Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-22
RECTOREXPLAINS
MOVIES DEFENSE
Or. Wilmer AmpIifieS His Views
in Order to Make His Atti-
tude Clear to All.

DR.. c. B. Wilmer. rector OF St. Lukes
church. to-day amplifed his views on
the Sunday movies question. Dr..
Wilmer asserted that he desired to
make his whole attitude on the subject
perfectly clear He said:
Il do believe in Sunday picture shows
Of certain character and under Ger
tain conditions Undoubtedly the
Sabbath was made for man and not
man for the Sabbath and any honest
Interpretation Of those words must in
clude the whole man, physical and
mental as well as spiritual. In fact,
the question at issue when Christ spoke
those words was one of mans physical
need pure and simple. Undoubtedly
also the New Testament lays down the
principle of personal liberty as to what
one shall 90 or not do on Sunday. (See
Romans 14:5 and the whole chapter,
and Colossians 2:16D Undoubtedly
also there is and must be maintained
the separation Of church and state, We
Christians have no right TO ask the
state or the city TO enact any and all
laws which express the way in which
we think the day should be observed.
But it is also true, as it seems to
me that personal liberty is to be quail
flied by the welfare of others and by
the necessity of corporate action. Per-
sonal liberty as taught in the New Tes
lament does not mean the right to 20
as one pleases, but the right to exercise
an intelligent discretion, modified by
the rights and interests of others. Let
us not judge one another any more. but
Judge this rather that no man put a
stumbling block in his brothers way,
or an occa sion of falling
Freely conCeding the principle that
recreation is one of mans needs and
one that belongs to a right use of sun
DAY. the question still remains, What
is the best way in which to furnish the
recreation which, investigation shows,
the people need? | expressed to your
reporter the opinion that Mr.. Charles
Stelzle, for example, was right in his
opposition to a cOmmerCialiZed Sun
day and that if certain sort of en-
tertainment or recreation was needed
by any class of people on Sunday It
would be better to have the state or
the city to furnish 1t than to drive in
the entering wedge of a wide-open
Sunday.
And while these are questions on
which men may honestly differ and
should do so without bitterness or mu-
tual denunciation, there is one question
involved in the present situation on
which there ought to be no difference
of opinion whatever. and that is, that
the civil government, having enacted
Legislation based on the principle that
the stopping Of the pursuit Of gainfll
occupations one day in seven is VITA
in its sphere and for the public well
fare. obedience to the law, in letter and
spirit, is the bounden duty of every
good citizen.
Under a democratic government the
people have the right to pass such laws
or have them passed as seem right
to them on this or any other subject,
and, of course, Christian ministers and
Christian men. as citizens, have a right
to their views regarding such laws. But
while we have laws. let us obey them
according to their obvious intent, and
not be satisfied with such obedience as
merely prevents conviction by a jury
compelled to a strict construction.
submit that evasion of the law is bad
citizenship and bad morals"