The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-26
CHURCH TO TRY IT
Moving Pictures viii Be Shown
at Services.
Will BE Tried at First Baptist
in November.
THE LIFE OF MOSES.
This Will Be the First Series
Shown.
Preachers Believe That De-
parture Is Coed One.

II do not believe in letting the devil
have too many of the good things.
was the comment of one of the min
listers of the city when he heard of the
rather startling announcement by the
Rev. Robert Gordon of the First Bap-
fist church that the moving picture
will play an important part in the
church services in November, and this
seems to be the sentiment OF the lead
ing ministers of the city.
1t now is evident that moving pic
lures will form an educative feature in
the development of leading churches
in Topeka. The trouble is that the
pastors have been waiting for the
other fellow to make a move. The
new Sunday school addition OF the
First NJ E. church is being wired so
that the moving picture show may
become a factor in teaching religious
truths.
The Rev. Charles Stelzle of the
Presbyterian church, the great social
service worker in New York city, mas
used the moving picture to advantage
in his Labor Temple in New York
However, the Rev. Mr.. Gordon says as
far as he knows the plan has not been
as yet tried in regular churches OF the
country.
ing pictures in the Sunday night SER
vices for the next five weeks, sara
Rev. Mr.. Gordon today. The story OF
the life of Moses will be illustrated by
!
were produced under the direction OIL
DR. Madison c. Peters.
Zone of nv men put up the PROPOSE
ton to me week ago and called TO-
gether a number of our members ana
turned the matter over to them put
up no argument for the pictures ana
was surprised to find that there was no
objection; with perfect unan1mlty they
said, 1T is fine thing. Go ahead
"The only ground upon Wnch
thought objection might be made is IN
the novelty of the proposition. Any
thing new is always opposed by some.
( One has only to recall the long fight
over introduction of stoves or furnaces
into the church building, or the siren
uous opposition to organs ana hymn
/ singing to understand this. Many still
! remember the feeling that had to be
! overcome before the stereopticon could
| be used religiously and there are those
still who look upon fiddle as a de-
vice of the evil one and its sweetest
strains in a church are considered
obnoxious
I 1.-TWO German professors have issued
warning against the modern picture
mania They declare sOlemnly that
+ thereby knowledge is being made too
popular and easily accessible, which
would be, in the opinion OF most
Americans, a strong argument IN Ia
/ vor of the pictures.
I'm fact the church has always used
moving pictures of some sort. Recall
/ Jesus stories of the Prodigal Son or
/ the Rich Fool. The Good Samaritan
parable is a thrilling story OF dar-
ing highway robbery, presented IN a
series of exciting pictures. Jesus not
. only made continual use of word pic
! lures but so DESTROYS was he OF max
! ing men see the truth, that he fire.
! uuentIv dramatized his sermon. For
4 instance when he said, "Show me q
I penny" or when he set the child IN
! fine midst or when he washed the dis
ciples feet. Truth reaches the soul
! through the senses and it makes a
| clearer more lasting impression on
! most minds, through the eye than
| through the ear. For this reason a
moor cartoon may be more effective
! than q well-written paragraph. nat
/ does this mean to you: Anything rec
| tic11lated or decussated at equal dis
I tances. with interstices between the in
tersections?' That is DR.. Johnsons dlc-
| tionary definition of a bit of network;
4 how much more instructive picture
would be.
nAII consciousness is motor the psy-
| biologists say. An idea lodged IN the
mind tends to express itself in action.
A father told me that on leaving nome
/ he EXPRESSLY warned his boy not to
throw stones at the bee hive. OF course
he returned to find his boy badly bee
stl1ng. John knew the power OF the
mental image. He wrote we shall be
like Christ. for we shall see Him as
/ He is.
! ~And a moving picture is more in
/ fIueutiaI than any other. To sustain
interest there must be continual
+ change; even a parade loses It's at
/ traction when 1t stops. I agree with
the editor of the Survey when ne
n writes TN the unknown future or the
n moving picture educational and re-