Modern Christianity.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, Volume 1, Issue 22, 30 August 1901, Page 2

Modern Christianity.

» We notice by the "Home" and local daily papers (Auckland Stai Aug. 24), that some of the churches in London are transferring their "sacred" edifices into shops and meeting houses for snobs. Iced coffee and other refreshments are being retailed for so much coin of the realm, and special services are set apart especially for ladies(?) and gentlemen(?) to attend and worship and, in all piumil ity, the Creator of their being, in evening dress." This thing is done to make the said churches "attractive." AYe expect soon to hear oi an opposition church holding special "fancy-costume services" with a professional clown engaged to crack j jokes, sandwich fashion, between! the lines of.the sacred words of God, mumbled by a sickly curate, to make the service attractive. Indeed this is the only natural sequence, the wonder being, what will a few years hence bring softh? We confess to no surprise at whatever modern devices may be instituted to bring the masses into the churches and may be thought old-fashioned in resenting such .novations, but we are not impressed favourably as to the sincerity or wisdom of those who adopt such tactics; for intelligent and thinking men are apt to conclude that tbe preaching in such places is on an equal with the rest of the surroundings, and shun them accordingly for sincere worshipping purposes. We know that non-attendance especially of the men, i_ the greatest evil that the churches have to contend, with that they are forced to axpedi-ats rrhich art

1 ..eomp.timoa questionable, to make both . ends meet financially find the problem ; presses1 more lieavily with ; t;iine. We , also see th^t the masses, are becoming1 more callous of ifcheir own spiritual welfare, this boiug particularly so in these new colonies where the- inyironments.of life are freer $n I more cos-; mopolitan ths-_ in other countries. The influence of the churches are waning, therefore dire necessity compels them •to make them mole attractive, But behind it all, is there not some serious fault Avhich the churches may lay at their own doors, which has much to do with this condition of things? To be perfectly honest, do the ministers of the different religions make it as plain to the people as they should, that they are as solicitous for th:> souls of their f)ocks as they are fo: their own p .ckets? and, sire not too many of them in. their practices at too great a variance with their precepts? and are these things alone, not sufficient to condemn the influence for good, which, shotild permeate to the uttermost corners of the earth? We think so, and many an honest, manly, clergyman also thinks so, who would give much for the cause of his religion and Maker to s ,je all this changed,, but is powerless to move, because of; iron-bound conventionalities and conditions, which, oetopusrlike have; spread their tendrils over the whol iof the churches, under a system,: principally mercenary, which is neith-; er good for the church nor the pc >ple.' It is deplorable and enough to crush: • the spirit and manly instinct of thosej ft whose duty it is to minister the gos-j pel to their follow "being, that, they! are placed in a pecuniay position 'ittle' batter than respectable beggary ■ which is equally djsG editable to the - OQplo. It is also deplorable that thelidays are upon v*, when \ye are asked l]to attend our _hiiroh.es in a certain1 Mi fashionably out o mt and q,OGompaniecl •by our wives, mothers and sisters, im- • modestly clothed, before we are admitted to enter for the purpose of - worshipping in humble prayer, seek- _ ing forgiveness for oxir tran-gressibne ,! from the great God, the Creator of 2 our being. There is cause for deep i thought in all this, and naturally one 3 looks for the reasons and tho remedy. 1 Besides-those already mentioned, the 3 ever increasing numbers of denomiuf a1 ions is another factor w Thioh brings sj true religion into contempt. Each sect .-] being right, therefore all the others t|wrong in their particular doctrine, ej while tbe whole of them profess to be worshipping, the same God, conseqjiiently we see half a score of churches 3 j and as many half .starved ministers (taxing a small village to support then: n when all might be united in one h church, that of the universal brothere hood of man, but the millennium v. i. not yet, and human nature is only wlia >f it is. Never-the-less we hope that fo: s.-tthe.sales, of our. faith, and tha it of. ou: n descenstants, the churches, of Nev I, Zealand, even under their hamperec .c condition, will discountenance all anc o every innovation that may be consid ered to make them "attractive,' .which is not consistent with the sol v emn obligation they are under to post erity to teach only what is good an< -' true, without fear, or earthly reward and above all without hypocrisy.