The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-16

T have been asked what my posi- tion is on the city of Birmingham opening, operating and sponsoring q place for the sale of virtue, a place where the lewd can so and despoil young girls. will answer you now" said pr. George R. Stuart. pastor of the First Methodist church, Sunday morning in opening his sermon, dur ing which he vigorously denounced the attempt being made to restore public dances at East Lake, as well as to otherwise make Birmingham so-called open tcity.
 'If l could fead to you from the hundreds of letters which have been sent to me during the past few weeks and relate some of the facts sent out therein. l could set you on fire" continued Dr. Stuart. Appeals have come to me from scores of mothers of East Lake asking me to help in the fight against this proposed move. Whenever you ask me: George Stuart, where are your answer you, on the side of the Christian church. The great Christian church is a unit.
 The supreme court of the Meth edist church is it's discipline, and this discipline strictly declares against dancing and against all such diver sions as cannot be used in the name Of the Lord Jesus. Now what does the Roman Catholic church say- The plenary council of the Roman Catho- lie church, which met in Baltimore few years ago, sent out tue fol- lowing: We consider it to be our duty to warn our Catholic people against those amusements which may easily become to them an occasion of sin, and especially against the IaHhlOnahla dan NHb ot ent carried on, are revolting to every feeling of delicacy and propriety and are fraught with the greatest danger to morals
 Others Against Dancing
 Tn the Presbyterian church its general body has passed resolutions that the practice of public dancing is against the spirit of the principles of the church and shopId be discour- aged. What does the Episcopal church say? One of the finest articles against dancing I have read recent ly was signed by 14 rectors of the valley of Virginia warning against the spirit injected by the secular press. Bishop Meads of Virginia said: Social dancing is not among the neu- tral things which, within certain limits, we may do at pleasure among the things lawful, but not expedient; boN u ID III iAoGAA WEOGBs lfDBkUDeT and of bad effect Bishop McIlvain of Ohio said; The only line I would draw Is entire exclusion. He de- elared that it is renounced in bap- tism, it's renunciation is ratified in confirmation and urofessed in every participation of the Lords Supper
 Bishop Coxe of western New York. In a Lenten pastoral said: The enor- mites of theatrical exhibitions and the lasclviousffess of dances are so disgraceful to the age and so ire conciliable with the gospel of Christ that l feel it my duty to the souls of my flock to warn those who run with the world, "to the same excess or riot' In these things that they presume not to come to the holy table. Glasses preparing for con firmation are informed that I will not lay hands Knowingly on any one who Is not prepared to renounce such things. with other abominations of the world, the flesh and the devit'
 The Baptists have been against 1t ever since they cut off the head of John the Baptist.
 Police Helpless
 But they tell you that they are doing this for the laboring classes. Let me tell you that the great men and women of the future will come rom the laborlng people and you have no right to debauch them," said pr. Stuart, and quoted from recent is- sues of the Southern Labor Reviow on this point, adding, "They do not want your help in this matter anyway"
 "If the policemen cannot reRu-
 late this town from here to the
 depot any better than they have.
 how in the world are they going
 to regulate dancings That park
 out at East Lake ought to be the
 Family playground and nothing
 ought to he put there that will
 offend any religion. No Christian
 assembly since the days If Christ
 ever met that hns not put It's
 foot down on this forti of so-
 called amusement.
 "oh, how they love theIpoor labor