The bulletin (Augusta, Ga.) 1920-1957, April 01, 1920, Image 17

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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.”