The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-05
LE|SHMAN MAKES A PLEA FOR HARMLESS SUNDAY RELAXATION
Dreariness of Birmingham Sundays Makes Young Peo- pie More Ready to Yield
 to Temptations
To the Editor of The e-Herald


 In your issue of Friday. July 2, you publish letter from the Rev l.. F. Whit ten regarding Sunday amusements. While my views differ from that of this gentle man. I read his letter with much inter- | est. and felt that a quotation of Catho- lie views showed more broadmindedness than is usual among those who regard amusements as unlawful on Sunday. | There are only two aspects to this ques- ton, The first Is the views of religious bodies from purely sectarian standpoint. The second is the matter of public nor ality.
 With the religious side of the matter the government is not concerned. It Is most | emphatcally not the duty of the state to decide between religions to say that ono mans is better than anothers. Under the American system. the opinions of the Jews and Seventh Day Baptists, for ex- ample. are as much entitled to respect from the nation as those of any other body of citizens as to the proper way of spend | ing Sunday If our government should ever discriminate between one faith and another, religious liberty would then be at an end. Yet many people who seem to live In constant terror of the domina- tion of our politics by a certain church are attempting to have legislation enacted to enforce their religious practices on the whole body of the people without the least regard to the wide difference in re- ligious beliefs and racial and individual | temperaments. This is undoubtedly wrong All Sunday legislation enacted .i. any or all religious observances Is tyran- nical and oppressive and radically wrong Aids the Public
 Now. as to the second aspect of the , case, the question of public morality. That Is certainly proper matter for the grave cor rsidera ton of the state Will pub lie welfare be enhanced by depriving the citizens of all means of amusement on Sunday? Noi The contrary is the case. Public morals will and do suffer real and serious injury from this cause. De- prvation of innocent recreations is an injury to the moral mental and physical nature of man.
 l do believe that all amusements which are not in themselves harmful should be CT couraged on Sunday This Is the one day that many men can call their own. the only time they have for rest and pleasures, when they can meet and be with their families and their friends. If they attend church. well and good. Let us hope they have obtained a spiritual freshment by so doing, which will strengthen them during the six toilsome days of the ensuing week. But do not send them to church by an act of the leg
 slature. If they attend worship let 1t be love that draws them, not fear that drves them there. Why cannot they at tend well a moving picture show, or listen to a concert by some good band. walk and talk and sit with friends among the trees and flowers of well-kept pub lie park. possibly spend an hour or 70, not unprohtably. in the public library: take little trip on the street cars to some dis tant suburb. play tennis, play golf. plsy baseball if he wishes. Will these things hurt him? No. Reasonably used, they will make him A better man and therefore a better citizen.
 But. please remember. if our man does not like these things and cannot enjoy them. he is as free as air to leave all or any of them alone. No policeman or sheriffs deputy will compel him to amuse himself, nor Is 1t right that any police man or sheriff's deputy should prevent his enjoyment of any innocent &fnl,se- ment for no other reason than the offense given to religious prejudice. I judge many of our legislators come from country communities and can imagine how such a one spends Sunday. After breakfast the carriage Is hitched up. and he and his family drive along the country roads by the well-kept. fertile farms and charm ing homes of his neighbors to the little church There he spends sometime in pleasant greetings to all present. for he Is kin to half the county. and friend of all of 1t. Service at length over, he fingers
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