OPEN COLUMN.

Thames Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 10351, 26 April 1911, Page 2

OPEN COLUMN.

*—- LETTERS TO EDITOR, WEIS'LEiYAN SUXDAY SCHOOL. Sir,: —I have no time for suchl vapid effulsions as Weeping Willie occasionally gives-, us and his sarcastic: tirade against Christianity which appealed in last night's Issue wills for as severe censiu'a as does the action of the trustees of the Methodist Church in lianding over their Slunda.y Scliool to a tlheiatrical agent r.s a place ot-.pu'b-lid amusGiinent. A, manly protest 'from"Weaping Willie would receive inj' lieairty support and Would certainly &.erve his purpose bfetter tha.n lii^ feeble effoits to ibe funny. Eveiy triit Meitliodist on the. Tliaanes should indignantly protest against tlie decided misuse of their Skinday Sbhool. Ski rely Methodism has degenerated when the professed followers of John Wesley hand over their Stvnday School to a pioture proprietory for a few' pounds a. weelk. It saems to rue that the chief aim of the ohuroh toths is £.jii.d. The Rev. M,r Collins at the recent Baptist Conference in Melbourne hit the nail on the head when ho said that the wodiing man to-day would not go to ahurth because he associated the church with wealth a,nd privileg'ei. As a boy I was taught to look upon all ministers a,nd church officers as 'men of God,' but ;th,at blessed vision has long: since faded, for these 'men of God' are as keen on the 'Almighty dolla,r' as any man of_ the wodd. Finance is set "Woi'o spirituality in the ohui'ch to-day, and Mr Mionoylvig/si lias moire to> do v.ith the. provemmemt of the church than tho L'roiatest-'souil winner.' Whom have wo to-day as officers in the ch\ii'i:h to be tho keepers of the ministers in carrying on God's wor'V? Men whose lives aa-e cionsactra.tcd to God, who daily live in tho atmosphere nf licaVcn, wlioso every prayer is all inspiration'? Rubbish—mem whose live? J are. consecrated to a god, certainly, lyit that god is the 'Almighty doHaf," : nind 1 whosae prayers we cn.n swy nothI ing about as wo never hear tlieii) pray. Need Weeping Willie or Inj quirer. or aaiyono eilsie. then wonder ! why Methodist Sunday Sbhools are j Ivaing licensed as places of public . amuwment. Do no:t misundorsta.nd nio! Thera never has been and never \ will Vci a. greater power for good on this world than tho relijrion of Jesus nu-ist. bnt metlvinlcs tlw church to-, day hut. vei-j' little 'of the spirit of its GiLtit Founder.—l am, etc., ! DISGUSTED. i