriously
whether world peace will ever come
until Christian unity has come" He
then mentioned another reason for
Christian union, the fact that there
is such an absence in the churches
of young people. He asked, Where
are all those 400 students in the
high school, and where are the
teachers? Don't blame the young
people or the teachers. A united
church could change these conditions"
Another argument ii. favor of a
united church was the terrible waste