The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-12-04
A n1uSenontS
Copyright 1917, by William Ashley sunday.


l special sermon on "Amusements." d"
preached saturday night At the tab.
ernacle follows.
Galatians, the sitth chapter. the
ecventh verse. ne not drCciypn,
God Is not mocked. for whatsoever
q man soweth. that shall he also
reap"
g The devil has great many ways
OF leading people away from God,
not alone BY druuKeuncss 'or theft
or lying, but by lnnumerhblo wave.
and am not here 10 presume 90 toll
. you what YOU shall do. am pOiur
20 give you tho proposition of I '"o
" and you can do as you pl lHn.
You do II anyway. 80 I Nigh. a1
well ten you before I got through.
Al know ~ no moro suitable tcTt
for the subject / hnvo In mind Hy
the expression on your fncca. you
( don't expect much from mo IN the
way Of indorscmOnt. md yet. N
! there IL no harm iu this proposition.
why do I speak against the class ot
classes that you champion and In.
dorse2
n tho Ingenious SKIN OF tho devil
is Go be defeated, 'h"ro nro but on"
or two alternatives lcft open 20 me
man who wants TO assault it First,
he can spend his strength and tim"
ages. and toll YOU Of the poWdblo In
dulgenccs. or hp can assault the
lhing fair nnd square. ana toll you
what n really is, and by go ding run
the risk OF inCurrinR the cnmity
and displcasurc and ill-Wili OF tho
people
I have wlltully and deliberately
chosen the latter course, ana | have
no apologies 10 mako either now or
after | am through. but I win chal-
ienge anyboA who can successfully
contradict what | have To say for
what I have 10 say hna been forged
on the anvil OF observation, com
munlcation and investigation up and
down tho land.
am not giving you my opinions
or theories: I have none. have
message that's burned its way 20 my
soul and burned into my heart, and
my words may be strong with con
viction and blood red, but please
remem her that with the cry OF lost
Rouls singing In my ears, | can't do
ANYTHING less than cry out. VI
seems to mo that II Ia stop and
rofiise. tho rocks would cry out and
protest
Judgod at tho court Of public
opinion I might ho denounced by
some Judged by the court OF hu-
man desires. | would be denounced
by ali that want to feed and fntten
and gormaudize.' Judged at the
court Of conscience and purity, I'd
receive universal "thank you"
for H.
Now. 7 do not condemn tho ehea-
ter IA an institution. ! never have
condemned the theater as an inau-
tuition. did condemn the ealoon
~ an institution. say II has no
right to exist on earth.
Condemns Only Evil.
I never condemn good things.
only condemn what even the people
who are respectable In the theatri-
can ranks condemn themselves.
condemn rottennoss In the church
and on the stage, too. I condemn
rottenncss everywhere II Ia. ~
makes no difference whether It's In
the pow or pulpit or behind the
footilghts, the parquet or boxes.
We associate certain amusements
the thoAter. cards and the dance.
While some would condemn ono
.h!n., cthers would condemn some
things else. and vice versa Yet the
fI,caters are the most condemned.
TO most people. things that are for
eidden. amuse. and there IL n reason
simply crazy and fanatic. there In
rcason back OF H.
The theatcr had It's beginning In
the church. and In the first place.
81 was intended for handm sden
or religion. hut from the very bo-
ginning II was source OF worry
aud OF harm, and little bv little,
they were forced TO dcnounco II,
and at last for their own protection.
10 repudlate II.
Spasmodic efforts have been and |
SILL are being made. and presume
Will be made to reform it hv those !
who want to SEQ Il n handma !hcn of
Romething that could be ! benefit TO
the people. Hut it seems 20 have
ever rravitated downward, and The
so-cnlled advanced school ~ drama
IN our day, seems 20 haze delugei
the united States with thA obscene
drama that scofts at merit and de-
monctlZcd the truth.
The fight against impurity goes
on today lust tho same -as " did
khousand years ago. and without re-
ngion the most enlightened nation
on the face Of this earth would
drop into chaos and ruin. There IL
n class In every community that
hnte the sight of church, There
81 n class In every community that
hate the sound ut n churh bell
They dcspise n prcach'T, They de-
spise towers that point 20 the only
source or consolation ana Of hope,
Now, there are shows going on
To-day 20 which no right minded
man would take q decent woman.
-aa .hc manager "a not to hlame,
Pie will tell you that II he puts n
good show on the road, he will
Harve 10 death. The public must
want these things. my friends, ~
they wouldn't battle around the
doors 20 get in So think the pub
lie are as much 10 blame as tn;
manager. for II you didn't want e.
we wouldn't have t. Therefore
your taste must be on n mighty low
level
You can't denounce the other fell
low. you've got TO take your medi-
cine with him, so that's why an
here tonight. II isn't all on his side
don't forgetmhat! Take your part
pf II with HIM.
when the press declares that n
certain show Is filthy and lewd, the
manager pats himself on the back,
because he knows that's about the
best advertisement that he can get,
The theater is not educational. II
doesn't teach n lesson. II doesn't
preach sermon. It's mission IL one
OF entertainment. pure and simple,