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Show suld, "Come lienor., and let us enjoy alone and In peace- the beatlf.c vltd.-n v.h.lu the sin-soaked world rots." To leave Jesus on the mountain " gazed upon by admiring apostles Is to Ignore the real detail of the picture. pic-ture. The Jesus of history descended from the mountain to touch again the needy world at Its most needy point. He walked through busy streets of busy cities, peered Into shops, tarried In the happy homes of tolling men. crept Into 'he temple, swept through the fields and everywhere he goes I find him crying to the men he meets that there can he no love of God without love of one's neighbor. And who is my neighbor? Who Is? aim tAlb CAUSE A CRISIS Apropos of the recent controversy which has arisen among the members of the First Congregational church over the practice of the pastor, Rev. Noble Strong Elderkm. discussing tho social evils of Ogden city from his pulpit pul-pit through the medium of "pulpit edl torlals." Rev. Elderkin read an ful "editorial" at the regular evcuing service last night on "The Crisis In the Ixica! Congregational Church" in which he defined his position, and Intimated that ho would continue to talk along these lines despite the fact that the church Is "literally shot tu pieces." A meeting of the members of the church last Wednesday night at which It Is said some- members threatened to withdraw their membership unless the pastor abandoned hi pulpit talks on the social evils of the city, called forth last night's "editorial." Rev, Elderkin cited the teachincs of C'hrlBt, who walked "through busy streets of busy cities, peered into shops, tarried in the happy homes of tolling men, crept Into the temple and swept through tho fields," to Justify his course in discussing questions which touch upon the vital actions of men and womeu. lie deplored the passivity of the churches of today In the presence of the burning problems of public ethics, which he declared Is overwhelmingly discouraging. Ills editorial follows: It may not be diplomatic to show one's hand. I may not be wise to reveal re-veal the secret of weakness to the opposing op-posing side. To all Intents and purposes pur-poses a bluff at times Berves Its pur- pose. Tho men who lower our moral standards stand-ards fancy that all the churches of Christendom are aligned against their degrading Ideals; lelleve that Christianity Chris-tianity Is essentially antagonistic to the presence of destructive forces in modern civilization. Thai Is the way it ought to be. Hut in this latter day when a church here and there.blazlng the way for the now path, undertakes to bepin to pave MAN Instead of men It is sure to encounter the strength of conservatism conserva-tism Conservatism, to be sure. Is always al-ways tlmJd. It rejoices In having gone thus far. It would rather not take tho next step. Conservatism has no hope that any new movement will succeed. suc-ceed. It says, "tuberculosis has always al-ways boc-n and will always be." That argument is utterly hopeless. What perplexes mo Is that any one should care to discuss a theme with hopeless men. The radical says. "Tuberculosis has always been but Its day Is fast passing." pass-ing." He Is hopeful He blunders but he dreams and hopes and prays. Conservatism sits with Its mouth open and Its eyes glassy. Radicalism has its Jaw sot and a Are raging In its eyes. Here in Utah tfco passivity of tho churches In tho presence of the burning burn-ing problems of public ethics Is overwhelmingly over-whelmingly discouraging I want to tell you who are lined up on the other side what my Christian brother savs to me. He says, ."I am so busily engaged In weaving beautiful beauti-ful garments to wear In the celestial regions that really It consumes all my thought and time." He says to me, "1 am saved," and he stresses the I. What does he mean? He means that after death the inllnite Cod. havlnz noted the precise method of his baptism or havlne heard the empty mumbling of ancient and outworn out-worn formulas, or navlng witnessed his unswerving loyalty to a man-made ecclesiastical regime the Infinite God jumps at the chance to transform his rare and radiant soul to the realms of eternal bliss. He says. "Let us get me ready for heaven. Ix-t us set up the great light before my eyes. I ask for nothing more than the opportunity to gaze In rapture upon it. It Is Juet that kind of selfishness which makes much that goes by the name of religion a stench In I he nostrils nos-trils of the earnest world. It may be necessary for other churches to tarry a little longer over the problems of personal salvation. But for this church which opens Its doors wide to men und women who will not take "a heaven haunted by shrieks of some one's far-off hell" though Cod himself should seek to thrust It on them, there can no longer be a cry for that which will minister to its petty comfort or will grant it surcease of struggle and effort The true church of Christ In the modern world faces the future It does not keep forever bowing obsequiously obsequi-ously to the glorious past. It knows that If that which has passed away was full of lory much more may that which remains be suffused with glory. I think it best to M?t before the public pub-lic tho real problem we are fighting out. in this church. This church whose pulpit has lifted a feeble voice against the right of vice to ru:e and dictate, has literally been shot to pieces Here cotues a letter , demanding that the names of the man and his wlfo bo dropped from tho books of a church which would rob the public coffers of so much revenue.. Theso will seek out a church where they are sure of what Is coming next. These withdraw with-draw because their business has noticeably no-ticeably suffered. These decide to pull up stakes because Twenty fifth street threatens to cut off patronage. The courage of the average Chris-Man Chris-Man here in OKlen ought to delight the men who love tdlme and adore frcum. Hut I have met the other kind. That Is the Inspiring part of this story. The preesure las been tremendous. And it must bo awfully tedious to hear tho same thing ceaselessly reiterated. To stand y has cost them much. They have had more at stake than I. But they belong to the growing circle of those whose Christianity is real and vital and full-orbed and whose moral mor-al hopes have been ilrvd by the paB-slon paB-slon of Jesus and who know the only-peace only-peace that weary men may know the peace of conscience. Every church which, bears Christ's name must decide eventually whether or not It will din:; to the old jmlloso-phy jmlloso-phy so individualistic In tendency or whether it will awlns out Into lino behind The Man of AK?s who left a Cospel essentially social in its hope. The Gospel records would contain a lifeless and Insipid tale if the Christ bal remained forever up among tho clouds: if they had told tbut Jesus ' beckoned to his chosen ones and |
