The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-07-11
Rational Amuacne ents.

Shall He not with Him freely give Us.
all things?-Romans, viii, 80.
The earth is the Lords, and the fuE:
ness thereof-I. Corinthians, K, &c.
All things are yours.-I. Corinthians,i
ill.,, q.
How shall we amuse ourselves,
sanely and in good conscience?" was
the question before a recent meetingI
of a young mems social organization
in Philadelphia. This is question OF
public morals that must be considered
and settled by the common council Of
the Kingdom of God.
Says one editorial paragraph: If,
you once make a rule that man can
not be gay and at the same time godly
you will be more apt to decrease godli-
ness than to destroy gayety." i
Last Thanksgiving Day I heard q
prominent Presbyterian minister say I'M
his sermon that religion that brings
misery is not born of God.
Make the people happier, and you will
make them better" And one of the
conservative religious papers recently
said: Let US never be afraid of limo!
cent joy. &" Ask for spirit OF
joy and that genuine and religious op1
timism which sees in God Father and
asks no pardon for His benefits"
We need heattening up, invigorating,
diverting-we need more Of Gods OUT
doors and q return to our childhood for
a season-to unloose the pent stroke
from our arms, the caper from our
heels. the call from our lungs, and the
song from our hearts.
AS to the moral character of sports
and pastimss. it is we'll to remember
that they have no character OF any
kind except that which the individual
gives them. 1t is for every man td
decide whether his amuSements shall
be innocent or otherwise, as he does
with his tongue and hand. !,
Why should Satan be allowed to
carry off every joyful and useful diI
version. as the Phlistines did the ark
of God? 1t is for the good people to
recapture them-to retake the high
places and pleasant strongholds-to
make q crusade to reconluer and
cleanse and occupy these God given
gardens of the life that now is.
Misuse has created much Of the
prejudice against the eXpurgated pleas
ures. They have an acquired reputaI
ton. Vice is perverted virtue" and
the evil use Of good things brings
many virtuous things into disfavor.
How unfortunate that the abuse OF
good gifts from Oh high should have
been allowed to give them a bad name
and place them upon the social and
ecclesiastical black list! But NEST un<
fortunate is the selfish intolerance that
so multiplies forbidden things as to
make it next to impossible to enjoy life
In good conscience.
The fine humor of the Masters re-
buke. I'VE strain at gnat and swallow
a camel" still applies to many SELL
appointed misguided kill-joys who go
abAut labelling forbidden fruit and
plaearding edicts against everything
which they themselves do not enjoy or
which gives them occupation.
The young and vigorous want recrea-
ton. the old and heavy laden W: mt re-
taxation. God gave this relief to both.
and his people should rejoice to allow 1t
to them. Nor will they necessarily
abuse the indulgence.
The foolish who. also abuse food ana
raiment will ofttines persist in the
wrong use of pleasures and in pursu-
ing pas,imes that waste mind and
body: but the reasonable can be guided
md trusted in all the healthier out
door and indoor diversions.-The Rev.
c. Q. Wright. Chaplain United States
Navy, in the Sunday Herald. 49,;