Life, 1917-04-05 · page 32 of 70
Life — April 5, 1917 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"An Easter Sermon"** is a satirical piece by Edmund J. Kiefer attacking Easter churchgoers for superficial religious observance. The minister narrator condemns congregation members for vanity (extravagant clothing), inattention (whispering, sleeping), boredom, and hypocrisy—particularly contributing money while showing no genuine piety. The sermon mocks the "money route" to heaven, suggesting these Easter attendees treat church as a social obligation rather than spiritual practice. **"Why the Town Went Dry"** (top cartoon) depicts various townspeople lined up, appearing to show the consequences of Prohibition—the ban on alcohol enacted in 1920. The "Our Standing Army" illustration (bottom) shows a barrel labeled "PORRIDGE" surrounded by empty bottles and cans, likely satirizing how Prohibition affected food supplies or quality of life, or mocking substitutes for alcohol during the ban. Together, the page critiques both religious hypocrisy and Prohibition's social impact.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
An Easter Sermon ARLY BELOVED: — Although this is Easter Day, I have de- cided not to preach on the Resurrec- tion or any other Scriptural topic. In- stead I] am going to tell you just what I think of you Judging from the wanton extrava- gance of your clothes, and the extreme hauteur of your bearing, I conclude that you are too vain and too proud to hear the Word of God. The frivolous way you whisper to your neighbors makes me think you don’t know that you are in church, The bored expres- sion on your faces is a sure sign that the message of the Gospel does not in- terest you in the least, and that you are very anxious to get out of here just as soon as possible. I have especial contempt for those among you who do not hesitate to go to sleep in the House of God. Very probably you will put an unusual amount in the collection box to-day, but I warn you that you can never hope to enter heaven by the money route. When the service is over, please don't come to me with in- sincere and lying compliments on my sermon; nor do I expect that you will be so charitable as to refrain from crit- icis it amongst yourselves. May the Almighty Father overlook your outer shams and inner vices, and in the greatness of His mercy infuse a spark of piety into your hearts, so that in time you may learn to take religion seriously and to break away from your favorite follies. Amen. Edmund J. Kiefer. OUR STANDING ARMY i RR comichooks.cem