Fundamentals of Prosperity: What They Are and Whence They ComeBabson, Roger Ward
Philosophy
Fundamentals of Prosperity: What They Are and Whence They Come
Babson, Roger Ward
Business; Success
Later in the evening--it was during the Christmas vacation--a young
fellow drove up to the house in a fancy automobile, came in and asked
for this manufacturer's only daughter in order to take her to a party. I
didn't like the looks of the fellow very well. After they had gone out,
I said to the father:
"Who is that chap?"
The father replied: "I don't know; some friend of Mary's."
The father had every one of his cows blue-printed, but he didn't know
the name of the man who came to get his daughter and who didn't deliver
her until two o'clock the next morning! That man was neglecting the
human soul, both in his factory and in his home.
* * * * *
I repeat that we have gone crazy over structures above ground. We are
absolutely forgetting the greatest of our resources,--the great
spiritual resource, upon which everything depends. How shall we develop
these resources?
Certainly we are not developing this great spiritual resource in the
public schools. The educational system was originally founded by the
Church to train the children in the fundamentals of righteousness.
Gradually, but constantly, we have drifted away from this goal and
to-day the purpose for which our schools were started has been almost
entirely lost. In some states it is now a criminal offence for a school
superintendent to ask a prospective school teacher what she believes or
whether she has any religion whatever! Under these conditions, is it
surprising that the spiritual resources of our children are lying
dormant?
Much of the prosperity of this nation is due to the family prayers which
were once daily held in the homes of our fathers. To a very large extent
this custom has gone by. Whatever the arguments pro and con may be, the
fact nevertheless remains that such family prayers nurtured and
developed these spiritual resources to which the prosperity of the
nation is due. The custom of family prayers should be revived along with
many other good New England customs which some modern radicals may
ridicule, but to which they owe all that they possess.
The masses to-day are getting their real education from the daily
newspapers. Many of these newspapers have much good material, but the
great effort of the daily press is not to make _producers_, but rather
to make _consumers_. The policy of the daily press is not to get people
to serve, but rather to get them to buy. Not only is the larger portion
of the newspapers given up to advertising, but most of this advertising
is of non-essentials, if not of luxuries. With this advertising
constantly before the people of the country, it is but natural that the
material things should seem of greatest importance. To remedy this
situation is a great problem to-day facing the Christian business men of
this country. What shall we do about it?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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