Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-07-31
CHURCH OF HAPPINESS
Merriment Features In Evangelist
Theodore Valiant's Project.
MUSIC TO MAKE CONVERTS.
Hades to Be Diseredited by Sect That
Will Establish New Church In
Neutrality-suspicious. to Dance and
Sins-Would Abolish Blue Laws.

Will Establish New Church In
Neutrality-suspicious. to Dance and
Sins-Would Abolish Blue Laws.
Declaring that the laws of most
churches are puritanical in character
and the Sunday observance regulations
of the District of Columbia too strict
and that this situation is driving
many good citizens TO dens of !niquity
and vice" an attempt is being made
by the Rev Theodore Valiant, an
evangelist, to found Il new sect III
Washington, TO be known as the Hap
piness church. Behind the movement
are number of members of the Per
sOnal Liberty league.
At an open air meeting at Luna Park
the other night the principles of the
new denomination We're set forth.
One of them, according to the Wash
ington Post, is 10 overthrow the blue
laws" now in force in the District of
Columbia and permit the people TO en-
gage in sports and other recreations
on the sabbath
1t was announced that the new sect
will apply for articles of Incorporation
early in the autumn and that services
for the members will not be held In
any particular building. Out of doors
pulpits will be used as often as pos
sible. The meeting recently held was
the second of a series to be given this
summer
The Rev Mr.. Valiant was the princi.
pal speaker. and his structures upon
conditions were closely followed. His
audience gave him especially close at
tention wlen he predicted the death
of the "blue laws" and declared the
church of the future will offer its mem
bers such attractions as are to be
found in amusement parks such as the
one in which he spoke.
Music, mcrrimcnt and smiling faces
will be important features of the re
ligion of the future" the Rev. Valiant
said "As in the olden times, men and
women will he won back TO God from
depravity and crime in just such gath
erings as this There will be the
dancing women, the cymbal players
the singers and the games, just as
there were in the days of Moses and
Solomon. Morbidity and solemnity are
the twin children of mother evil.
Crime is hatched where mirth is not;
depravity fiourishes in the shades of
| secretiveness.
''The old hell of the old religion, with
| its flaming fires, its dancing imps in
leather hides, its catacomb Of dead
hopes and its fumes of sulphur, is a
thing of the past. 1t was adroitly en-
ployed to frighten people into the
| church Today the modern religion
| does not prey upon the fears and ig-
norance of the people. 1t says God
| is love, God is light, God is happiness,
! 1t bids you come to church with ac-
claims of joy. 1t presents a church in
which you may smile and from the
portals of which morbidity and fear
have been banished.
"The church of the future that will
make the most converts for Gods
| cause and the betterment of humanity
| is the church that will offer its mem
| bers such attractive features as we
Sunday morning-music and light and
| harmless games and the laughter of
! joyousness.
"My friends, be not deceived. Our
Father does not want us to approach
him with long faces and downcast
eyes. Go to him with happiness beam
| ing from your cOuntenance and over
flowing from your heart Take a les
son in happiness from his creatures,
the birds with their songs of praise,
the glittering fishes as they flirt about
like flashing sunbeams in the silvery
waters or the animals as they gambol
on the greensward Crime and de
pravity are Unknown to such of Gods
creatures 1t is left for man to be
morbid and sorrowful-and sinful
"There is no crime in the enhancing
strains of music, no sin in the simple
means of enjoyment called games. nC
secretiveness nor wrOngdoing in this
bright and cheerful glare of Gods elec
tricity.
blue laws and fanaticism will finG
no place in the religion of the future
There will be more recreation parks II
the new order of things and very mucl
less ignorance, sorrow and crime. Ii
the good book it is related that Gods
smile is reflected in the happiness Of
his people Such being the case, Goo
must he smiling most benignly on thi:
gathering, where all is JOY and happi
ness. Those of you who profess t.
be Christians, I beseech you. do no
seek to take away the joys of the peo
pie by imposing fanatical conditions
upon them. DO not waste your ener
gies upon that which does no harm
except you regard happiness as harm
Rather go We as God has commanded
out into the sin darkened highway
and into the gloomy hedges and seel
poor downcast, sinful humanity ant
bring them to the light.
"Search not here, for if We do We will
| not find the sinful and the unhappy
but the contented and the happy. Ma.
Gods brightest blessing be upon yo
ALL"