Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-25
THE CHURCH AS A THEATER


Editor Herald: Although an Amer
lean, l am more of a Buddhist than
a Christian. Buddha was n vegeta-
rian Christ was not. AS a partial
reply, therefore, to "A Christians"
letter in The Herald of December %
on Church and Moulin Rouge" wo
say, first. Christianity does not exist;
secondly, a great deal of Jesuitism ex-
lists in what is commonly termed
Christianity; thirdly and lastly, in the
days of phallic worship, when the
world was avowedly pagan, the crea-
tive forces of man and nature frankly
and openly worshiped and immodesty
was not a sin. the church was the.
alter of lust. This is not condemning
it, only the mere statement of fact;
for in those days of the adolescence of
the race man knew no better.
However, are we returning to this
condition. though such be veneered
over by the fastidiouSness of a super
refined civilization?
The church as n censor of morals
can say little versus the so-called in
decency of the Moulin Rouge" show
and other things of like character
when she herself often apes the the
alter in many of the church affairs got
ten up for the benefit of Christian
evangelization.
Citing historical facts: Female
minstrel shows were the most popular
church entertainments in Massachu-
sets in 1895. At Middletown, Mass,
the Unitarians enlivened their min
strel performance with a song and
dance turn an impersonation of "The
Bowery Girl" and a skirt dance. A
few years later Christ church. Spring.
field. Mo, came out with such glad
some affairs as Dance of the Arab
= Ill IL
the "Chew Glue Sisters" in their
Song and Dance Specialties." Dur
ing the same year the First Reformed
church, Bedford avenue and Clymer
street, Brooklyn, gave n living picture
show, in which society women of the
eastern district posed in gilt frames
indifferently as st. Cecilia and Bac-
Chante, the Madonna of Consolation
and La Zingarella. The women of ST.
Johns church. Youngstown, o, gave
a pleasing performance when they ap-
peared in black face and amused their
brethren and sisters with songs,
dances and local hits. Young women
of Fredonia, ~ V, not only blackened
their faces, but came on the stage in
bloomer garhs, while at Woodsde. L..
l.. shapely young woman, cork faced
and bloomered, wound up her interest
ing performance by kicking a tambou-
St Johns Methodist Episcopal
church. Toledo, O., gave stimulat-
ing entertainment when it hired the
Peak sisters, who reCited that touch
ing and exquisite poem, do You
Know the Mouth of NAM" In which
kissing was referred to ninety times;
while the Presbyterian church, same
city, produced later a refined 60 di-
version called Just Us Girls" OPEN
IN ho TG- in
which the young women wore their
hair over their faces and masks on
the backs of their heads.
But the "Trilby Party" otherwise
known as the Foot Social" and
sometimes called "The Ankle Auction" q"
takes the cake" The young women
of the Suffern NJ. E. Epworth league
and the New Brunswick P. E. Olive
Branch society. both of New Jersey,
clad in short dresses, stood behind a
curtain lifted to a height where the
| body could be seen from foot to knee.
Men stood or sat in front of the cur
tain and bid for the privilege of TAX
ing some one of the young women
in to supper.
Imagine st. Paul dishing up the re-
ligion of Jesus Christ with stereopti-
con views or Barnabas using a magic
lantern. st. Athanasius never arranged
a kirmess, a broom drill or a pink tea,
while the church of Ephesus or Phil
lippi never advertised a bazaar, a
clambake or a strawberry social. I'm
agine st. John of Patmos coming out
in bloomer garb and teaching men and
women the way to salvation through
Christ. st. Peter, with all his faults,
would not have disgraced himself or
Christ through high kicking exercises
for the glory of redemption.
That this matter may be printed as
have written it, sign my real name.
JOHN a. MORRIS.
Los An Oe1oe