Note and Comment

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 31, 1908

The Theater Indicted

A QUARTER of a century ago there were comparatively few members of the church who would defend the theater, or who regarded attendance at play-houses as consistent with the profession of a Christian. In recent years, however, there has been a marked change in this respect, until now it is probable that the majority of those whose names are on the church-books attend the theater more or less regularly. The claim is made that the theater has become moral, and that it is now an ally, rather than an enemy, of the church. One man who had always “opposed the theater as an institution” yielded to the arguments in favor of its present uplifting influence, and went to witness what were recommended as high-class plays. After a varied experience, during which he had many moments when he “abhorred the whole thing,” he attended a well-recommended play which he declared was simply “abominable, low, suggestive, immoral, and highly inexcusable.” This brought him to his senses, and to his old ground of opposition to the theater. His testimony is of value:—

As a whole, the theater is bad, bad, bad, through and through, and I believe, is growing worse. The perfectly good plays are very few, and can not save the wreck. The influences of stage life upon those employed are very dreadful, and I fear that very many, if not most of such, are sooner or later corrupted. One of the fearful dangers is to my mind the ease and complacency with which good people can learn to tolerate grievous departures from a New Testament standard of morality. The tendency is for the moral sense to become perverted, blinded. “For art’s sake,” positively repulsive immorality is quietly ignored. It is a strange and sad sight, far too common, to see cultivated and intelligent people sit calmly through performances that ought to shock the moral sense of their inmost soul. No, the church must let the theater alone. Christians must come out from it, and be separate, and touch not the unclean thing.

It is one of the marked evidences of the decadence of piety that so many professed followers of Christ can be habitual attendants at theatrical performances where the principles laid down by Christ are not only ignored, but are openly trampled upon. The theater is far from being an aid to any one in the battle against sin, and in the development of Christian character.