The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-02-25
The Church and Amusements.


Congregational church, and ministers,
lawyers editors, ladies, lads and !assies
\ take part IN the exercises It is undenom-
gatherings attest the sympathy and inter-
est of the city"
The above paragraph appears in the
| Aduance, an influential religious paper
published in Chicago. It is highly sug-
gestive, and deserving more than a pass
ing reading. 1t is possible that the Mad
ison Young Peoples Association, has hit
upon the right plan, to meet one Of the
moral and religious necessities of the
times. All classes of people, especially
the young are determined upon enjoya-
bic occasions; in this direction the cur
rent runs, and. there is no arresting it.
Christian men and women, complain OF
the theatre proper, of public exhibitions
tby dramatic associations, of dancing
parties, and of many other kinds OF enter
tainments now common. and yet they neg
lect to provide anything better to meet
the requirement. Simply to scowl and
find fault with the popular recreatlons OF
| the day, and make no effort to substitute
something else to supply an acknowledged
necessity, is no mark of an intelligent
christianity 1LL
| Amusement is one of the natural in
stincts of every human being. 1t is seen
in the earliest Developments of infancy;
| it is the prevailing passion in childhood;
| it absorbs and excites the energies of
youth, and if it is less manifest in matur-
er years, it is frequently because it has
been crushed out by false teachings-by
an over sanctimonious and mistaken pub
lie sentiment, which passes for religious.
The desire for amusement universally
manifest among the young, being an &C
knowledged fact, it follows that the love
of it, is an implantation by the Author of
our being, and therefore an essential at
tribute to the full and complete deyel-
opement of our humanity. 1t is an i'm
putation upon the wisdom of the Creator
to suppose that he has given us elements
of happiness and pleasure, which he de-
signed should not be cultivated and i'm
proved. The theology of olden times used to
teach that, the mind of every young person.
was like garden where useful plants
and noxious weeds grow up together; and as
the weeds must be eradicated in order to
the healthy growth Of the plants, SO it
was the business of the moral educator,
to exterminate and blot out certain of
the faculties and passions in the young, in
Forder5to the proper growth and develope-
ment of the better qualities. This has
become nearly an exploded dogma, and
the enlightened men and women of the
age, are beginning to understand, that
the author of our being, has invested us
with no surplus elements, either intellect
ual, passional or emotional. But GA the
the contrary, all the attributes of our ma
ture, are to be preserved, purified, regen-
Grated and trained to proper uses. i
A great change has come over tbs re-
ligious world, within the last quarter of
century An austere solemnity of man
ner, sanctimonious look, and a frown of
disapprobation, Of whatever savored of
sportive amusement, or pleasureable re
creation of seemingly worldly mixture,
was once regarded the highest style of
christian life No wonder that with such
awful and solemn surroundings the young
We're often impressed with the idea, that
heaven must be place where the solemn
midnight owl boots, and where the
angels eYerlastingly sing to the tune of
old "Mear"
1T is not the teaching of the bible. that
tue country to- which saints on earth are
jonfneying, is one OF gloom and where
the inhabitants wear saddened counsen-
aaces But we are authorized to belieye'
it is home where JOY and gladness ever
encircle the just, and where all the origin
al powers of the mind, purified and regen-
Grated, are ever rising to higher eleva-
tions of extatic delight. through the end
less cycles of eternity.
Well regulated aod proper amusements
for the young, have benefits too many to
be noticed in single article. A large
part of the agreeabilities of life, is made
up of the social habits. and qualities of
society. While it is true that educated
mind, is the true foundation of all
refinement and intellectual pleasures,
nevertheless book education alone, is not
sufficient to develope the higher socia