Publication date
1/15/00
Volume
21
Number
2
The WatchTower
New York's One Day Convention, Jan. 21st
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1900/2/1900-2-1.html
 
 
VOL. 
XXI 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
JANUARY 
15, 
1900 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No.2 
CHURCHES 
AS 
SOCIAL 
OLUBS 
apprecia~ion. 
th.e 
minister 
of 
~ormer 
days, 
with 
his 
seemly 
Rev. 
John 
Wat~on, 
widely 
known 
in 
"orthodox" 
circles 
(as 
dress, 
his 
dignified 
manner, 
his 
sense 
of 
responsibility, 
who 
"Ian 
Maclaren," 
his 
literary 
nom 
de 
plume), 
wrote 
for 
pub- 
came 
fro~ 
the 
secret 
place 
of 
divine 
fellowship, 
and 
spoke 
as 
lication 
recently, 
that 
in 
his 
judgment 
the 
churches 
of 
various 
one 
carrymg 
tlle 
message 
of 
the 
Eternal. 
He 
may 
not 
have 
denominations 
are 
rapidly 
becoming 
social 
clubs-ceasing 
to 
been 
so 
fussy 
in 
the 
aisles 
as 
his 
successor, 
nor 
so 
clever 
at 
appreciate 
or 
use 
the 
place 
hitherto 
considered 
the 
true 
posi- 
games, 
nor 
able 
to 
make 
so 
fetching 
a 
speech 
on 
'Lo\-e 
Court- 
tion 
of 
the 
church. 
TIle 
text 
for 
his 
criticism 
was 
found 
on 
a 
ship, 
and 
Marriage.' 
' 
printed 
postal 
card 
sent 
out 
by 
an 
American 
Y. 
1\1. 
C. 
A., 
. 
"There 
are 
no 
doubt 
many 
points 
in 
which 
the 
cOllgrega- 
which 
read 
word 
for 
word 
as 
follows: 
hon 
of 
the 
present 
has 
advanced 
on 
the 
conO'reO'ation 
of 
thp 
"no 
NOT 
FORGET 
past, 
but 
it 
has 
not 
been 
all 
gain. 
for 
the 
cIlier 
note 
in 
the 
"The 
next 
Social. 
:vorship 
of 
the 
former 
gencration 
was 
reverence-people 
met 
"The 
next 
Candy-pull. 
m 
the 
presence 
of 
the 
Eternal, 
before 
whom 
everv 
man 
is 
II'S'! 
"The 
next 
Entertainment. 
than 
nothing. 
AmI 
the 
chief 
note 
of 
their 
children 
who 
meet 
"The 
next 
Rong 
Service. 
to 
listen 
to 
a 
('hoir 
and 
a 
clever 
platform 
speak~r 
is 
self- 
"The 
next 
Gospel 
;\1!'l'ting. 
complacency." 
-Thp, 
Ladies' 
Home 
J(J~rnal. 
"The 
next 
meeting 
of 
the 
Debating 
Club. 
* 
* 
* 
* 
"The 
next 
Chicken-pie 
Dinner. 
"Ve 
have 
frequently 
pointed 
out 
these 
same 
tendencies, 
but 
"The 
next 
date 
when 
you 
ought 
to 
make 
the 
secretary 
we 
are 
glad 
to 
be 
able 
to 
quote 
the 
words 
of 
another-of 
one 
happy 
with 
your 
cash." 
who 
stands 
so 
high 
in 
Churchianity. 
But 
Dr. 
Watson 
will 
ere 
Commenting 
upon 
this 
card, 
he 
says:- 
long 
find 
that 
Ill' 
must 
not 
criticize 
"Babylon;" 
and 
that 
if 
hp 
"This 
remarkable 
list 
of 
operations, 
combining 
evangelistic 
persists 
he 
will 
lose 
caste 
with 
the 
lm'ds 
thereof. 
So 
con­ 
zeal, 
creature 
comforts, 
and 
business 
shrewdness, 
requires 
no 
servative 
a 
journal 
as 
The 
Advance 
has 
already 
intimated 
that 
"ommentary; 
the 
item~ 
give 
us 
a 
convincing 
illustration 
of 
an 
"Candy-pulls" 
and 
other 
modern 
methods 
of 
making 
Chris­ 
up-to-date 
religious 
imtitution-a 
veritable 
hustler 
of 
a 
tianity 
attractive 
must 
not 
be 
interfered 
with 
by 
"old 
fogies." 
Y. 
1\1. 
C. 
A. 
And 
so 
say 
we' 
Let 
the 
innovations 
proceed-thev 
an' 
"The 
Christian 
church 
and 
a 
Y. 
M. 
C. 
A. 
are 
of 
course 
vel' 
V 
essential 
to 
the 
very 
existence 
of 
"Babylon." 
And 
beside's, 
the 
different 
institutions, 
and 
the 
latter 
is 
free 
from 
any 
tradition's 
sooner 
the 
social 
Churchianity 
clubs 
act 
out 
their 
real 
senti­ 
of 
austere 
dignity, 
but 
one 
is 
not 
surprised 
to 
find 
that 
the 
ments 
all 
along 
the 
line, 
the 
better 
it 
will 
be 
for 
true 
Chris­ 
dmrch 
has 
also 
been 
touched 
with 
the 
social 
spirit 
and 
is 
also 
tianity, 
whose 
separation 
from 
Churchianity 
is 
now 
due 
to 
be 
doing 
her 
best 
to 
make 
religion 
entertaining. 
One 
enters 
what 
accomplished 
in 
this 
harvest 
time-"wheat" 
from 
"tares." 
jg 
<'aIled 
a 
place 
of 
worship 
and 
imagines 
that 
he 
is 
in 
a 
draw- 
Th~ 
!l!0r~ 
it 
becomes 
apparent 
tha,t, 
with 
the 
vast 
majority, 
iug-room. 
The 
floor 
has 
a 
thick 
carpet, 
there 
are 
rows 
of 
relIgIOn 
IS 
merely 
"a 
form 
of 
godlmess," 
the 
more 
will 
those 
theater-chairs, 
a 
huge 
organ 
fills 
the 
eye, 
a 
large 
bouquet 
of 
who 
have 
the 
power 
of 
it 
as 
well 
realize 
the 
width 
of 
the 
gulf 
1I0wprs 
marks 
the 
minister's 
place; 
people 
come 
in 
with 
a. 
which 
really 
separates 
the 
two 
classes 
in 
divine 
pstimation. 
Jaunty 
air 
and 
salute 
one 
another 
cheerily; 
hardly 
one 
bends 
The 
louder 
grow 
the 
revelry 
and 
irreverence 
and 
the 
scoffing 
Ill" 
head 
in 
prayer; 
there 
is 
a 
hum 
of 
gossip 
through 
the 
at 
God's 
Word 
by 
"higher 
critics" 
and 
the 
boasts 
of 
Evolution, 
bUilding. 
the 
louder 
in 
the 
ears 
of 
the 
Lord's 
true 
saints 
will 
sound 
the 
"A 
man 
disentangle" 
himself 
from 
a 
conversation 
and 
bus- 
Master's 
command: 
"Babylon 
is 
fallen, 
is 
fallen! 
Come 
out 
tIl'S 
up 
to 
the 
platform 
without 
clerical 
garb 
of 
any 
kind, 
a" 
of 
her, 
my 
people, 
that 
ye 
be 
not 
pflrtakers 
of 
her 
sins, 
and 
likply 
as 
not 
in 
layman's 
dress. 
A 
quartet 
advances, 
and. 
that 
ye 
receive 
not 
of 
her 
plagues."-Rev, 
18 
:2, 
4. 
facmg" 
the 
audience, 
sings 
an 
anthem 
to 
the 
congregation. 
* 
* 
* 
* 
"Inch 
does 
not 
rise, 
and 
later 
they 
sing 
another 
anthem, 
also 
The 
Editor 
of 
the 
Washington 
City 
Times 
gives 
his 
opinion 
to 
the 
congregation. 
There 
is 
one 
prayer, 
and 
one 
reading 
of 
some 
of 
the 
methods 
of 
Churchianity, 
thus:- 
from 
Holy 
Scripture, 
and 
a 
sermon 
which 
is 
brief 
and 
bright. 
. 
"A 
,sensational 
Brooklyn 
preacher 
lately 
discoursed 
on 
sub­ 
Among 
other 
intimations 
the 
minister 
urges 
attendance 
at 
the 
.Jects 
like 
these: 
'Would 
Christ 
Belong 
to 
a 
Labor 
Union?' 
oyster 
supper, 
when, 
as 
is 
mentioned 
in 
a 
paper 
in 
the 
pews, 
'\Vould 
Christ 
Go 
to 
a 
Brooklyn 
Theater?' 
and 
so 
on. 
It 
is 
there 
will 
be 
oysters 
and 
meat-turkey, 
I 
think-and 
ice-cream. 
rather 
difficult 
to 
conceive 
the 
moral 
status 
of 
people 
who 
This 
meal 
is 
to 
be 
served 
in 
the 
'church 
parlor.' 
actually 
approve 
of 
sermons 
of 
this 
sort. 
Undoubtedly 
a 
large 
"No 
sooner 
has 
the 
benediction 
been 
pronounced, 
which 
has 
part 
of 
the 
audiences 
which 
they 
attract 
come 
from 
mere 
some 
original 
feature 
introduced, 
than 
the 
congregation 
hurries 
curiosi~y, 
as 
they 
might 
come 
to 
any 
other 
sort 
of 
show; 
and 
to 
the 
door, 
but 
although 
no 
one 
can 
explain 
how 
it 
is 
man- 
they 
mIght 
as 
well 
be 
at 
the 
theater 
for 
all 
the 
good 
that 
it 
is 
aged, 
the 
minister 
is 
already 
there 
shaking 
hands, 
introducing 
likely 
to 
do 
them. 
One 
of 
the 
most 
deplorable 
features 
of 
lwople, 
'getting 
off 
good 
things,' 
and 
generally 
making 
things 
modern 
American 
life 
is 
the 
tendency 
toward 
sensationalism 
in 
'hum.' 
One 
person 
congratulates 
him 
on 
his 
'talk'-new 
name 
the 
pulpit. 
It 
is 
bad 
from 
every 
point 
of 
view. 
It 
excites 
for 
a 
sermon-and 
another 
says 
it 
was 
'fine.' 
emotions 
which 
are 
in 
no 
way 
religious, 
and 
are 
all 
the 
worse 
"Efforts 
have 
been 
made 
in 
England 
also 
to 
make 
church 
for 
passing 
under 
that 
name. 
It 
is 
in 
execrable 
taste, 
it 
mis­ 
hfe 
really 
popular, 
and, 
in 
one 
town 
known 
to 
the 
writer, 
leads 
people 
to 
a 
sort 
of 
contempt 
for 
religion, 
and 
it 
makes 
WIth 
some 
success 
of 
its 
own 
kmd. 
One 
church 
secured 
a 
new 
the 
churches 
which 
indulge 
in 
it 
odious. 
set 
of 
communion 
plates 
by 
the 
popular 
device 
of 
a 
dance; 
"It 
has 
grown 
out 
of 
another 
bad 
featul 
I' 
of 
ollr 
modern 
vanous 
congregations 
gave 
private 
theatricals, 
and 
in 
one 
case 
life-the 
plutocratic 
ideal. 
Any 
sensible 
person 
may 
easilv 
had 
stage 
property 
of 
their 
own. 
Bible 
classes 
celebrated 
the 
understand 
that 
when 
the 
attraction 
of 
a 
church 
for 
fts 
mem­ 
<,ouclusions 
of 
their 
sessious 
by 
a 
supper; 
on 
Good 
Friday 
bel'S 
depends 
on 
this 
sort 
of 
thing, 
and 
on 
the 
ability 
of 
the 
there 
were 
excursions 
into 
tlle 
country 
accompanied 
by 
a 
mili- 
people 
of 
the 
church 
to 
dress 
well 
and 
pay 
for 
a 
handsome 
tary 
band, 
and 
a 
considerable 
portion 
of 
the 
congregational 
building 
and 
a 
showy 
choir, 
there 
is 
no 
more 
real 
religion 
in 
income 
was 
derived 
from 
social 
treats 
of 
various 
kinds. 
This 
the 
whole 
business 
than 
there 
is 
in 
a 
cirpus 
. 
. 
. 
. 
partirular 
town 
is 
only 
an 
illustration 
of 
the 
genial 
spirit 
"It 
would 
be 
murh 
more 
to 
the 
pomt 
for 
the 
sensational 
;;preading 
throughout 
the 
church 
in 
England. 
One 
minister 
preacher 
above 
quoted 
to 
ask 
himself, 
in 
private. 
whether 
his 
11;;('" 
a 
magic 
lantern 
to 
give 
force 
to 
his 
sermon; 
another 
has 
church 
is 
the 
kind 
which 
Christ 
would 
be 
likely 
to 
approvp. 
adupd 
a 
tavern 
to 
his 
church 
equipment; 
a 
third 
takes 
up 
the 
or 
if 
it 
is 
full 
of 
money-changers 
and 
the 
sellers 
of 
doves. 
latest 
murder 
or 
scandal; 
a 
fourth 
has 
a 
service 
of 
song; 
a 
"It 
is 
time 
that 
sensible 
and 
thoughtful 
religiou~ 
people 
in 
fifth 
depends 
on 
a 
gypsy 
or 
an 
ex-pugilist. 
this 
country 
understood 
what 
a 
church 
is 
really 
intended 
to 
"If 
this 
goes 
on, 
the 
church 
will 
soon 
embrace 
a 
theater 
be. 
It 
should 
not 
be 
a 
bad 
imitation 
of 
fashionable 
society. 
aud 
other 
attractions 
which 
will 
draw 
young 
people, 
and 
with 
all 
the 
meannesses, 
caste 
distinctions. 
pettiness, 
and 
prevent 
old 
people 
from 
wearying 
in 
the 
worship 
of 
God. 
jealousy 
of 
that 
society, 
veneered 
over 
with 
a 
coating 
of 
[Contrasting 
these 
modern 
and 
irreverent 
and 
unscriptural 
formal 
religion 
.. 
, 
." 
methods 
with 
those 
of 
the 
past, 
Dr. 
Watson 
continues:-] 
CHRISTIANITY 
IN 
JAPAN 
"Perhaps 
it 
may 
be 
the 
perversity 
of 
human 
nature 
which 
Not 
long 
since 
Japan 
was 
considered 
the 
brightest 
example 
is 
apt 
to 
cavil 
at 
new 
things 
and 
hanker 
after 
the 
good 
old 
of 
progress 
in 
Christian 
missions, 
and 
with 
good 
reason. 
times-which 
were 
not 
always 
good, 
by 
any 
means-but 
one 
Everything 
coming 
from 
Europe 
or 
the 
United 
States 
was 
is 
not 
much 
enamoured 
with 
the 
neW 
departure, 
nor 
at 
all 
looked 
upon 
with 
favor-the 
Christian 
religion 
included, 
In 
convinced 
that 
what 
may 
be 
called 
for 
brief 
the 
'candy-pull' 
a 
few 
years 
the 
number 
of 
converts 
to 
various 
shades 
of 
nom­ 
system 
is 
any 
improvement 
on 
the 
past. 
After 
a 
slight 
expe· 
inal 
"Christianity" 
ran 
up 
to 
40,578 
in 
1878. 
However, 
a 
flence 
of 
smart 
preachers, 
and 
church 
parlors, 
and 
ice-cream 
great 
change 
has 
occurred 
there: 
and 
within 
the 
past 
two 
suppers, 
and 
picnics, 
one 
remembers 
with 
new 
respect 
and 
keen 
years 
the 
total 
converts 
claimed 
by 
all 
the 
sects 
is 
only 
403. 
[2561] 
(19-20) 
Vou. XXI ALLEGHENY, PA., JANUARY 15, 1900 No. 2 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER CHURCHES AS SOCIAL CLUBS Rev. John Watson, widely known in “orthodox” circles (as “fan Maclaren,” his literary nom de plume), wrote for publication recently, that in his judgment the churches of various denominations are rapidly becoming social clubs—ceasing to appreciate or use the place hitherto considered the true position of the church. The text for his criticism was found on a printed postal card sent out by an American Y. M. C. A., which read word for word as follows: “pO NOT FORGET “The next Social. “The next Candy-pull. “The next Entertainment. “The next Song Service. “The next Gospel Meeting. “Che next meeting of the Debating Club. “The next Chicken-pie Dinner. “The next date when you ought to make the secretary happy with your cash.” Commenting upon this card, he says:— “This remarkable list of operations, combining evangelistic zeal, creature comforts, and business shrewdness, requires no commentary; the items give us a convincing illustration of an up-to-date religious institution—a veritable hustler of a Y. M.C. A. “The Christian church and a Y. M. C. A. are of course very different institutions, and the latter is free from any traditions of austere dignity, but one is not surprised to find that the church has also been touched with the social spirit and is also doing her best to make religion entertaining. One enters what is called a place of worship and imagines that he is in a drawing-room. The floor has a thick carpet, there are rows of theater-chairs, a huge organ fills the eye, a large bouquet of tlowers marks the minister’s place; people come in with a jaunty air and salute one another cheerily; hardly one bends his head in prayer; there is a hum of gossip through the building. “A man disentangles himself from a conversation and bustles up to the platform without clerical garb of any kind, as likely as not in layman’s dress. A quartet advances, and, facing the audience, sings an anthem to the congregation. which does not rise, and later they sing another anthem, also to the congregation. There is one prayer, and one reading from Holy Scripture, and a sermon which is brief and bright. Among other intimations the minister urges attendance at the oyster supper, when, as is mentioned in a paper in the pews, there will be oysters and meat—turkey, I think—and ice-cream. This meal is to be served in the ‘church parlor.’ “No sooner has the benediction been pronounced, which has some original feature introduced, than the congregation hurries to the door, but although no one can explain how it is managed, the minister is already there shaking hands, introducing people, ‘getting off good things, and generally making things ‘hum,’ One person congratulates him on his ‘talk’-new name for a sermon—and another says it was ‘fine.’ “Efforts have been made in England also to make church life really popular, and, in one town known to the writer, with some success of its own kind. One church secured a new set of communion plates by the popular device of a dance; various congregations gave private theatricals, and in one case had stage property of their own. Bible classes celebrated the conclusions of their sessions by a supper; on Good Friday there were excursions into the country accompanied by a military band, and a considerable portion of the congregational income was derived from social treats of various kinds. This particular town is only an illustration of the genial spirit spreading throughout the church in England. One minister uses a magic lantern to give force to his sermon; another has added a tavern to his church equipment; a third takes up the latest murder or scandal; a fourth has a service of song; a fifth depends on a gypsy or an ex-pugilist. “Tf this goes on, the church will soon embrace a theater and other attractions which will draw young people, and prevent old people from wearying in the worship of God. {Contrasting these modern and irreverent and unscriptural methods with those of the past, Dr. Watson continues:—] ‘‘Perhaps it may be the perversity of human nature which is apt to cavil at new things and hanker after the good old times—which were not always good, by any means—but one is not much enamoured with the new departure, nor at all convinced that what may be called for brief the ‘candy-pull’ system is any improvement on the past. After a slight experience of smart preachers, and church parlors, and ice-cream suppers, and picnics, one remembers with new respect and keen [2561] appreciation the minister of former days, with his seemly dress, his dignified manner, his sense of responsibility, who came from the secret place of divine fellowship, and spoke as one carrying the message of the Eternal. He may not have been so fussy in the aisles as his successor, nor so clever at games, nor able to make so fetching a speech on ‘Love, Courtship, and Marriage.’ _ “There are no doubt many points in which the congregation of the present has advanced on the congregation of the past, but it has not been all gain, for the chief note in the worship of the former generation was reverence—people met in the presence of the Eternal, before whom every man is less than nothing. And the chief note of their children, who meet to listen to a choir and a clever platform speaker, is selfcomplacency.” ar he Ladies’ Home Journal. * * * We have frequently pointed out these same tendencies, but we are glad to be able to quote the words of another—of one who stands so high in Churchianity. But Dr. Watson will ere long find that he must not criticize “Babylon;” and that if he persists he will lose caste with the lords thereof. So conservative a journal as The Advance has already intimated that “Candy-pulls” and other modern mcthods of making Christianity attractive must not be interfered with by “old fogies.” And so say we' Let the innovations proceed—they are essential to the very existence of “Babylon.” And besides, the sooner the social Churchianity clubs act out their real sentiments all along the line, the better it will be for true Christianity, whose separation from Churchianity is now due to be accomplished in this harvest time—“wheat” from “tares.” The more it becomes apparent that, with the vast majority, religion is merely “a form of godliness,” the more will those who have the power of it as well realize the width of the gulf which really separates the two classes in divine estimation. The louder grow the revelry and irreverence and the scoffing at God’s Word by “higher critics” and the boasts of Evolution, the louder in the ears of the Lord’s true saints will sound the Master’s command: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”——Rev. 18:2, 4. * * * * The Editor of the Washington City Times gives his opinion of some of the methods of Churchianity, thus:— “A sensational Brooklyn preacher lately discoursed on subjects like these: ‘Would Christ Belong to a Labor Union” ‘Would Christ Go to a Brooklyn Theater?’ and so on. It is rather difficult to conceive the moral status of people who actually approve of sermons of this sort. Undoubtedly a large part of the audiences which they attract come from mere curiosity, as they might come to any other sort of show; and they might as well be at the theater for all the good that it is likely to do them. One of the most deplorable features of modern American life is the tendency toward sensationalism in the pulpit. It is bad from every point of view. It excites emotions which are in no way religious, and are all the worse for passing under that name. It is in execrable taste, it misleads people to a sort of contempt for religion, and it makes the churches which indulge in it odious. “Jt hag grown out of another bad feature of our modern life—the plutocratic ideal. Any sensible person may easily understand that when the attraction of a church for its members depends on this sort of thing, and on the ability of the people of the church to dress well and pay for a handsome building and a showy choir, there is no more real religion in the whole business than there is in a circus... . “Tt would be much more to the point for the sensational preacher above quoted to ask himself, in private, whether his church is the kind which Christ would be likely to approve, or if it is full of money-changers and the sellers of doves. “It is time that sensible and thoughtful religious people in this country understood what a church is really intended to be. It should not be a bad imitation of fashionable society. with all the meannesses, caste distinctions, pettiness, and jealousy of that society, veneered over with a coating of formal religion. . . .” CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN Not long since Japan was considered the brightest example of progress in Christian missions, and with good reason. Everything coming from Europe or the United States was looked upon with favor—the Christian religion included. In a few years the number of converts to various shades of nominal “Christianity” ran up to 40,578 in 1878. However, a great change has occurred there: and within the past two years the total converts claimed by all the sects is only 403. (19-20)

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