Evening journal., 1916-01-28
The Dead Line in AmuScmentS
preached in the Tabernacle last night by Lyon

TO every fair minded person as right,
is, first of all, to settle your personal
relationship with Christ. You can
not afford to let anything, no matter
how much you may desire it, stand
between you and salvation. If you
have to pay for anything, no matter
how much you may desire it, in the
coin Of your eternal soul. it is too
expensive-you are paying too big
price.
During a campaign in one city. just
next door to the home where I was
entertained, lived a young lady who
had been given present of young
alligator. She spent good share Of
her time petting and fondling that
creature One day as | was passing
she was sitting on the front porch and
she called to me, "Oh, Mr. Lyon. come
in here and pet my alligator" pet
an alligator" / exclaimed Il would
just as leave pet rattlesnake" Sup
posing that young woman was keep
ing company with young man.
whom she loved, and hoped some time
would be her husband. and he loathed
alligators as much as I do. and when
ever he came to call on her she in
sisted on kissing and caressing that
alligator Now II that young woman
saw that this was going to estrange
her from her lover. if she had sound
common sense what would she do?
Why YOU say "She would take that
/ reptile Ivy the tail and throw IL as far
as she could. She would not let an
alligator stand between her and per-
manent domestic happiness" DO you
! see the point? You cannot afford TO
/ let anything stand between you and
your souls eternal salvation
Starting with the basis that God
wants us to have more enjoyment
rather than less. we are led to ask
Is there anywhere a dead-line in
amusements?" Do you ask. what is
a dead-line?" Some of these old sol
diers can tell us. They say that dur
ing the Civil War in Libby and An
dersonville prisons, the captors
marked out a line. near the stockade
which they called a "deadline." II
any prisoner stepped across that line
he was treading on dangerous ground
guards. Is there anywhere a dead.
line in amusements? A line over
which. il we step. we are treading or
dangerous ground, morally. If there
is such a line you want to know it
do you not? That is unless you ar,
like a young woman. whom I hearC
talking to her escort as she entered
the tabernacle in another city. The
evening ! was going TO speak on thii
subject She said. Il do not car
whether what I am doing is right %
wrong. l am going to do it anyway.
or course if you have that spirit
there is nothing that I can do 70
YOU You are too far gone for me
, If you have that prejudiced unrea
sonable attitude. you might as wei
get up and go home now. for If yo
did not. you would probably get an
p CRY in a few minutes and wish 20
7 had. want TO speak to those onl
r who want to know the truth, for
! is the truth that sets us free.
e Let us lay down the fundament;
b principle OF this whole discussion
?, Whenever you allow anything in yoJ
h life which becomes a hindrance
y your own physical, intellectual. mori
= or spiritual welfare. or by your il
fluence and example becomes hil
o drance TO the physical. intellectua
g moral or spiritual welfare of an
= other person, by that act you eros
= the dead-line. With this basic thougl
d i'm mind. let US go on TO considC
g some forms OF amusement. which !
J. least a large share OF right thinkin
d people regard as over the dead-lin
n Let lis first consider the theatre.
have three indictments to brin
Al against the theatre. The first is