The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-05-14

Conference is in session that tbs
church will probably remove the
ban from worldly amusements.
This announcement will per
haps cause some Of the Puritanical
brethren, who have been taught 70
abhor the world, Ne devil and the
flesh, to hold up their hands in ho-
" horror twill be regarded as a
compromise with the wickedone, I'M
worthy of the true believer. These
brethren will begin TO bemoan The
decadence Of the genuine article m
the way of religion and sigh again
for the return to the good old days
of the fathers.
To those who are in touch with
twentieth century ideas, however,
the proposed relaxation in the
church rules will be hailed as a to-
ken that this great religious body
is putting itself in line with the
progressive movements of the age
Religious teachers Of today,
while appealing no less fervently
than their predecessors for the
great essential truths Of religion,
are showing finer powers Of dis
elimination. Instead of Jumping
everything worldly in the cate
CORY Of things that constitute the
peculiar possession of the devil
they recognize that these things
are not necessarily wicked because
they belong 10 tl;s world. In fact
it is being discovered that there are
some pretty good things in thi:
world and men and women, othei
than these raore mediums who
live i'll constant companionshiI
with the .dcnizens OF the spirif
world. being largely occupied will
worldly things, it becomes theil
serious religious problem to deter
mine how and in what measure
they shall Use these things Will
most profit to their souls.
The so-called worldly amuse
ments, according to some Of out
antiquated preachers are little, i
ANY. less sinful than living and lar
ceny. Real religion has undoubt
edly suffered from this sort Q
preaching. Il has suffered becaus'
such preaching nisplaces empha
sis. and certain classes OF people
have thought that if they were ire
from the heinous sin Of indulgIn'
in worldly amusements, they wer'
on a pretty clear highway TO glory
They might be narrow, intolefan
and selfish, but this did not afiec
their sanity character. They as
sumed as a matter Of course tha
Abe devotees Of the worldly amuse
meuts, whatever other elements 0
npright character they might have
were children Of the devil.
The church, as an institution
as well as its individual adherents
was injured by such preaching
Many people who could and wcul'
embrace the essential principles o
religion, who believed its truth
and practiced them in their lives
were kept out Of the church b.
such narrow teachings. Further
more, the church member VIII
claimed the right 10 exercise hi
individual judgment III such mat
tiers and who indulged i'll the for
bidden pleasures, was pointed on
as hypocrit BY the outsiders AM
the church lost prestige.
In the religion Of the prcsen
age, the command, Rejoice ever
ipore" is regarded as just as bind
ing as any Of the other command
of Holy Writ. It is thought tina
the wise Creator put men an
women in this world to enjo
themselves, along with the NOR
serious matters of life, and thu
such enjoyment is not inconsistei
with high spiritual attainment
We have passed beyond The age
the mystical in religion to the ae
of the practical. We have learne
that to the just all things are ju
and that good men and wonien ca
find legitimate pleasure in eve
worldly" things.