Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 January 1912 — Pastor Would Bar Homer [ARTICLE]

Pastor Would Bar Homer

Declares Persons Names Are Chosen • Idea In Education—Praises Women’s Clubs. St Louis, Mo.—Homer’s “Iliad” is out of date. It is harsh and bloodthirsty. It is a relic of paganism. It should be ruled out of the modern system of education. This is the view of the Gredtan bard taken by the Rev. Dr. B. A. Abbott pastor of the Union Avenue Christian church. Union : and Von Versen avenues, in discussing world peace. He declared that such works as the “Iliad" created narrow nationalism and delayed world peace and that civilization no longer makes heroes of the fighting men or “sings of arms and men.” He does not believe that the girls and boys of today should be made to hobble and halt through it and would, thus rule out of the system of modern education one of its oldest standbys. “We are studying The question and we are trying to bring about world peace,” he continued, “but we are brought up on literature that, for the most part, is intended To develop in us a spirit of narrow, nationalism. A great deal of the education in ofir system is through such harsh and bloodthirsty books as the ’Tltad.*” Dr. Abbott also declared that the mighty Influence of women is ready for the world’s service. ’ -7' “Women now have self-control and: ’etsure." he said. “To what shall this influence be given is the real question if modern civilisation. “Women's clubs are safety valves.

Women have too much leisure not to have some .outside interests. For leisure to mah or woman is the greatest test of character, and is dangerous. “Then, too, the best of women’s clubs use her for the service 61 her community. “But best of all is the dynamic power of a woman’s prayer meeting. The religious organizations tend to conserve the character and influence of women for the inculcation of the spirit of Jesus Christ into modern civilization. Every religious society has culture and a broad view of life. The prayer meeting deals with world problems.” Dr. Abbott urges the Institution of chairs of the Bible in modern universities, because, he says, civilization must be Christianized.