Newspaper Page Text
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
17
METHODIST BISHOP PLEADS
FOR DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS.
(From The Augusta Chronicle, February 26.)
Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 25.—A plea for continuance
of financial support of schools under the auspices of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was made
here tonight by Bishop E. D. Mouzon, of Dallas, Tex.,
in his opening address before the educational associa
tion of that church.
He stated that preachers can not be trained with
out such schools, asserting that the principles enun
ciated by many college professors in non-sectarian
institutions are tending to undermine the Christian
faith.
Bishop Mouzon declared that no one is more ignor
ant of religious matters than the average college stu
dent and many* college professors. The theological
students of today, deprived of church training, he
added, would be totally at sea without any guiding
principle to be gained from the teachings of modern
scientific research.
MORE ABOUT CREMATION.
In the first number of The Bulletin a reference was
made to Cremation in a letter to one who asked about
other things. This casual sentence did not go far
enough, and in response to the following request, we
reproduce below an explanation of the attitude of the
Church. Here is the letter received:
“In your January Bulletin, in discussing cremation,
you say that ‘It is not a wrong thing in itself, but in
the mind of the Church it is an unbecoming thing
for Christians.’ Would you mind publishing in your
next number WHY the Church considers cremation
unbecoming?’’
The answer follows:
The Church does not condemn cremation abso
lutely, that is, not as inherently sinful, but‘deems it
unbecoming, first as doing violence to the body, the
temple of the soul, which is not permitted dissolution
in the ordinary natural way; second, as not following
the example of our Lord, who was buried; third, as
imitating a pagan custom that had its origin in re
ligious rites, such as those of the Parsees. The He
brews buried their dead, considering it a sacred ob
ligation to do so, and often making great sacrifices
to this end, while their heathen neighbors practiced
cremation generally with great ceremony, and, there
fore, since the matter was old in the Lord’s time, the
way He adopted seems the more pleasing to God. It
might be different, you see, if the thing were some
thing new. But a knowledge of the heathen prac
tices in connection, how cremation was commonly
observed as a religious rite, how closely it was iden
tified with ancestor worship, with various pagan the
ories of the Transmigration of the Soul, how it was
denied to prisoners of war, somewhat after the fashion
of the American Indians’ idea of scalping the enemy
dead; how in its lowest form it became a testimo
nial to the utter unbelief of the “Intellectuals’’ among
pagans who scorned the credulity and ignorance of
the people who believed in the existence of the soul,
a hereafter and all things spiritual, while the chosen
people were protesting both the unbelief and the false
superstitions thus memorialized, as rather strongly
persuasive that Christ in His burial affords us the bet
ter example. Of course, if one knows Christ is not
God, that the Hebrews were not a chosen people, that
the Bible is untrue, that there is no personal exist
ence after death, etc., in short, if one knows just
what the pagans thought they knew, one will prob
ably act as they did; but Christians have no reason
to imitate them. As for cremation being more sani
tary, which is argued, this applies only in extraor
dinary conditions, such as pestilence or war, when
the Church permits cremation, as it is not inherently
sinful. But as an ordinary practice, she enjoins Chris
tian burial of the dead.
JACK CALLAHAN IS ORDERED TO
COURT; READ WHAT HAPPENED.
(From The Augusta Herald.)
Saturday night Councilman Jack Callahan was no
tified by Chief of Police S. E. Grubbs that his services
were required to preside at a special session of re
corder’s court, and to come around at once, as the
case was most important and Judge Kent had been
disqualified.
When Mr. Callahan entered the courtroom he found
that the cops were holding a full house. About thirty
bluecoats were there. So was Chief Grubbs, Com
missioner Raworth and other officials. The newspaper
men present, after giving the assembly the once over,
decided that the biggest police court story of the
year was about to break, or else something most un
usually unusual, as ’twere, so to speak, was going
to be uncorked for some one’s benefit. The latter
hypothesis proved correct.
Commissioner Raworth, seated in the judge’s chair,
arose with speech. After lauding Mr. Callahan’s sed
ulous efforts as chairman of the council police com
mittee to better the department and secure salary
increases, Mr. Raworth declared that he had stood
by Mr. Callahan all along, but, of course, could not
be of assistance in getting the raise in pay. Jack
Callahan fought for you from the start to the finish,”
he emphasized. “He had faith in you, and I, too, have
shared that faith. I believe Augusta’s police force is
the peer of that of any city Augusta’s size. I am
with you to the last, and so is Jack Callahan, to whom
it gives me great pleasure to presen tthis otken of your
esteem.”
The token was a watch—gold and illumined, that
cost $85. The money was raised by members of
the department from the chief down. In the cover
of the timepiece was engraved: “To J. J. Callahan,
Chairman of Police Committee, March 1, 1920. Pre
sented by members of the Augusta Police Depart
ment.”