CHURCH AMUSEMENTS by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA · Apr 22, 1880

CHURCH AMUSEMENTS.

By Editor

THE following, being part of a letter, was published in the N. Y. Witness. Its authenticity is vouched for by the editor of the Bible Banner. We suppose we shall be accused of a lack of "charity" if we apply the name of "Babylon" to a church in which such things are countenanced, and express our opinion that it is "fallen." Rev. 14 : 6-12. Reader, what is your opinion of it?

"Now to show whereunto this thing may grow, I will relate what I saw and heard within a few weeks, when visiting a friend in a large city in the State of New York. The family and the church they belonged to were what is called Evangelical—which may mean anything you please. One evening one of the sons said "Good night." I would likely be in bed before he returned. He was going to a meeting of the Sunday-school teachers. "Ah! to study the lesson, eh?" "No," rather confusedly; "they were going to dance." "Dance! Incredible! You must be joking," I said. "That's so. We meet once a week and have a real pleasant time." "But who meet?" I asked, utterly bewildered, "and how many?" "Well, the teachers and the Bible classes, perhaps fifty or sixty." I said nothing, but I felt I would not be guiltless if I did not write to the minister and solemnly protest against such a monstrous anomaly. But I never received a shadow of a reply."