The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-07-02
RATIONAL ADJUSTMENTS.
The Rev. DR.. TaImage breaches on the
Evils of Straitjackct Religion.
plenty of Places Where We May Find
Elevated Moral Entertainments.
fCopYrirht 1an11

.haI DellJtle ana deprave; text, III Samuel
play before us"
There are two armies encamped bv the
pool OF Gideon. The time hangs heavily
on their hands. One army proposes n
game OF sword fencing. Nothing could be
more healthtul and innocent. The other
army accepts the challenge. Twelve men
against twelve men, the sport opens. But
something went adversely. Perhaps one
OF the swordsmen got an unlucly slip or
IN some way ned his ire aroused, and that
which opened In sportfulness ended in vio-
fence, each one taking his contestant by
the hair and then with the sword thrust
ing him IN the side, so that that which
opened in innocent fun ended in the mas
ssacre OF all the twenty-four sportsmen.
was there ever a. better illustration of
what was true then and is true now-that
that which Is innocent may be made de.
structivey
What OF a worldly nature il more i'm.
portant and strengthening and innocent
imam amusement, and yet what has count.
ed more victims? l have no sympathy
with stratjacket religion. This is a very
bright world 10 me, and / propose to do
all L can to make It bright for others. |
never could keep step to a dead march. A
DOCK years ago issued says that a Chris.
tan man has a right to some amusements
For instance, if he comes at night weary
from his work and, feeling the need of
recreation, puts on his slippers and goes
INTO his garnet and walks lively round the
moor several times there can be no harm
In 1t. believe the church of God has
made great mistake in trying to suppress
the sporttulness OF youth and drive out
from men their love OF amusement If
God ever implanted anything i'm us. He
implanted this desire. But instead of pro.
Vidlng tor this demand of our nature the
church OF God has for the main part ig-
nored It, As IN a riot the mayor plants a
battery at the end of the street and has it
hred of so that everything is cut down
that happens to stand in the range the
good as well as the bad, so there are men
IN the church who plant their batteries of
condemnation and fire away indiscrimin.
ately. Everything is condemned But
Paul, the apostle, commends those who
use the world without abusing it, and In
the natural world God has done everything
TO please and amuse us.
And l am glad TO know that in all our
cities there are plenty of places where we
may ind elevated moral entertainment
But all honest men and good women will
agree with me IN the statement that one
OF the worst things in these cities Is cor
down under the blasting influence, never
20 rise. II we may judge of what Is going
on IN many OF the places of amusement bV
the pictures on board fences and in many
81 the show windows, there is not much
lower depth OF protiigacy to reach. At
naples, Italy, they keep such pictures
locked up from indiscrimlnate inspection
Those pictures were exhumed from Pom
pen, and are not fit for public gaze If the
eeHrontery OF bad places of amusement in
hanging out improper advertisements of
what they are doing night by night grows
worse IN the same proportions in fifty
years some OF our modern cities will beat
Pompeii.
1 project certain principles by which
you may judge in regard to any amusement
or recreation, finding out for yourself
whether 1t IS right or wrong
L remark, IN the first place that you can
Judge OF the moral character of any amuse.
ment by its healthful result or by its bale
1uI reaction, There are people who seem
made up OF hard facts. They are a combi.
nation OF multiplication tables and stats.
tics. IL you show them an exquisite Dic.
ture they will begin to discuss the pig
ments involved in the coloring If YOU
show them a beautiful rose they will sub
mt 1t to botanical analysis, which is only
the post-mortem examination Of a flower
Ihey have no rebound in their nature
nhey never do anything more than smile
1here are no great tides of feeling surginR
up from the depths of their soul in bIlow
after blllow of reverberating laughter They
seem as If nature had built them by con.
tract and made bungling job of it. But
blessed be God, there are people in the
world who have bright faces and whose
tory.
Now, it is these exhilarant and svmna.
thetlc and warm hearted people that are
most tempted TO pernicious arnusements
In proportion as a ship is swift it wants a
strong helmsman, in proportion as a horse
IS gay 1t wants stout driver. and these
people OF exuberant nature will do well 10
look at the reaction of all their arnuse-
ments. III an amusement sends YOU home
at night nervous 80 that YOU cannot slepD
ana you rise up in the morning not be-
cause you are slept out, but because your
duty drags you from your slumbers Won
nave been where you ought not to have
Deen. there are amusements that send a
man next day to his work with his eyes
ploodshot, yawning, stupid, nauseated. and
they are wrong kinds OF amusement. They
are entertainments that give a man dis
sust Win the drudgery Of life with tools
because they are not swords with work
ing aprons because they are not robes
WIN cattle because they are not infuriated
bulls OF the arena.
III any amusement sends you home long.
ing lot ME OF romance and thrilling ad.
venture, love that takes poison and s6oots
itself, moonlight adventures and bair-
Dreddtn escapes, you may depend upon II
that you are the sacrificed victim Of nm
sanctned pleasure. Our recrcations arc
intended TO build ug up, and If they pull
US gown as % our moral or as to our ply
sical strength you may come to the con
eiaslon that they are ObnoxiOus.
Ihere IS nothing more dcpraving than
attendance upon amusements that are full
OF innuendo and low suggestion The
young man enters AT fr5t ho eif- co.
back, with his hat on and his coat collar
up fearful that somebody there may know
MN, Several nights pass on lie takes off
his hat earlier and puts his coat collar
down The blush that first came into his
cheek when anything indecent was enacted
comes no more 70 his cheek, Farewell
young man. You have nr0hahlv sinrlna