The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1866-08-16
From the Springfield Mass Republican.


Prom the Springfield Mass Republican
Christian and ynesristfsn Amrsemens.s
Straight lines belong 10 municipalities,
OF to morals The atte,npt to introduce
lem in the latter usually fails, Crcuu
.eances, the proprie cites OF the occasion,
- ne wishes and prejniices of association
nj many other considerations come in
account, aud each man must Judge for
.imseif what right and proper who
r. thou. that judgest another man 5 ser
4 anti The International Conve ntion of
Il onng Mems Christian Associations held
At Albany, undertook TO make ''deiiv
GRANGE on the subject of Christian amuse-
ments. and made sad muddle OF Il
They resolved in favor of amusements
harmless III themselves and not made
injurious by worldly associations, which
is very well as an abstract proposition, if
by worldly" they mean sinful. All
smusements are worldly in the sense of
having no direct connection with wor.
ship. and yet, in the latter view. amuse-
ments come as truly under the control
of religious motives as does the work of
life. But the Christian Young men at
Albany undertook TO be specific, and to
draw the line between wicked aud Chris
tain amusements. They do not mention
indeed, a single amusement which they
consider right. but they pronounce en-
phatio ally, and without qualification
against dancing and card and billiard
playing. as *distinctively worldly in their
associations. unspiritual in their infiu
ence and utterly inconsistent with the
profession OF Christianity The cpl
tibet worldly here is conveniently vague,
but we do not believe that one Oft eN
cellent young men who voted for this
energetic testimony can prove that
dancing is more worldly than calsthenics
or Dio Lewis gymnastics; that Billiards
are less spiritual than ten pins; or that
cards are worse per Sc than chess, back
CANNON or any other game of chance
and skill As spiritual and orthodox a
preacher as we know is very fond of bill
lizards, and plays them well, and there is
no evidence that his morals or pietr suf-
self, may be used for gambling The
gambling is to be condemned, but the
game should not lose caste because OF
the possibility of its abuse. This posi-
lility pertains to all things human, even
the highest things, and is not excluded
from worship itself.
What tue Christian Association should
endcavor to de in this matter of amuse-
ments is to divorce them from corrupt
ing associations If billiards are exclu-
ded from the rooms of the Christian AS
sociaticns, or from our dwellings. they
are pretty certain as Il matter of fact, to
be sought elsewhere, and to be found in
connection with temptation to vice. So
with dancing; excluded from its proper
place in the family and private party, it
seeks the ball room, where people meet
indiscriminately, and late hours and late
suppers endangerthe health if not the
morals. All efforts to exclude dancing
have failed and will 1t has been ia
vorite recreation among nations from the
/ beginning, and will De while the world
stands And with reason, for it is grace
full exhilerating and every way delight
full. The saints of the old dispensation
placed so high an estimate upon it as to
combine it with their acts of praise and
Thanksgiving. We are compelled to be-
lieve that the young men in convention
at Albany pronounced upon amusements
without much thought, though doubtless
with general intention to do good and
to erect barriers against vice and world
Illness; but the line they have drawn does
not stand the test of examination. There
is positive wrong done to the young by
prescribing amusements that are limo
cent, and to attempt to make a sin OF
what the conscience can find no evil in,
in the name of religion, is to awaken
prejudice against religion itself. Relig
ion does not require the closing up o.
any legitimate source of enjoyment, right
fully understood it enlarges and sanctifes
Ill