The Perplexity of Many by P. M. W.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 18, 1912

The Perplexity of Many

By P. M. W.

UNDER this heading the Christian Advocate of Dec. 21, 1911, speaks of the lack of apparent genuineness in some of the present-day conversions. Quoting a letter from one of its subscribers, it says:—

We have been having extra meetings in our church for the past three weeks, and as a result about twenty names have been added to the church roll. With the exception of three, all of them were children ranging from five to twelve years of age. It is difficult to account for the great difference in things in the present day. There does not seem to be any such thing as real conviction of sin and wrestling for conversion, such as there was formerly. Now it is simply inducing all the members of the church to go forward and kneel at the altar, to show the outsiders how easy it is; and then when they have come to the altar, in a little while some member says to them: “You are saved; you know you are; rise up now with us.” The next Sunday they stand in front of the altar, and are asked a few questions, the answers of which are placed in their mouths by the preacher himself. This is a very good thing under the circumstances, as generally the persons do not seem to realize the importance of the step they are taking enough to be able

to answer intelligently any question about their spiritual condition.

Persons entering the church through this superficial experience have no real change wrought in their lives. They continue to do as they have done in the past:—

After they become members, there does not seem to be any necessity for any particular change in their manner of life. They may attend church or remain away; they may spend Sunday in riding or doing anything else in the line of pleasure. They may go to dancing parties, and if they “keep paid up” in their envelope, nothing is said.

Comparing this sort of religious experience with that of former days, this subscriber says:—

“If everything that goes on nowadays in the churches is right, to what an awful amount of unnecessary deprivation our parents and grandparents subjected themselves, under their ideas of a Christian’s duty.”

The chief cause of this condition of things in the Christian church is ascribed to the ministers of the gospel, who this reader feels should call the people to a higher standard of Christian living, even though by so doing their congregations were materially diminished:—

It seems to me that the prime cause of the lack of interest and the desultory attendance of members at services, and the great falling off of reverence paid to ministers of the gospel, is the ministers’ own fault. Many of them do not respect themselves or the dignity of the church as they should. They do this probably for fear of a loss of popularity for themselves and of membership for the church. I fear it would be difficult in some parts of the country to find a minister now who would not rather have a membership of 500 or 600, with two thirds of them lifeless contributors, than 200 good, earnest Christians.

In concluding, the Advocate adds:—

The foregoing makes the reader wonder whether it resembles any situation of which he is cognizant.

It is to be regretted that such situations exist on every hand. The line of demarcation between the church and the world has been well-nigh obliterated. It is safe to say that there are scores who are enrolled as members of the Christian church who know nothing in their experience of genuine conversion, or of the power of the changed life. The great Christian church needs to call its members to a higher plane of Christian thought and living.

P. M. W.