headlong into the Equitable Building, through such an earthquake as that
which laid San Francisco's proud beauty in the dust? Have you ever
imagined the Metropolitan Tower crashing over on Madison Square Garden
sometime, when there were tens of thousands of people in there at some
worldly, godless celebration of the Lord's Day? Ah, yes, don't worry
about God's not having the means for judgment, even in this world!"
As a matter of fact, that is a subject concerning which we never have
worried. There isn't a doubt in our mind that the earthquake, or the
tidal wave or any of the other dooms so gleefully mentioned by Dr.
Straton are well within the power of the Creator. Yet it seems to us
that it would hardly be to the Creator's credit if he should turn a
tidal wave upon New York because Dr. Straton has revealed the fact, that
in some dance halls in New York, young men and women dance cheek to
cheek. It is, of course, a terrible thing that there are still
restaurants in New York where one may procure Scotch highballs, but we
do not think the condition justifies an earthquake. It may be, as Dr.
Straton says, that God will do one of these things and then laugh at us,
but if such is the case we must say that we will not have much respect
for the cosmic sense of humor. We want a God who is a good deal more
like God and somewhat less like Dr. John Roach Straton.
When a child grows cross and tired he will trample every card house you
build for him and toss his toys about and knock over his blocks, but at
such times H. 3rd has never seemed divine to us. We have rather laid
such tantrums to the original Adam who is in us all. As a matter of
fact, we don't believe that Dr. Straton himself would have as good a
time at any of his predicted catastrophes as he imagines. To be sure, it
is pleasant to imagine oneself sitting on top of a tidal wave and
thumbing a nose at the struggling sinners who are being engulfed. But
has Dr. Straton ever stopped to consider what a dreary and dull life he
would lead if there were nothing for him to thunder against? He must
know by now what a delightful inspiration there is in the daily shock.
Though he may not believe it, he will do well to mark our words that he
will miss the dancing and the immoral gowns and the furtive highballs
when all these things are gone. He will find that there is a great deal
more fun in preaching about hell than about heaven.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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