Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-19
Rev. George Hodges Discusses the
Question of Amusements.
WHAT is WICKED AND WHAT PURE
Must be Left to the Discrimination Of the
Individual.
OUR HOMES MUST BE MADE ATTRACTIVE
WRITTEN FOR THE D1srAroH.i

| out of the case also. But other amusementS
are under certain conditions good, and un-
der other conditions bad. It is with these
doubtful amusements, accordingly. that we
have to deal. Most people would agree to
put into this doubtful class, and mark with
the sign of question, card playing, dancing
and attendance at the theater. Everybody
will allow that circumstances may be i'm
agined under which all three Of these may
be harmful and sinful, while under other
circumstances, which most people can i'm
agine, they may all be wholly free from
evil. Here enters the duty of discrimina-
| tion.
But whose duty is this? Who shall dis
criminate, the Christian or the church? The
question concerns the very nature and prov
ince of the Christian religion.
The Christian religion differs from all
other religions of the race, and is higher and
diviner than any, in that it proceeds upon
the principle of regenerating men from
within out. 1t begins at the heart. It does
not deal with the small details of life, say
ing thou shalt do that thing in this way, and
this thing in that way. But it states GER
tain great truths and puts upon our own
selves the responsibility of applying them.
Christianity does not forbid slavery; it con-
pie, which, when once men understand it,
MAKES SLAVERY IMPOSSIBLE.
Christianity does not forbid the drinking
of liquor, but it establishes such principles
as that, when man learns this, drunkenness
is driven out. Christianity does not forbid
any one to 60 to a theater, or to play at
cards, or to dance. Christ leaves the matter
of discrimination in these things to u.s.
iG ruio 10 ha foII0
the Master, to teach such great truths about
the sacredness of time, about the sanctity of
the body, and the purity of the mind, about
the great purposes of life. That whoever un-
derstands them-and they are not hard to
UNDERSTANDABLE be able to regulate his own
conduct for himself.
And if you think of it, you will see that
no other way can men be genuinely and per-
manently reformed or uplifted. Men will
not be driven. Men to whom God has given
minds and WILT is an insult to try to
govern them like animals. Men must be
convinced. They must be touched at the
heart Their will must not be forced but
persuaded, not worsted but won. And just
this, the Christian religion, in exact proper
tion as it follows the mind of the Master,
endeavors to accomplish.
Thus, believe, should the Christian
teacher approach to-day the subject of
amusements. May dance? May I attend
the theater? May I play cards? People
are all the time asking the question, and the
answer is-yes and no. The questioner
must answer his own question. Everybody
must discharge his own duty of discrimi-
nation.
YOU MUST DECIDE.
If these amusements agree with you; if
they are for the health of your soul, as good
food is for the health of your body; if they
do not harm, but help you, choose them.
You know that you have no right to waste
your time and no right to injure your
health. You know what manner of men
God would have us be-not foolish, or frivo-
lous, or useless, but having high and cor
rectpurpose in life, resolutely determined for
His honor and glory, and for the good of
our fellowmen to make the most of our
selves, realizing our responsible position
with heaven above and hell be-
meath. You know what the Lord
wants everybody to put first, before
every other duty, before every other en-
gagement, before every pleasure-the King
dom of God and His righteousness. You
know what kind of an earnest, purposeful,
self-sacrifcing life, our Lord Jesus Christ
came and lived and died that we might
live. You know the glory and the blessing
of high ideal, "a pure character. an unstained
conscience. You know that amusement
belongs to the side of life, is not of surpass-
ing consequence, ought not to enter very
obtrusively one way or the other with the
ethics of earnest men, belongs more to the
childhood than to the strength, manhood
and maturity of life. And, knowing this,
the duty of discrimination ought not to be
so VERY DIFFICULT.
Try this test. At night look back upon
the day. Count up the moments spent in
amusement, and if you can honestly thank
God for all the pleasure of the day, you
have drawn the line of discrimination upon
the righteous side.
But all the amusements of the world are
social. They take two or three more.
And so you have somebody else to think of
besides yourself. So comes in another ele-
ment in this duty of discrimination. You
have to consider the influence of your ex-
ample.
We are too much in the habit, am
afraid, of thinking of this matter of ex-
ample in only one way. We regard it from
the side of danger. It would be better if
we considered it more often from the side of
opportunity. It is true that what may not
harm us may harm our brother, and so>we
must give it up for his sake. But isn't it
true. on the other side that social life is an
immense opportunity for good? May not |
amusement possibly mean duty?
Suppose that Christian people were to |
keep out of the world altogether - what
would become of the world and of them?
Suppose that Christian people could |
Cbristianize the worlds amusements. How
that would change the whole spirit of the
world In his own place each Christian of
us may do his small endeavor toward that.
1 do not know a surer way by which we'll
meaning people may turn those amusements
which may be good or may be bad, accord
ing to conviction, into actions which
WILL NEVER BE GOOD,
bnt will be bad under all circumstances,
than by avoiding those amusements by hav- |
ing nothing to do with them, BY leaving |
them to the rogues, and thereby insinuating |
that all are rogues who join in them. That |
was a wise thing which Luther, or Wesley, |
or some other good man said, who objected |
to letting the devil have all the good music. !
We ought to object to letting the devil have |
ANYTHING which has in it any possibility of |
good, any possibility of honest pleasure. |
Much of the conventional attitude of the |
Christian toward the world is simply the at |
titude of unconditional surrender-surren-
der to the devil. Dancing is surrendered to
the devil; the theater is surrendered to the |
devil. What grievous and unfortunate
mistakel
Charles Kingsly said true and wise word |
when he declared that there enough real sins |
in this world already without manufacturing |
any new ones.
There is cry in society to-day that the |
most needed social and religious reforms are |
those which concern the family. We need |
a reformation OF household religion. One
OF the signs of this need is the fact that our |
streets after dark are filed with boys |