The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1923-10-24
A Warning
and An Appeal
MADE BY THE REV. PAUL L..
) GROVE, PASTOR OF THE MET
HODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

Whittier are we drifting? What
is to be the future Redwood Falls?
What atmosphere is to pervade our
fair city and environ our homes? Are
we to be city of not only scenic beau
ty but also moral beauty, or are we
to be a city Of loose standards and
lax behavior
The writer maintains that the die
is being cast. We are seated at the
banks of the Rubicon. Either Sun
day desecration is a wrong and a
peril, or The Bible and the churches
are mistaken. Was the recent Sun
day excursion right or wrong? Is it
good citizenship, good morals to spend
the entire Sabbath day in an athletic
venture under the name and leader
ship of great patriotic organization
intended for nobler purposes? Is it
right to send our band representing
the whole community? Is it right
for the business men to furnish the
funds that guaranteed it's success? If
this is all right, then we of the church
es wish to know why we need longer
keep open house on Sunday! If our
growing youth is to have Haunted in
its face such open appeals to Sabbath
desecration under the guise of loyal
ty to hometown interests, that, be-
ing wholly secular, commercial and
athletic, must necessarily conflict
with Christian Sabbath, then Sun
day is different than our forefathers
interpreted it and different than God
intended it, and our appeals from pull
pits and Sunday School rostrums are
t,ri% .nfo Nth nnn
ed personal liberty. And if the
stamp of Redwood Falls" on the drum
and on the whole escapade as report
ed in Twin City newspapers is the
real official Redwood Falls then we
protest in behalf Of the majority
against the misuse of the term.
Solemnly raise the note of warn
ing. Again, / repeat, whittier are we
drifting? Are we slowly coming to
be "wide-open" town. Not yet,
thank God, but no town ever achieved
that notoriety except by GRADUAL
stages. There are many people in
this town who have left undesirable
towns because of the baleful atmo-
sphere there and have moved here in
preference. Are we to make of this
town a place where an exodus will
surely occur unless the quiet, whole
some, refined and Christian atmo-
sphere prevails? And Sunday, what
kind of Sunday a town observes is
the unfailing index to it's real char
acter.
Now allow me to make two appeals.
First to the church people of our
vicinity. There are many of you,-
as you ally yourselves with the six
churches in our midst. Many of you
have played a conspicuous part in
this wholesale violation Of our great
est institution, to the grief of your
pastors. Have you ever considered
the inconsistency of supporting the
church with one hand, and of sup
porting hostile enterprises with the
other? Of attending church on one
Sabbath and then deserting it coldly
on another? Of going to great lengths
to make it survive, paying great sums
to that end, and then paying other
sums to back interests that if uncheck-
ed would absolutely make the church
farce and past memory? In 9th
er words, are you for Sunday or
against it? You may try to do both,
but your grief will be great in the
end.
Where are you going to draw the
line? Shall we have Sunday night
movies again? Shall we have circus
es on Sunday afternoon? Shall
we have all-Sunday golf tournaments
There are towns that carry on just
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