The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-02
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
MT. Doughty on Sunday Amusements

MT. Doughty on Sunday Amusements To the Editor of The Age Herald;
 In your issue of the 18th you published an article from the general agent of the Frisco railroad. J. II. Doughty, in which he states that "a series of advertise ments is being run in newspapers all over the country by church organization in which the leading headline Is: Play Your Golf on Sunday and Then Go to Church, Too This advertisement, which l have not seen. does not originate with the Methodist church organization" l am sure. In fact. I know that every leading church organization in this country is committed to the Sabbath as a day of rest and for worship. The Baptists in their New Hampshire declaration of faith say: We believe that the first day of the week is the Lords day or Christian Sab bath, and is to be kept sacred to re- ligious purposes by abstaining from all secular labor etc The Congregationalists say: We are constrained to make em- phatic declsration of our belief that the fourth commandment of the decalogue as interpreted by Christ is binding upon the conscences of men, and authorita- tive over the life of individuals, corpora tions and communities.
 The Protestant Episcopal church says: Tn the fourth commandment God hath given express charge to all men that upon the Sabbath day which is now our Sunday they should cease from all weekly and work-day labor-God's obedient people ct1 Ina ao boI nd their common and daily business and also give themselves wholly to heavenly ex- ercses of Gods true religion and ser vice" The Presbyterians Gall practically declare the same): Resolved, That the law of God on the Sabbath, be reverently kept in mind. that warnings against Sab bath desecration be faithfully given, that our pastors preach on the subject. that our people be counselled not to be owners in Sabbath breaking corporations"
 The Methodists in their general confer ence say: "A proper recognition of the sanctity of the holy Sabbath is one of the chief >cornerstones in the church and of our Christian civilization. We deplore the low state of moral sentiment which permits. almost without rebuke, certain clements of community to live in constant violation of this wholesome law by keep ing open ordinary places of business, drinking saloons, running railroad trains anc engaging in Sunday pienics A spir itual church without a Sabbath Is an inn possibility"
 The Roman Catholics, by Pope Leo and Cardinal McCioskey, in 1882 said: We wholly denounce and positively for bid excursions on Sundays, and all Sunday picncs; and we exhort our good people who love their church and have the in- terests of religion and morality at heart to abstain from any participation in such scandalous, unhallowed and disgraceful practices; and to use all their influence to suppress them" l could give further declarations of religious organizations, but these show enough to prove that no -'church organization speaks ex cathedra when it says, Play your golf on Sun day."
 MT. Daughty Is quite sweeping in his charge. that the churches cater to the rich man." etc. What churches? Let the gentleman be specific in his allegations and give facts. Let him also remember