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Show 1THE VARIATIONS OF CHURCH ATTENDANCE A count of church congregations In h tho city of Now York recently show- icd that tho attendance tbo past summer sum-mer lias been 25 per cent moro thnn usual. Similar conditions aro noted In other cities. Church men aro say- HBg j lug that It Is tho offect of tho war, BBl . i lending pcoplo to moro serious think- H ' Ing. HJH 'f Tho question Is often discussed BB whothor intorcst In rollgtou in tho BB 1 popular miml Is growing or declin- BBB , Ing. Hollgion doos not encounter BB , '; tho popu'nr opposition that It used BBB to. I'orinurly opon atheists and pro- BBk i. 3' fosscd skeptics woro arguing on ov- BBflj ', ory street comer and loafing plnco. BBB'. They pi-rsuadcd somo pcoplo to re BBB' main away from church. Yet oppo BBB eltlon Is ono form ot ndvcrtUlng. It HflB is nulto possible that tho open hos BBB tlllty to tho church ot 25 years ago IBB helped It moro than tho Indifference BBB n "WO rocont years, IBB What keeps church nttendanco BBB, down Is rarely direct antagonism. BBB' It la moro tho fact that pcoplo aro BBB tired after a strenuous modern week BBS day, nnd llko to sleep Into Still moro BBB frequently It Is that they liavo ox- HBB curslons and entertainments nnd BBB. sports that they wish to enjoy. For. BBBJ haps this 1s why attoudur.ro ofton HBflt gains In hard times. Tho man with BBBJ a costly family and a destro for BBflt ' economy may feel that ho will get BBBJ out of tho day cheaper with a quiet BBBJ attendance at church. BBBJ Thoro aro of course a great mass BBBJ of pcoplo who live superficially, con- BBl tl'j' t lftfBk. 'nnl w'"' "l0 Tnoro OItorIor of tho Hk , -1 1 ' JhHBHBI WOr,a nbo,lt t,10m satlsfaetlon HHHf f'SBBHHHHB hbbhhbbbb7"BbbBhbhBhf'--- of tho senses, eating, drinking, movie shows, these (111 their hearts, Tho skato over the surfaco of ,11 to, und never look underneath. To somo of theso frlttcrcra away of previous time, tho way may possibly pos-sibly liavo como as a stirring of lower low-er depths. Certainly It Is a time for examination of our cqnventlonnl moralities mor-alities and complacencies, for a universal uni-versal confession of failure nnd sin. |