Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-28
Methodist Assembly Will Not
Make Proposed Change In
Church Discipline
THE PROHIBITED ADJUSTMENTS
improper Amusements and Excessive
Indulgence in innocent Sports, Ia
booed as Serious Barriers to Begin
ming of the Religious Life and Fruit
full Causes of Spiritual Decline

Los Angeles, Cal, May 2S.-By the
decisive Yea and nay vote of AL to 1SS,
the Methodist general conference de-
cided not to make any change in the
church discipline in the matter of pro-
h;bited amusements. The question is
one which has agitated the minds oil
the delegates to the present general
conference perhaps more than any
other single problem that has been be-
fore it. The church at large took q
wide interest in the subject of proposed
striking out of the spectned prohibited
amusements from the discipline, and
many memorials and petitions from all
parts of the country reflected popular
opinion in the church on the matter
In all, siXty-five have been received
flfty-tive of which opposed any change
in the discipline on this point and ten
favored various changes.
The question came before the confer
ence yesterday in the report of the
committee on the state of the church
ports. The majority report recon-
mends as follows: Your committee
declines to recommend the striking out
of the specified ainusements from para
graph 2iS of the discipline. 1t recon-
mends that the following paragraph be
inserted in the discipline under the
chapter on special advices.
"Amusements - Improper amuse-
ments and excessive Indulgence in in
nocent amusements are serious barriers
to the beginning of the religious life
and fruitful causes of spiritual declines.
Some anlusements in common use
are also positively demoralizing and
furnish the dirst easy steps to the total
less of character. We therefore look
with deep concern on the great increase
of amusements and on the general
prevalence Of harmful amusements, and
lift up solemn note of warning and
entreaty. particularly against theater-
going, dancing and such games of
chance as are frequently associated
with gambling; all of which have been
found to be antagonistic to vital piety.
promotive OF worldliness, and especial
~ pernicious to youth. We affectionate-
ly admonish all our people to make
their amusements the subject of care
full thought and frequent prayer: to
study the subject of amusements in the
light of their tendencies and to be care
full in this matter, to set no injurious
example.
1--WE adiure them to remember that
the question for a Christian must often
be, not whether certain course of ac-
ton is positively immoral. but whether
it will duh the spiritual life and be an
unwise example. We deem 1t our
bounden duty to summon the whole
church to apply thoughtful and in
structive conscience to amusements
and not to leave them to accident or
passion, and we affectionately advise
and beseech every member of the
church absolutely to avoid the taking
Of such diversion as can not be used in
the name OF the Lord"
Nearly a score of speeches were
made on both sides.
Upon the order of The previous ques-
ton. a nay and yea vote was demanded
for the first time during the present
conference. This same subject was the
only question precipitatjng nag and
yea vote in the general conference of
four years ago at Chicago. TIL. calling
of the roll occupied the remainde. of
the afternoon session.
r. M. Randall. of Tacoma. was elect
ed secretary of the Epworth League,
and ]. T. Mcfarland, OF Topeka. Kas.,
secretary of the Sunday School Union
Both elections We're holly contested.