Sunday Amusements

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Jul 24, 1913

Sunday Amusements

At a conference of city mayors held at Binghamton, N. Y., June 7, a resolution was presented advocating the repeal of laws against Sunday baseball playing. In answer to the request of the secretary for an expression of opinion twenty-seven out of thirty-two mayors declared themselves in favor of permitting Sunday baseball. Commenting upon this, the Thrice-a-Week World of June 27, says:—

This is an impressive manifestation. Here is a body of representative officials from scattered communities throughout the State, who are charged with the preservation of law and order, and with virtually one mind declaring that the restraints placed on young boys and men who seek recreation in the open air on Sunday are actually harmful. The right of local regulation by each municipality is all that they ask the legislature to grant. It is time that this question was handled with common sense. To deprive large numbers of boys of the right to play ball on the one day in the week when their time is their own is not to make them moral. If ever there was a question to be dealt with locally, it is that of Sunday recreation for the people.

In its issue of June 20, the same paper, in commenting upon the assertion of Mayor O'Neill, of Auburn, that the great need of his city was Sunday baseball, declares:—

It was not a frivolous reply. In all communities the greatest needs are moral needs. The right to decent, harmless amusement and exercise on Sunday becomes a moral need when by hypocrisy and the tyranny of illiberalism that right is denied. The right of a working man or boy on his only free day to play ball if he so prefers is as important to him as any other right of personal freedom open to arbitrary abridgment.

There are many conscientious observers of the first day of the week who do not believe in games upon that day. We respect them in this regard which they hold for the day they observe. We hold the seventh day as sacred time. We believe that no manner of work or amusement should be carried forward on the Sabbath of the Lord, but we do not believe that work or play should be prohibited by law upon either day of the week. It is for us to observe the day as we believe God requires, and observe it as strictly as our understanding of God's will indicates. But it is for us to accord to our fellows the same liberty of action which we choose for ourselves.

If our neighbor prefers to use either the first or the seventh day for his own pleasure or business, that is a matter which rests wholly between him and the Lord. So far as his fellow men are concerned, that which he has a right to do upon the third or fourth day he has the same right to do upon the first or seventh day. That which would be uncivil upon one day of the week would be uncivil upon every other day of the week. The state has a right to demand and enforce civility every day, but it has no right to enter into the personal relationship existing between any man and his Maker, and determine for him in any measure how individual worship shall be rendered.