A SENSIBLE DECISION

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jun 8, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 23.

A SENSIBLE DECISION.

The Methodist General Conference in session at Los Angeles has decided for the present the question of whether the questionable amusements named in the Methodist Church discipline should continue to be prohibited, or whether they should be stricken from the church’s list of prohibited amusements. A majority and minority report were brought before the conference, and an ardent debate followed. The majority report favored no change in the present prohibitions, and this carried by a vote of 441 to 188. The majority report contained the following paragraph, which is worthy of serious thought:—

Your committee declines to recommend the striking out of specified amusements from paragraph 248 of the discipline. It recommends that the following paragraph be inserted in the discipline under the chapter on special advices:—

“Amusements.—Improper amusements and excessive indulgence in innocent amusements are serious barriers to the beginning of the religious life and fruitful causes of spiritual decline. Some amusements in common use are also positively demoralizing and furnish the first easy steps to the total loss of character. We, therefore, look with deep concern on the great increase of amusements and on the general prevalence of harmful amusements, and lift up a solemn note of warning and entreaty, particularly against theater-going, dancing, and such games of chance as are frequently associated with gambling, all of which have been found to be antagonistic to vital piety, promotive of worldliness, and especially pernicious to youth.”

That these questionable amusements are increasing at so rapid a rate in spite of all that can be done to raise a standard against them, is another of those infallible indications of character deteriorations which the Word of God declares should be seen in the last days. The world is running after pleasure as never before.