The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-09-18

My conviction is that we are al preachers and teachers, whether we realize 1t or not" stated Rev. Dr, John 0. Walker, Second Congrega- tional church pastor, yesterday morning in his sermon entitled
 Take Heed to Thy Teaching
 pr, Walker sald In part;
 "I suppose that I preach score Of sermons every week, most Of them when least suspect 1t, many of them when l would deeply regret the impression they convey, the pie. ture they give of the Christian faith You preach and you teach as you 90 about your workaday week. This church of which you are 0 member and the Christian faith you have espoused, are judged by your daily walk and conversation, Every Christian Is c preacher and teacher whether he wills or no. The clos quenee of c single Christian act, the perguasiveneSB of 0 single sound Christian Judgment may do more to advance the Christian cause than half c dozen pulpit sermons.
 "The most powerful teaching is done through character and by un. conscious infiuneee. Tho thing we say is important but what we are is of still greater importance. What we are gives the thing we say weight and power out of oil proportion to the words or may make those words q very snare and delusion. Every. thing depends on the individual i'm. print and witness.
 "rhere B this further sobering thought, that there are c dozen and one powerful influence being brought to bear on the mind of youth which we do not commonly think of aS part of the scheme of education but which must be taken into account If we want q realistic approach to our problem, l dare say that as far as manners and morals are concerned, the young people Of America, speaking by and large, take more Of their cues from the actors and actresses who play the lead. ing roles in our moving pictures than from any other one source. Christian parents and Christian churches must do everything pos. Sible to set higher standards of morals and of taste than the aver ago movie would give Us. How would you like your sons and daughters to Do associated constantly with the characters of the books you read and the movies you see. If our young people drank as rekularly, swore as frequently, thought aS lightly Of the marriage bond as the average run of our Hollywood. stars or the leaders of the name bands what sorry prospects we would have for the future Of America.
 T must soy, too, that we need to fortify our young people with soif1es thing sound, something intelligent, in the way of Christian faith bee fore they 90 off to college or univers sity. pr. William Lyon Phelps in his Autobiography with Letters points out c profound change that took place in the educational world generation or so since. The Pro- lessor Is c man Of tho world, cons forming in appearance i, and man. ners to tho conventions of society,". Religions and morality used to be Many modern teachers are 50 eager generally associated with teaching. to avoid the odour either Of learn ing or Of earnestnesS, that they sometimes adopt af air Of hippant sophisticated iFonicai scepticisn'," pr. Henry Link in his book, The Return to Religion may be quoted, My wife in one of the greet col. iegos for women, and I iil one Of tho renowned colleges for men, re. ceived the Phi Beta Kappa keys. Wo both profited by our education to such ai1 extent that we became virtual agnosticS.'
 without beink unduly pesslsnis- tic about education in the Christian home and in the Christian church t must De said that we face serious challenges from many quarters and w0 gre constantly attacked on the