Elmer Gantry
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:52:01
Electric bills, insurance bills, hotel bills.
:52:04
The church committees always
expect a contribution from me,

:52:08
and they always get it. And when I leave
town five weeks later, you get the benefit.

:52:13
You have the flock,
and I have to start all over again.

:52:19
No, gentlemen, you don't want a revival.
:52:23
And I'm afraid you don't want me, either.
:52:36
I think these gentlemen would like
a little privacy to kick things around.

:52:39
- Thank you, Mr Gantry.
- Excuse me.

:52:42
I'm not ashamed to admit
our churches are half-empty.

:52:45
- The ball parks are full.
- So are the races.

:52:48
Let's vote.
:52:49
Vote to do what? Marry the Church
to a three-ring circus?

:52:53
To barkers who say
they're messengers of God?

:52:55
Who reduce frightened farmers to howling
dogs? All very entertaining, I'm sure.

:53:00
We are in competition
with the entertainment business.

:53:03
- I'm not.
- Then you ought to be. Huh?

:53:07
How about your bingo games?
:53:09
And how about your baseball games
and square dances?

:53:12
Now, ain't that entertainment?
What's the difference?

:53:15
It's up to us to make a success out of
Christianity, keep the churches full.

:53:19
What has religion
to do with filling churches?

:53:22
Once there were only
13 Christians in the entire worid.

:53:26
Was Christianity a failure?
Did God go out of business?

:53:29
Kee-rect! Christianity is a going concern,
a successful international enterprise.

:53:35
If you boys don't get
young people back into church,

:53:38
if you don't keep the train on the tracks,
:53:41
your church boards are gonna
find somebody else who will.

:53:44
Isn't that clear, Reverend Garrison?
:53:53
Speaking for myself,
not my congregation or its church board,

:53:57
religion is not a business.
And revivalism is not religion.


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