The Penn's Grove record., 1916-12-22
A CHURCHMAN'S VIEW
Local Conventions Tastes Should
Be Observed

Mr.. Editor, kindly allow space to give
another view on propriety of exhibiting
the nude or semi-nude in popular pic
lures for profit, even though they be re-
productions of Greek mythology or
works of fine art. The question Of OBJ
Gently does depend ON the place, man.
ner and object as you state the Court
decided, and the ethical and moral side
may be according to the inward parts,
but how many comprehend what st. Paul
means by the inward parts? Most can
only comprehend material things.
A Teeji Islander may believe he is
fully sancti6ed in the inward parts after
having eaten a good missionary and he
may consider he is dressed beyond the
conventional propriety of his society by
wearing only the hat and collar of the
missionary. That may do for Teeji, At
RIGA, the costumes of ancient Greeks in
a warm climate, but it is not the conven-
tional laws of Penns Grove. Let fine
arts remain in art galleries and let peo-
pie see them, but church people object
to such being exploited for profit where
the place, amer and object are differ
ent.
II duCIcuIS manufactured CERTAIN
images of personages to express certain
attributes in their minds. Venus, the
image of a most perfect woman, repre-
scented love; Minerva, wisdom; Hercules,
strength. Adonis was the lover. BAG
chus was the god of wine; Mars, the god
of war.
When st. Paul went to Ephesus he
found the Greek people ~worshiping a
woman called Diana and some continue
the same worship today and find it
profitable to sell her images. When
Paul went to Athens he found that there
were images for every imaginable God
and for fear they had missed n there
was an altar to the unknown god. Paul
filed that vacancy by presenting to the
people Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ
who was the JEWS spiritual God mani
tested in the flesh. He found them
'1overs of pleasure rather than COD
supreme good, and "worshipped the
creature more than the Creator" The
conditions of society are told in Rom
ans first chapter, also LIST Corinthians
9TH, 9th and 7th chapters. The grove
of Daphne was one of the beautiful for
al resorts of pleasure.
aNtA Va Vii
made a society who lived different lives.
After Christantine, the King, became a
Christian these images were destroyed.
The Virgin Mary took the place of Ven
us and Christ took the place of all 9TH
ers, with the cross as a symbol of right
eousness. The minds of illiterate and
unlearned men do not comprehend the
reasons why and motives for certain re-
ligious and political acts, but can and do
follow leaders, imagery and symbols.
Hence holy art as promulgated by the
early church had a great purpose and
grand psychological effect in %supplant-
ing the myths of the Greeks and Rom
ans, with that of persons who repre-
sent Goodness. The Virgin Mary, Jes-
US, Ruth, Esther, Mary, Martha and
Dorcas call to mind virtuous women who
lived for a cody purpose.
When John Wesley started his preach
ing in England he found influential So
ciety in Church. and State largely given
to the vulgar display of wealth and
pleasure. Well may we consider the
~prophency of John Wesley, who feared
material prosperity for Methodists. "Re-
ligion produces industry and ~frugality,
and these produce riches. As riches in
crease, so do pride, anger, and love of
the world. How then is it possible that
Methodism, which is a religion of the
heart, should continue in this state"
Last Saturdays North American on
the Sunday School lesson said: "Much
of our current literature might nave
been produced in the days of Nero, or
Domitian, in satiated Rome, in mood of
hopelessness and m~aterialism. Another
writer two weeks ago said, "There is
something serious with modern poetry,
much is goddess.
A writer on art in college rooms re-
Gently said, that while homes are decor
ated better than ever before, a professor
of art at Bryn Mawr "found only twenty
per cent of students rooms in good
taste"
May we ask, are homes decorated with
taste becoming Christians with cody
notices as heretofore1 Are the attend
ance at the churches and contributions
increased in proportion to the increase
of material wealth and amount spent for
pleasure? Who can say that they are
keeping up?
May we not read the railroad crossing
sign: "Stop, look, listen" To those
who never attend a church, nor contri-
butte, what claims have they for the last
sad rights for a Christian burial, but
Christian charity, which neither clothes
nor feeds a minister nor his family.
CHURCHMAN.