Litchfield enquirer., 1875-03-25
Religion and The Stage.


 Sir Lucius O. Trigger obiectsd quife strongly. if we recolleet, ,to any impertinent interference with avery pretty quarrel that promised to eliminate in . dnel. So we dislike to meddle with the interest ing discussion that has sprung mp be- tween Religion and the Drama in our neighboring town of Washington. We venture to suggest to zour@ obiecting friend of last week, however, that the old is- sue between the Pulpit and the Stage is Q very different question from that present. ed by performances of the Washington Dramatic Association. The Pulpit has al- ways maintained, with much show of req son, that the average Stage play is liter ary work of an immoral tendency in itself, and that the business of acting is prEcti- cally demoralizing occupation. On the other hand, the friends of the Drama reply that the play is no more immoral of neces- sity than the novel; that the objections to the old play lie with equal force against the old novel; and that the denunciations of the pulpit have perpetuated the low aver age morality of the stage by withdrawing it's natural corrective in an audience of high average morality. --.z-- .
 The objections of religion, it must be observed. are to the professional, not to the amateur stage. The amateur play is never, so far as we have seen, of immoral tendency, but notably the opposite. Nor have we ever heard it claimed that the practice of amateur acting IS of inn moral tendency. This being the case, we submit that there is no more conflict be- tween religion and the amateur stage than between religion any other form of amuse- ment. Undoubtedly in seasons of high religious feeling there is less desire for "amusements"-at such seasons religion itself becomes a popular excitement. But religion cannot long remain an excitment. and when its fervor is over s'amusements" begin to prevail again. At such ordinary times do good amusements really interfere with religion? Is it fact that the attend ence at Washington prayer meetings IS thinner because of the existence of the Washington Dramatic Association ? Is it seriously claimed that in that or any other New England town the people have too much social recreation of propef sort; that their amusements are so frequent and so varied as to leave no sufficient time for the religions service? Is not the contrary the case? Are not our young men throng ing from country to city, and do they not haunt grog shops at home, in search of excitement? Do not people shout giddi- ly at revivals. and travel miles to weep at the funerals of strangers. from want of some less objectionable form of excite ment?
 It seems to us a wise policy that, in 8 country town. encourages efforts to sup ply this natural want of humanity for good amusements. A proper amount of honest recreation is as much a need of hu- manity as proper amount ofhonest work. We speak with the more confidence be- cause we reside in e village where dram shops are plenty; where anyone can attend religious service three evenings every week, and three times every Sunday, if so where there are literally no and yet we are neither 6 rs- markedly moral nor remarkably reli- gious community!