The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-04-03
FORBIDDEN ADJUSTMENTS.
Msthod'sts who Have Become Lar
Msy he brought Up with Round
farn.
Danger Commercial.

danger Commercial.
Msthodiits ars against the ball. whist
game and theatre-parsy; this is one OF
the results Of che recent letter Of the
bishop, now beinR acted on In Bangor.
Regarding the whole matter the re-
marks OF Bangor Eohurchman TO whom
IL was referred on Thursday, will be Of
interest. He said:
Maine hasn't had to face this PROPOSE
tion squarsly yet and l hope she WON'T
havs to--I mean the Msthodist church
10 Maine. Ny opinion Is, however, that
II Will appear az the next conference. to
be held In Belfast In April. and that at
that time IL Will have = complete discus
sion.
"Bor many pears the Methodist. church
In bangor as elsewhere has been against
dancing. card playing. thsstrs-soins and
other similar forms OF amusement and
entertainment, do not wish TO enter
into The reasons back Of this position
because they are as you know. too
diverse to be talked about In this wsy.
Moreover, those very reasons are the sab
jset Of argument at all times and could
not be given here without a. I'D con
disc ussion.
"In recent years ths young people of
the Msthodist dsnomination have eeen
breaking away from this position. They
have been brought into contact with the
RI Their msrs liberal msnusrs OF the times.
All their associates dance, visit the thea.
re ana play cards. They nod that to
object to such things IN most Of the
households where they are admitted 10 30
bring forth more or less extended ridi-
Guile. Then again, our young people
have been going away to schools and
colleges where these forms o. smusement
are net interdi cted and come homs with
"Ihis has forctd change Of front in
many churches. / do mob say In Bangor
churches, but in many Of them 10 has
done 90. Conse isntious CHURCH workers
end plsraymsn have therefore found TO
| hir discontinue that the jewel Of con-
sistenoy was growing dim,-that their
continually dehsd without even the suG-
ae st on Of stop. Mattsrs had gone 80
far tt ct nobody considered the i7Qen-
srulty Of msmbers Of Meth odist churches
dancing or playing cards or going 70 the
theatre. Indeed, many pastors took 1t
ON them selves, half uncsnaciouslv, per-
hsps, to regulate their own local affairs In
these important respects.
MUST BE STOPPED.
"Ntw, since the letter Of the bishors,
there has been general ov srhauline Of
the faith, and We have besn brought
face to face with tho situation In which
we see the great body Of our young
people breaking over the historically
rigid rules of the main church. The
question is what shall We do about 1t,
and the answer is plain.
"If the church stands for the intsrdic-
tion of these am usements IL must stand
firm. That 10 our position. II 1t Is
proper or desirable to change our position
so that 1t does rot weigh against them,
let ua do that. Ii change IL improper.
let us place the strong hand Of the church
upon the situation and insist on liberal
application Of the principle You VIII zee
that this IL the only position IN which
consis tency can be maintained.
There have been propositions to re-
move from the system OF Methodist disci-
pine theGe amusements which / have
named, nut this is nesting with oppo-
sition. / thick the general sentiment
anon gst the older mem ers OF the church
is that the discipline should remain as 1t
has Eeen and that 1t should be riRidly
and literally enforced.
"The effecti / don't know how to
answer that. II should answsr 1t as l
really felt IL might engepder arguments
from which no great amount Of good
would come. 1t ell lies with the young
reople. Ne must do . great amount OF
work witb them to hold them to the
church while urging on them the neoes-
sity af abandoning these I'm proper pleas
ures. Some Of them will leave us. How
many, Is the question and that depends
ON our power In working amongst them
with the view to spiritualizing them
anew. All this supposes that the church
will not abandon It's position In the mat
ter. which do not consider probable"
| For obvious reasons neither OF the
Methodist clergyman In Bangor was
asked to give statements In the msttsr
at this time, with conference only few
weeks away.