Churches Compete to Control Children's Conduct

1922

A CHALLENGE TO CHURCHES

DR. M'KEEVER ADDRESSES ANNUAL MINISTERS' BANQUET.

Juvenile Director Says Institutions Must Compete at Once With Commercialized Entertainments.

The conduct of children, whether it be right or wrong, is determined by environment, because boys and girls are neither righteous nor sinners until good or evil arrangements shape their conduct and for this reason the churches must plan activities of the right sort, declared Dr. William A. McKeever of Lawrence, Kan., juvenile director of the national Presbyterian temperance board, in an address at the annual Lincoln ministers banquet at the Grand hotel Monday evening. The meeting was held under the auspices of the Lincoln ministerial association and was attended by about fifty ministers and wives. Dr. S. Mills Hays was toastmaster and introduced the speaker of the evening. Doctor McKeever said in part:

"In one sense of the word, I am glad that certain big commercial interests are out to exploit the growing generation for all they will bring of financial gain. This business aggression is putting militancy back into the church. It must fight for its right to control the youth of this land or lose them body and soul.

"Whoever romps with the small children, goes to the games with the young athletes, puts on the happiest entertainments for youthful lovers, is to be accorded the right to shape their destinies. Those working thru the church, the home and the school may have this job if they will take it, otherwise it will go over to the professional amusement interests.

Children Are Neutral.

Children are neither good nor bad until occasion makes them so. Youths are neither righteous nor sinners until good or evil arrangements shape their conduct according to the influence.

"The churches and their colleagues may have the children and young people if they will go out after them. There is no evil force here in this city which can long withstand this powerful influence for good and for righteous behavior which lies within the grasp of the local church organizations, once they become united.

"What the churches everywhere need today is a definite and positive program based upon the deep essentials resident within the great unchanging human nature. Too many of our big churches are proceeding in a detached and isolated field. Too many are running a sort of competition to neighboring churches of other sects. Too many are ministering to groups made up almost entirely of an adult membership.

Must Win Youths Back.

"The thin line of the stream of humanity which is supposed to pass forward through the church is at adolescence. The youths varying in age from sixteen to twenty have nearly all been lured away by certain worldly and commercialized enticements. To win these back is our challenge, and win we must.

"I urge that the united churches of this city enter upon a common campaign intended to entice the young of the love-dream age. Let us cease to criticize and complain, but get busy with a program. Let us discontinue our remarks about the lure of sin and make the lure of righteousness the reality which is possible. If such is desired I shall be pleased to prepare a detailed outline for the united church effort here and to cover some of the following points:

"A plan for an inter-church social union of the young, intended to supplant the influences of the jazz dance and the cabaret.

"A plan whereby the Sunday schools may enter regularly into the play, the athletics and the happy sociability of children and youths.

Offset the Movies.

"A plan for counteracting the evil influences upon youth, of the salacious types of photoplay and vaudeville performance, and for their defense against the most hurtful cigarette habit.

"A plan for continuous publicity and propaganda in support of the constructive program as here outlined. The good deeds of the churches in behalf of the boys and girls can be brought daily into a reasonable number of news items that will grip the attention of the mass of readers and draw public opinion to our side.

"The young generation is never out of date but always up to the minute. They are never behind the times but they create the times socially and morally. With us older ones it is simply a question of our readiness to interpret the Bible and religion in terms of the fresh, eager interests of youthful human nature. We can and must make the church and its organizations all centers of human interest, if only for the sake of controlling the boys and girls whom we never cease to love."

—The Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln, Nebraska, June 6, 1922, page 7.