Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1905-07-15
MORAL AMUSEMENT
OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SERMON.
a Powerful Appeal For the Higher and
Better Life We All Should Lead


cial subject being The Problem Of
Morally Healthful Amusements." In
February he offered prizes for best re-
plies TO questions covering the several
problems TO be discussed lie sent n
printed list OF these questions 20 sew
eral hundred people over the country
The sermon was based largely on the
replies he received. The text was from
EcclesiSstes iii:4: There is a time 20
laugh and time 20 weep" Among
other things he said.
a few years ago. when n certain sup
posed ornament 90 TO French society
was asked whas he did. he replied.
My business is 10 amuse myself"
The history OF the church is but a his
tory OF the struggle between men and
women like this Frcnchmau. on the
one hand. and. on the other hand. those
who have had no place for q smile in
their religion. The WORLD has never
lacked the stole and the sensualist. To
the stole the church has seemed very
lax. To the scnsualist she has seemed
too strict. The church always has
stood and always viii stand against
the purposeloss lives OF both Of these
extremes. II 90 the mere pleasure
seeker the church has seemed dormatic
and damuatOry. we must remember
that pleasure has been tyrannical and
hrazen and absurd. To him who wor-
ships the god OF pleasure. even other
wise harmless plea become d'sSi-
patton tin the world is fun 90 the in-
spid IN heart and the vile in character
and the purposelesS I'm life. God did
not make the world f0r mere amusc-
mcut. neither did He design that 10
should Zoe run by the mere roilickors.
Yet desire for food and clothes is no
n.HH q HY.a. n
robust and normal man than are the
demands for laughter and amusement
induces OF the normal. mental ami spir-
ltual man. The question is mot. there
fore. one OF amuScmcutS. but what
kind and how much.
NO doubt that the church has often
been too closely allied with tho stole
IN exercising damuatory power respect
ing all forms OF amuScmcutS But bee
fore we ccnsure too severely let MS take
into account the conditions OF her early
history. The church began her mighty
march Of conquest in cities where aI
sorts OF lewd and obscene amusemeuts
were the rule-Rome Coripth. Ephe-
sus. etc. I'm these cities the god OF
pleasure held such high carnival that
industry was throttied and domestic
life was weakened Rome's great ann
. phitheatre. seating 3S5.o people. could
easily 1c filled with the morbid crowd
that measured the worth of the amuSe-
mentS by the fury of the entertain
ment and by the number ~ mon and
+ horses slain merely for their amuSc-
ment. The Emperor Trajan gave q
+ three months show I'm which 10000
men and 1900 beasts were slain 10
amuse the very best people Of Rome.
T Men would appear on the stage dressed
"H
would burst forth all over their bodies
and they would die wrlthinC in agony
of flames 20 the delight ~ the God of
, pleasure. Often Christians were forced
/ spectators and often unwilling partIci-
pants I'm these hrutalitiCs Food and
/ fun was the hilarious CRY OF these
I amusement loving people that haunted
. with its awful hiss the ears of the
/ dying gladiators. The popularity OF
the ruler was measured by his willing.
ness and ability 10 satisfy this cry FOR
+ food and fun An unwilling wit
I ness 10 these debaucheries in the name
Of amusement. can we wonder tina,
coming from such a birthplace the
church has at times been extreme?
Gibbon tells Us that ln the days OF
Rome's worst faminos she dismissed
her senators and patrons OF art. but G,
satisfy her god OF pleasure she KEEP
her vile VeStal virgins and her GOOt
dancers and singers of the levd SORT
10 amuse her as she staggered down Il
death or lay i'm the last commissions OF
her dying hour. He viii not CRITICS,
too harShly the church who has come
with her down her Historic way and
has witnessed her death struggle witt
the professional dispensers OF amuse
ment. who. IS vile i'm purpose as tn,
gain will pander to the selfish an.
sensual moods of men TN they leav,
those who otherwise would be noble
men and women. mere derellcts al
LIES sea 10 the menace of the iunoceu
vovagcrs.
Even today under the spell OF thi
pleasure good men will pay an uncom
planning tribute TO her and do no
hesitate 10 keep an open account witt
the dispensers OF hilarious ana SenSu
Gus amusements about dance halls an,
theatres, while at the same time the
Will become exceedingly poor and saw
ing X approached for charity or philan
thropy OF Justice. The mere vagabon,
ON the streets with his hand organ an,
monkey, or the grewSome and dfscOrd
ant curb stone band" take in the rev
enue that belongs 20 laundryman o
grocer, rs though these mOuntebanl
dispensers of amusement were NOR
deserving than they.
Seeing how Rome amused herself Z
death and how Spain amused hersel
with her bull fights out Of one OF tn
nrst rank powers into the imbecil
skeleton she now represents. no Won
der our Puritan fathers We're fearful
or this pleasure god. He is blind VIII
sees no inconSistence in the Puritan
zeal bans on all forms OF amusemen
III man must be or ar least appea
miserable before he can be happy. Blu
he to-day is worse than blind VIII