Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-01-22 | Page 12 | Says the American Worships Mammon

SAYS THE AMERICAN WORSHIPS MAMMON Rev. Arthur V. Willey Speaks at Burlington Bur-lington Baptist Church on Idols Adored in This Country. A large proportion of the American people are heathens. according to the Rev. Arthur V. AVilley, pastor of the Burlington Baptist church. In his sermon ser-mon last night Dr. Willey declared that t he Americans worship idols as false as those before which the most benighted savage bows down. He took as his text "Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." "The idol most worshiped here is wealth." he said. "We are paying homage hom-age now to wealth earned by selling iroods for the slaughter of our brethren in Kurope." In this sudden Influx of , riches he sees great danger. "Destruction "Destruc-tion came to Greece and Rome because : of great wealth improperly acquired, and the same destruction may come to us." "The spirit of commercialism," hp said. ! "has become a god to us." He declared ithat he did not object to the amassing 'of wealth, if only the rich man could ' ne the master of his wealth instead of its slave. Pleasure is another idol of todav. he said. Da n'clng, cards, gambling." 'and other illicit pleasures, are in themselves pernicious, and also destructive in that they take the time that should be given to higher thoughts, hn declared. Another idol, he said, is morality; that . is. the morality which people try lo make a sub stitute for relieion. It is the fashion nf the (lav to belicce that morality Is in ! itself sufficient, without religion to sub- j m it n ir- Fcnvt orders wll h t h'-iv moral teachings, for religious worship. J