Church Amusements

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 19, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 12.

Church Amusements.

THE church has gone into the amusement business largely. In the days of primitive simplicity, it was thought that the world and Satan had a monopoly in that line. This, however, is “an age of progress,” so called, and the church has entered the market, and is in competition with those great caterers. The discovery has been made that the church, in order to hold its young people to its altars, must provide for the natural craving for amusement. It used to be held that Jesus and his work furnished ample resources to meet the loftiest aspirations of a saved soul. It was often sung— “Thou, O Christ, art all I want, More than all in thee I find.”

This sort of sentiment is now thought to be not up to “the times.” Sad as it may appear, judging from the new order of things, Jesus is not equal to the occasion. A little amusement must be thrown in. In order to keep people from the theater and the opera, our churches must be made into semi-theaters and operas.

But this is serious business, dreadful business. It is eating out the life of the church; it is destroying our young people, and rendering them unfit for all true spiritual exercises. We must bear an open testimony against the deadly work everywhere. We counsel every real friend of Jesus resolutely to discountenance these church amusements. Be kind, but firm. Loyalty to Jesus demands it. Give your money liberally for every laudable church object, but stand aloof, positively, in the holidays, and evermore, from the unholy festivals.—Guide to Holiness.