The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-24
The SUNDAY SHEET.
The Most Pernicious Of Sabbath
Evils, Says Rev. Dr. Whalen, In
His Discussion of Sabbath observ-

|
ance.
Rev. DR.. ". j. Whalon, in his dis
| Cl,ssion of the Observance of the sab
ath, the topic of Sunday nights SER
mon, had this to say about Sunday
| papers:
There are so many pernicious ways OF
| Sunday pleasure now that ono must nc
| very watchful. There are the gathering
of great masses on picnic grounds, sun
day excursions. open thcatcrs, the selling
| of liuuoi-a multitude of things that du
not benefit physically, intellectually nor
| morally. Eut believe the most per-
| nicious thing today. one which is sappinE
religion from the hearts of Il great mass
| of the people. is tho Sunday sheet found
| in only too many homes. There are men
and women in this city who are positively
! slaves to the Sunday sheet. There arc
men who get up bright nnd early to get
| the Sunday paper. You may sec them
pouring over it at Z O'Clock in the morn
| ing and yet at noon. and pass by their
| homes at o'clock and still you Will find
them absorbed in the Sunday papers
sheets filled with filth and wickcdness
| that are poured into your homes on Sun
day morning. 1t is no mystery that we
believe they are sapping the spiritual life
of every man and woman that reads.
Is it strange IL view of these facts
that the Christian spirit of our people Is
heinS weakened day by day? Above all
let your soul be fed with something writ
ten by the inspired pen of Paul. Mathew.
Luke Mark, st. John or some other
moral writer. DO not let your soul be in
jured with pcrncious matter written by
the hand of unknown disrcputablcs and
which feeds only the baser things in our
nature. The spiritual life of our city will
rise higher and higher when our people
give to the word of God half as much as
they do to the pcrnicious stuff hawked
about our streets on Sunday morning.
Speaking of Sunday pleasures, DR..
Whalen said:
Another thing in which there is great
desecration of the Sabbath IS the mat
ter of Sunday pleasure. Few questions
are now perplexing to ministers If were
asked what pleasures one is allowed to
indulge in without breaking the Sabbath
law | would answer that Il man should
indulge in no pleasure which disturbs his
conscience. He should indulge in no
pleasure which causes him to ask if it
is right or wrong. 1t may be argued that
when Il man is shut uo all week what
harm is there in his taking his family
and going out to enjoy the day. But. let
me ask, how many of those who use this
argument spend the Sabbath in that way?
The hours of labor are growing less in
almost every line of business. There is
a vast amount of time at the disposal of
men who toll nowadays which their faith
ers never knew, with the multiplied holi-
days. Saturday half holidays and short
hours there is an abundant opportunity
for men to have suitable and sufficient
recreation for themselves and their faml-
lies. If the necessity for more time eX-
lists man might better take Il day from
himself than from God. lie might bet
ter take one out of the six days of labor
than tn take the one set aside for tho
upbuildng of his spiritual being.
There are ways of harmless Sunday re-
creation but no man should Interfere with
his duty to God. a Christian can so COM
hino recreation and works of mercy as to
find favor with God If he wants to get
out into the country, why not organize
Sunday school there 1t may be COM
posed of few families only, but it
would he doing the work of the Master
and vet give the wished for recreation
How many places there are about the
city where Sunday schools could he
opened during the summer. But seeking
pleasure on Sunday merely for pleasure 8
sake is undoubtedly contrary to Gods
command. Can pleasure not he found in
Gods work? There are indeed, multi
tudc of ways in which recreation and
Sood work can he linked.