Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-10-03
CHRISTIAN LIFE DOES NOT ADMIT
 TWO STANDARDS Gambling, Dancing, Thea tries Were Condemned
 by MT. Stephens.
EUCHRE PARTIES
 ARE PUT UNDER BAN
Ayers That "The Dance Ruins Girls and the SO-called Select Dances
 Are tie Worst of AL" Prayer
 Meetings at the Tabernacle
(By A. Homer Jordan.)

| Ny A. 1loIHcl JOIudIl.J
 Repeating rifles, machine guns, 42- centimeter cannon, liquid fire, and hand grenades, meta aphorically speak ing, were used last night by Evangelist | George Stephens in his sermon on "The Christian and Ausements." The text was II Cor 6:17. "Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will re- Ceive you"
 MT. Stephens said by way of intro duction, q want to say Christian does not have to wear long face nor melancholy expression. Christian. ity is a religion of happiness. Christ was the happiest man that ever trod this earth. God put play side in ev- cry human being. God expects us to have joy and He expects us to take care of this side of our nature. All recreation should be recreative and not desecrative. There is much real l joy without delving into things that defile. If you cannot pray after you have indulged in your amusements there is something wrong. There are low attitude that are assumed by some people on amusements. First, some live out the Scripture which says, Eat, drink and be merry for tomor- TOW ye may die" Second, are those who say there are other things just as bad as popular amuesments. Of course this is true. Third, I am a Christian and 1 have right to do just as please. Fourth, am Christian and do not want to do anything that will influence anyone else for the wrong. The subject of amusements is no little thing. It is time you square ly faced these problems. Young peo- ole want to be good, but they need to be directed. 1 want to say there are not two standards in the Christian life. You would not have your pas tor indulge in some of the amusements in which you indulge, but you have no right to require of him more than you are willing to do yourself. ~y
 "Now want to take up several of the amusements of the day. What about the euchre deck? Now some body is about to say, do not see any difference between euchre and the other games that you preachers do not condemn. But there is a differ ence and you know it. The art of conversation is about lost. You could entertain much better in good conver- sation than at a senseless and silly card party Card parties are the silli. est things in the world with which ta entertain It doesn't take any brains to get up a card party. There is noth- in uplifting nor ennobling in card party. Cards were invented to enter tain a half idiotic king. A hostess can receive her guests at the door then go prepare her refreshments and stay out of the parlor all afternoon and not be missed. Some people think if they teach their children to play cards at home they will not go else where and play. That is lie. No one ever learns to play cards in a gamb- ling den, and if you think your boy had better learn to play at home than in gambling den you do not know what you are talking about. Only professionals play in a gambling hell and they have no time to teach new corners to play. I want to say to you that card playing belongs to the devil.
 "Now the theatre. The theatre has had 2500 years trial and we ought to know whether it is good or i'll. You have never heard a good word about the theatre. The theatre is worse than the saloon because it gets the girls. I have two objections to the theater, namely, the effect upon the audiences and the effect upon the actors and actresses themselves. The theater destroys virtue. You would not allow me to tell you things as they are told fin the theatre, yet you will go there and take your children to see the vilest kind of things play ed The theatre breaks down the mor- al barrier between young men and young women The theatre of today could not I've if it depended upon good plays. It is almost impossible for girls of thestage to be pure. Theaters of today are absolutely morally rot ten. How about picture shows? They are worse.' l know there are lots of | gcod things shown at moving picture theatres, but there is so much bad shown, that to go would be like go- ing to saloon to drink lemonade.
 ''I know what you are waiting for. You are wanting to know what I think of the dance. We'll, here goes: You say, Dance, and doesn't the Bible say there is a time to dance and does it not mention dancing often?' Yes, that is true. The Bible does speak of dancing, and if you dance like they did in the Bible then I say dance all you want to. Dancing as spoken of in the Bible was religi- ous act. It was usaully done by maid- ems in day time and in fields and grow es. If men danced they danced alone, and women danced alone. I am not talking tonight about the dancing as was done in the Bible, but I am talk ing about that modern dancing where the dancers are so close together that you could not put a piece of tissue paper between. There is an awful fa- miliaritv among women these days. Oh, women be careful how you act and dress. No wonder women are in- ,14 4oI %hn c%r T,A