https://archive.org/stream/SayyidQutb/The America I have seen_djvu.txt
Look at what he said and observed in the church's back then;
Look at what he said and observed in the church's back then;
Churches without Life
There is no people who enjoys building churches more than the Americans. To
the extent that I once stayed in a town with no more than ten thousand
inhabitants, yet within it I found over twenty churches! And most of them do not
go to church on Sunday mornings and evenings, but instead on general holidays
and holidays for local saints, who far outnumber the "saints" of the common
Muslims in Egypt. Ali this notwithstanding there is no one further than the
American from appreciating the spirituality of religion and respect for its
sacraments, and there is nothing farther from religion than the American' s
thinking and his feelings and manners.
Churches for Carousal and Enjoyment
If the church is a place for worship in the entire Christian world, in America it is
for everything but worship. You will find it difficult to differentiate between it
and any other place. They go to church for carousal and enjoyment, or, as they
call it in their language "fun." Most who go there do so out of necessary social
tradition, and it is a place for meeting and friendship, and to spend a nice time.
This is not only the feeling of the people, but it is also the feeling of the men of
the church and its ministers.
The Clubs of the Church and Their Attractions
In most churches there are clubs that join the two sexes, and every minister
attempts to attract to his church as many people as possible, especially since
there is a tremendous competition between churches of different denominations.
And for this reason, each church races to advertise itself with lit, colored signs on
the doors and walls to attract attention, and by presenting delightful programs to
attract the people much in the same way as merchants or showmen or actors.
And there is no compunction about using the most beautiful and graceful girls of
the town, and engaging them in song and dance, and advertising.
A Church's Party Program
This is an example of the text of an advertisement for a church party that was
posted in the student's union of one of the colleges.
"Sunday, October lst, 6: 00 P .M. snacks, magic games, puzzles, contests,
fun"
There is nothing strange in this, for the minister does not feel that his job is any
different from that of a theater manager, or that of a merchant. Success comes
first and before everything, and the means are not important, and this success
will reflect on him with fine results: money and stature. The more people that
join his church, the greater is his income. Likewise, his respect and recognition is
elevated in the community, because the American by his nature is taken with
grandeur in size and numbers. It is his first measure of the way he feels and
evaluates.
A Hot Night at the Church
One night I was in a church in Greeley, Colorado, I was a member in its club as I
was a member in a number of church clubs in every area that I had lived in, for
this is an important facet of American society, deserving close study from the
inside. After the religious service in the church ended, boys and girls from
among the members began taking part in chants, while others prayed, and we
proceeded through a side door onto the dance floor that was connected to the
prayer hall by a door, and the Father jumped to his desk and every boy took the
hand of a giri, including those who were chanting.
The dance floor was lit with red and yellow and blue lights, and with a few white
lamps. And they danced to the tunes of the gramophone, and the dance floor
was replete with tapping feet, enticing legs, arms wrapped around waists, lips
pressed to lips, and chests pressed to chests. The atmosphere was full of desire.
When the minister descended from his office, he looked intently around the
place and at the people, and encouraged those men and women still sitting who
had not yet participated in this circus to rise and take part. And as he noticed
that the white lamps spoiled the romantic, dreamy atmosphere, he set about,
with that typical American elegance and levity, dimming them one by one, all
the while being careful not to interfere with the dance, or bump into any couples
dancing on the dance floor. And the place really did appear to become more
romantic and passionate. Then he advanced to the gramophone to choose a song
that would befit this atmosphere and encourage the males and the females who
were still seated to participate.
And the Father chose. He chose a famous American song called "But Baby, It's
Cold Outside," which is composed of a dialogue between a boy and a giri
returning from their evening date. The boy took the giri to his home and kept her
from leaving. She entreated him to let her return home, for it was getting late,
and her mother was waiting but every time she would make an excuse, he would
reply to her with this line: but baby, its cold outside!
And the minister waited until he saw people stepping to the rhythm of this
moving song, and he seemed satisfied and contented. He left the dance floor for
his home, leaving the men and the women to enjoy this night in all its pleasure
and innocence!
