General Decline of Religious Interest by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 7, 1871

General Decline of Religious Interest.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

What is the world coming to? This is the inquiry on every hand. The mass of the people are losing their confidence and interest in the churches and religion of the day. Here is what the Boston Recorder, Dec. 23, 1870, says:—

“NEGLECT OF CHURCH.”

“This increasing tendency of the masses to keep aloof from our churches is regarded, as it should be, with great anxiety by all thoughtful men. The number of regular church-going people in proportion to the whole population of our country is believed to be diminishing. In England, according to the best estimates, not more than one-tenth of the population are accustomed to attend any place of worship whatever. In our country, the state of the matter is, no doubt, far better; and the actual figures would probably show a better record in this respect than almost any other the wide world over, and yet even here it might appear that (aside from the members of our institution) one-third of the people, within a radius of four miles, never attend any religious service whatever.—Prof. Mead of Oberlin.”

Is it not time for the Lord to work? Is it not time for us to work? D. M. CANRIGHT.