Show I A FOOLISH PREACHER The Rev Dr John A Reynolds Renolds of or orthe the Methodist Episcopal opal Church South is quoted in a dispatch as saying during dur during durIng ing a recent conference of or his religious organization I have hae been told that it is a common thing for Methodist preachers to attend baseball games For Gods sake let us stop this baseball business bu iness Why I am told that an Atlanta minister went to toa toa toa a baseball game and actually so far forgot himself as to stamp and roll his hat on the floor and yell himself hoarse He did all of this thia because somebody had made a lick or some something something something thing of that kind And he was a Methodist preacher It seems seems s ems needless to say Say that the At Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta lanta preacher who attended the game whether he rolled his hat on the floor and yelled himself hoarse or not wields a lar far greater influence for fot good than the preacher who criticized him The crl c Is probably one of those old fashioned fellows who vho believes In a frowning Providence rather than tha In a aGod aGod aGod God of or Love He doubtless preaches a n doctrine that includes the hottest kind of hades not only for the unrepentant unrepentant unrepentant but for those who commit trilling trifling offenses against his stern code There is nothing essentially wrong about any preachers attendance on a baseball bast all game The game itself is i one of the finest forms torms of sport we have havet haveIt tt It t Is our national sport It is clean in the sense that It is honest There are arc few better forms of or recreation than to get into a grandstand and watch a game of baseball The quick thought of the contending teams their promptness in taking taking akIng advantage of mis misplays misplays plays play the speed with which they the catch lor or recover the ball b ll and throw It to bases are all aU worth wot wo th the t time me of any an man be he preacher p acher or not And best of all Is the pure sweet air the sunshine the exercise that an Interested spectator Inevitably gets out of ot a contest There should be b some something something something thing In the life of a n preacher besides the round o ot of parochial calls and the preparation and delivery of or sermons The preacher Is lf entitled to Mil his hours t t v of recreation just as s are other men And If he uses them them In in rational a man manner manner manner ner he is much more human much more able to reach the people he should want to tt reach The preacher who ho gets the best results re results results is the preacher who goes where men are who goes out as a man among men even laying aside for the time the badges of his holy calling We have such a preacher In mind now He never missed a weekday baseball game that he could could conscientiously get to And he could conscientiously got get to a great many He mingled in other fun with his people A more popular I preacher never lived In Salt Lake nor one who did more good I |