The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-05-14

The Times-News of May 9Th
reported that the city commits
sioners had decided not to take
final action on the question of
permitting Sunday moving pic
lures and baseball until the citi-
zens shall have opportunity to ex4
press their will in the matter by
popular vote.
This decision of the commits
sioners is in my judgment, to be
highly commended.
The question is one in which
all the citizens are deeply con-
cerned and they should have the
right to decide it.
Those who object to the pro-
posed ordinance base their objec-
ton, it maybe taken for granted,
in the last analysis on religious
grounds.
The command, Remember the
Sabbath day to keep it holy"
was given to the Jews; and, while
the new covenant is prominently
covenant of grace and not of
law, yet the Lord Jesus Christ
said, 81 came not to destroy the
law and the prophets, but to full
fill" that is, fill them full, give
them a deeper meaning and a
wider application. In his own
conduct he disregarded Jewish
demonstrations and misapplica-
tons of that fourth command
ment. but only on grounds of
mercy and kindness: wherefore
it is lawful to do we'll on the Sab
bath day." 81 will have mercy
and not sacrifice" set forth the
spirit of his corrections of Jew
Iish rigor Of Interpretation. These
corrections do not contravene the
command to "keep it holy" On
the contrary, they only inject the
element of love and compassion
in a question of legal interpreted
ton.
In transferring the observance
of the Sabbath day of rest
from the seventh day of the week
to the first, the Christian church
recognized the first day as more
worthy of universal observance
than the seventh because Of the
added glorious Christian hope in
the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead. In this they en-
HANGED, as it seems to me, rather
than relaxed the obligation of
keeping one day in seven sacred
to the honor and glory of God.
To those who may accept the
general principle of Sunday OBJ
servance as stated above, there
will still arise questions of de-
tail in practice: how best can the
day be kept to the honor and
glory of God? What are truly
works of mercy and compassion!
Considerable divergence of judg-
ment on such points ss these still
exist in the minds of Christians
who may be equally earnest,
equally sincere. But informing
our judgment let us beware: if
We let our hayward desires die
take our judgments, VIC. are in
sincere, and insincerity is just
hypocricy.
If it is necessary to pass an or
dinance to prevent Sunday NOV
ing picture shows and profession
al baseball, it must be assured
that there exists now a ban
against those forms Of Sunday
entertainment.
What are the arguments adj
vanced in favor of removing it.
l have heard only three:
First, Many tourists object to,
spending their vacation in a town
where such Sunday restrictions
limit their opportunities of enjoy
ment, and will not come here I'M
less these restrictions are re-
moved.
Then, particularly it is urged
that since Asheville has let down
her Sunday bars, those tourists
who sickle for their unrestricted
liberty will prefer Asheville to
Hendersonville, unless Hendcr-
sonvillc lets down the bars too.
Third, The moving picture
management here offers Is per
cent of It's gross Sunday receipts
to the financial aid of an organi-
cation ie they are allowed to
show their pictures on Sunday.
Every one Of those arguments
is based on what | believe to he
an unworthy motive "a motive
derogatory alike to the self-re-
spect of a citizen and to the re-
sponsibility of a Christian.
Who, then, are responsible for
the wise and good government of
this town? The citizens who live
here, or a few transient summer
soioiners? Shall the citizens of
Hendersonville sacrifice what
they have IN to this time &C
quiesced in as contributory to
the moral health of its own in
habitants in order to secure the
patronage of such visitors as de-
mand our municipal government
shall be adapted to their desire.
Or, indeed, is rivalry with
Asheviile for tourist patronage
a motive that Christian man, an
honest self-respecting man, can
offer to Color man-as justir
fication for removing legal re-
he once though right
and valuable for the good of his
community?
Does the promise on the part
of an interested management to
divide profits with an organiza-
ton if a once respected ban is
to it's advantage, make
CONVINCING anneal To a nure con-