Then
there followed a list of guidelines for those selecting films, bringing the
1937 list into harmony with the modified position. The Youth Department was
asked to prepare an MV Leaflet giving these guidelines for young and old. On
pages 6-8 of MV Leaflet #47 these were listed:
I.
Acceptable Presentations
a.
Industrial Pictures—Pictures showing processes of manufacture,
lumbering, mining, oil production, public utilities, transportation, commerce,
and transmission of news and information.
b.
Scientific Processes and Food Research.
c.
Travelogs—Pictures of other countries, their national habits,
customs, and life (excluding scenes that may have an unwholesome influence).
d.
Nature and Wildlife—Pictures of national or other parks, natural
scenery, mountain climbing, exploration, the Forest Service, animal life in
various States and nations, the life development of insects, plants, fish,
birds, and animals (excluding those which emphasize cruelty).
e.
Archaeology and Wholesome Art—Pictures that conform to our recognized
standards of Christian modesty.
f.
Newsreels and Current History —(Excluding pictures that are contrary
to our recognized standards).
g.
Educational Pictures—Pictures that impart information and teach truth
in any branch of learning.
h.
Historical—Pictures of authentic events accurately portrayed, and
otherwise meeting the standards set forth in this statement.
i.
Our Denominational Work and Activities.
j.
Biographical—Pictures of honorable characters, worthy of emulation
and accurately portrayed, and otherwise meeting the standards set forth in
this statement.
II. Unacceptable
Presentation
a.
Motion pictures impersonating Christ.
b.
All feature motion-picture films or telecasts that portray fictional dramatized theatrical plays.
c.
Pictures portraying scenes of intimate lovemaking.
d.
Pictures which lower esteem for the sanctity of marriage by portraying
family disruptions or ridiculing home life and home relationships.
e.
Pictures portraying scenes which are contrary to Seventh-day Adventist
standards and ideals, such as dancing, card playing, gambling, drinking, night
life, carousing, gaiety, revelry, or rowdiness.
f.
Pictures portraying crime or glorifying criminals.
g.
Pictures portraying scenes of violence, cruelty, or brutality, such as
prize fighting or professional wrestling.
h.
Pictures portraying scenes of smoking or drinking as a desirable social
activity.
i.
Pictures which by ridicule or insinuation or crude comedy could lower,
in the estimation of the observer, regard for the law of God, religion, or the
ministry, or the dignity of human personality or law enforcing agencies.
j.
Pictures of a scientific or historical character which distort the
facts or pervert the truth.
k.
Pictures in which coarse, profane, or vulgar language is used.
l.
Animated cartoons which violate the standards of propriety in this
section.
The
Youth Department circulated MV Leaflet #47 like the leaves of autumn, but
parts of the recommendations soon became obsolete through apparent acceptable
practice. A new religious film on the life of Christ was produced entitled,
“I Beheld His Glory,” and our evangelists suddenly found this to be a
great opening night feature to get a crowd overseas and later in North
America. Cecil B. DeMille’s
“Ten Commandments” muddied the thinking of a lot of Adventists even though
Time magazine in its November 12, 1956, issue called the film ludicrous
and stated that “there are moments, in fact, when it seems that the Seventh
Commandment is the only one DeMille is really interested in; to the point
where the Exodus itself seems almost a sort of Sexodus—the result of
Moses’ unhappy (and purely fictional) love life.” Time further
stated, “It is impossible to avoid the impression that the movie maker...has
taken the name of the Lord in vain.”
When
I was a lad growing up, the first major film on the life of Christ entitled,
“King of Kings,” made the rounds in the theaters, and our church took a
stand against this portrayal of Christ. I have witnessed the gradual change in
our position as a church on this matter take place, to where we now bring
full-length feature films on the life of Christ into our churches, and the
response is so great among our people we have to have repeat showings the
second week to get the crowds inside of the sanctuary. The Youth Department
fought a losing battle in trying to uphold the 1951 Autumn Council
recommendation which listed as unacceptable, “motion pictures impersonating
Christ.” MV Leaflet #47 was withdrawn from circulation in the Adventist Book
Center, and to my knowledge there are now no leaflets available
published by any department or office of the church which lists acceptable and
unacceptable films. If a person
would stand up today and try to defend some of the unacceptable presentations
listed on page 7 of that old leaflet, he would find himself facing a storm of
criticism and controversy, perhaps even ridicule. —Is Dramatization
Wrong? pp. 4-6.
1954 - Shakespeare at
Southern Missionary College:
In
the early fifties, Southern Missionary College (now Southern Adventist
University) started teaching Shakespeare. Commenting on the appearance
of an article in the Signs of the Times concerning Shakespeare, we have
the following inspired counsel:
Brethren,
let us come to our senses. In more ways than one are we departing from God.
Oh how ashamed I was of a recent number of the “Signs of the
Times!” On the first page is an
article on Shakespeare, a man who died a few days after a drunken carousal,
losing his life through indulgence of perverted appetite. In this article it
is stated that he did many good works. Man is extolled. The good and the evil
are placed on the same level, and published in a paper that our people use to
give the third angel’s message to many of those who cannot be reached by the
preached Word.
When
we give the message in its purity, we shall have no use for pictures
illustrating the birthplace of Shakespeare, or for pictures similar to the
illustration of heathen goddesses that was used to fill the space on the first
page of a recent number of the “Review and Herald.” We are not to educate
others along these lines. God pronounces against such articles and
illustrations. I have a
straightforward testimony to bear in regard to them. We are to extol neither
idolatry nor men who did not choose to serve God. Years ago, reproof was given
our editors in regard to advocating the reading of even such books as “Uncle
Tom’s Cabin,” “Aesop’s Fables,” and “Robinson Crusoe.” Those who
begin to read such works usually desire to continue to read novels. Through
the reading of enticing stories they rapidly lose their spirituality. This is
one of the principal causes of the weak, uncertain spirituality of many of our
youth. (MS 169, 1902, pp. 6, 7, “The Work of the St. Helena Sanitarium: Our
Institutional Work to be Denominational,” July 14, 1902.) —MR 6, pp
279, 280.
Keep
this statement in mind as you read of the dramatic presentation of Shakespeare
by Walla Walla College in the section 2001.
By
the 50's it was common knowledge that our senior college English and
literature classes were requiring the study of fictitious works in open
rebellion to the Lord’s counsel in the Spirit of Prophecy. And
simultaneously with the launching of the Faith for Today “Westbrook
Hospital” series, the door was open to influence the development of drama
departments in our senior colleges. While
it is not the purpose to explore the entrance of fiction into our senior
colleges, fiction and drama are almost synonymous. (See Appendices 6 &
7.)
1961
- Walla Walla
College Launches Drama Department On April 1961
“Donnie
Rigby, professor emeritus who taught communications classes at WWC for more
than 35 years, directed the first theatrical production on campus in April
1961. The musical play “Heidi” - based on the famous book by Johanna
Spyril - incorporated music performed by a German band, the Walla Walla
Symphony, and an all-girl chorus, as well as several solo numbers by cast
members. The production launched
WWC’s drama program.” Valley
Times, Friday, November 23, 2001, p. B-5
59
years earlier the college board had voted the following: “Whereas it seems
to the Board of Managers of Walla Walla College that the rendering of the
cantata of Esther in costume and on the stage would not be for the best
interests of the school, therefore, Resolved, that we request those having
this matter in charge confine their efforts to the rendering of it in song
without costume, stage, or acting.” (See
1902 - March above)
Was
this recommendation just a whim of an overly conservative Board of Managers,
or was it based on the enduring principles established by the pioneers of our
church and espoused by the Board? Could it be that the 1961 Board of Walla
Walla College, many having grown up with TV’s in their homes and
Hollywood-produced entertainment in their schools and churches, had lost sight
of the guiding principles concerning drama?
Could it be that the General Conference’s encouragement of
Faith For Today’s dramatic productions had a major influence on WWC
to start its own drama department? More on the types of drama that are now emanating
from the WWC drama department later.
1963
- A. L. White’s Paper “Dramatic Productions in SDA Institutions”:
In
February 1963, Arthur White, secretary of Ellen G. White Publications and
great grandson of Ellen G. White, circulated a paper entitled “Dramatic
Productions in SDA
Institutions.” His reason for writing this paper was, “Request has been
received at the White Estate for the materials from the pen of Ellen G. White
which may have a bearing on the question of the production of dramatic
programs in SDA institutions.” p.1. (See Appendix 22
for the complete
paper.)
And
why wouldn’t there have been questions?
A television was in most North American Adventist homes by then,
Hollywood feature films were the drawing power to church and institutional
functions, and many in leadership were sympathetic with the dramatic arts. For
example, Faith for Today was making drama fashionable
in the Adventist church by using it to bundle the Gospel.
This
was a time for the White Estates to reestablish our early pioneers old
landmarks against an ever increasing church constituency and leadership who
wanted drama. Or was it a time to
find a way of compromise? Remember, the Missionary Volunteer Society would soon be
gone; the free speech, flower power, and rock music movements were on the ascendancy; and the “generation
gap” had been proclaimed.
Yet
there were many leaders, students, and parents throughout the North American
Division who were deeply concerned because the senior colleges were cranking
up their drama departments and the English and literature departments were
adding more fiction to their
required reading lists.
Especially
note the thesis of White’s paper as contained in the second paragraph of the
first page:
A survey of these counsels fails to reveal an across-the-board
condemnation of all enacted programs. In
other words, Ellen White does not condemn a program just because it may be
dramatized. In this respect the counsels touching dramatic productions are
much like the counsels relating to sports, and interestingly, the two are
treated together in two of the statements of caution.
Mrs. White did not condemn the “simple exercise of playing ball,”
(AH 499) but as she enumerated the principles involved, she pointed out the
grave perils which usually accompanied sports activities.
Mrs. White did not condemn the simple enacted program put on by the
Battle Creek Sabbath School in 1888, but in many statements she clearly points
out the many and almost sure perils which accompany “plays” and
“theatrical programs.” —A. L. White, Dramatic Productions in SDA
Institutions, February 1963.
A.
L. White continues his thesis that Mrs. White was not condemning the Sabbath
School drama she attended, but wrote Brother Morris a kind and thoughtful
critique.
It
is significant that the counsel given to the man who organized the program
relates to how the features of the program could have been made more
effective, but there was no condemnation of the program because of the enacted
scenes. —A. L. White, p. 5.
On
Sabbath morning, December 22, 1888, Ellen
White attended a theatrical performance put on by the Battle Creek Sabbath
School in which her six-year-old granddaughter, Ella W. White, was dressed as
and acted the part of an angel. There
were props, actors, music, and poems. Four days later, on Wednesday morning,
December 26, 1888 she wrote a letter to Brother Morse. In this letter
it becomes obvious that Mrs. White did condemn the program. ( The
definitions of the word condemn is “to declare to be reprehensible,
wrong, or evil, usually after weighing evidence and without reservation” —Webster’s
Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary.). Please
refer to the full letter reproduced in Appendix 5.
The
letter begins with, “I have risen at three o’clock this morning to write
you a few lines.” When you read the entire article, you will understand why she made the following statement:
I must say I was pained by these things, so out of order with the very
work of reformation we were trying to carry forward in the church and with our
institutions, that I should have felt better if I had not been present.
—2MR, p. 236. (Emphasis supplied)
In
fact, she made only three accepting remarks and twenty-two disapproving
remarks. Does that sound like a
kind critique giving suggestions on how to make the play better, or like a
strong rebuke?
Two
lists are made below, her remarks that show acceptance as a thoughtful
critique of the program and her remarks that show disapproval and outright
condemnation.
Acceptance Remarks
Page
1. Lines 1-2:
“I was pleased with the lighthouse, and the scene...”
2. Lines 4-5:
“The part acted by the children was good.”
3. Lines 4-5:
“The reading was appropriate.”
Disapproval Remarks
1. Line 1: “I
have risen at three o’clock this morning to write you a few lines.”
2. Lines
2-4: “...the
scene which had required so much painstaking effort was one which could have
been made most impressive, but failed to be made as forcible and striking as
it might have been when it cost so much time and labor in preparing it.”
3. Lines 5-10:
“Then if there had been good solid talk on that occasion in regard to the
children and teachers in the Sabbath schools laboring earnestly for the
salvation of the souls of the children under your charge,
presenting the most acceptable offering to Jesus, the gift of their own
hearts, and impressive remarks, short and right to the point [on] how they
could do this, would it not have been in keeping with the work we have been
trying to do in the church?”
4. Lines 11-14:
“Every stroke now should be in harmony for the one great purpose, preparing
of the hearts, that individually pupils and teachers should be as a
light set on a candlestick that it may give light to all that are in the
house, which would be carrying out the idea strikingly of a lighthouse guiding
souls that they may not make shipwreck of faith.”
5. Lines 14-16:
“Can you tell me what marked impression the two poems rehearsed by the two
ladies on the stand would have to do with this work?”
6. Lines 17-18:
“The singing was after the order we would expect it to be in any theatrical
performance, but not one word to be distinguished.”
7. Lines 18-19:
“Certainly the tempest-tossed ship would be wrecked upon the rocks, if there
were no more light coming from the lighthouse than was seen in the
exercises.”
8. Lines 19-22:
“I must say I was pained at these things, so out of order with the very
work of reformation we were trying to carry forward in the church and with our
institutions, that I should have felt better if I had not been present.” (Emphasis supplied.)
9. Lines 22-25:
“This was an occasion that should have been gotten up not only for the
Sabbath school children, but words should have been spoken that would have
deepened the impression of a necessity of seeking for the favor of that Savior
who loved them and gave Himself for them.”
10. Lines 25-29:
“If [only] the precious hymns had been sung, ‘Rock of ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in Thee,’ and ‘Jesus lover of my soul, let me to Thy
bosom fly, while the billows near me roll, while the tempest still is high.’
Whose souls were inspired with new and fresh zeal for the Master in those
songs sung whose virtue was in the different performances of the singer?”
11. Lines 30-34:
“While these painstaking efforts were being made to get up the performances,
meetings were being held of the deepest interest which should have engaged the
attention, and which called for the presence of every soul lest they should
lose something of the message the Master had sent to them. Now this Christmas
has passed into eternity with its burden of record, and we are anxious to see
the result of it.”
12. Lines 34-35:
“Will it make those who acted their part in it more spiritual-minded?”
13. Line 35-36:
“Will it increase their sense of obligation to our heavenly Father who sent
His Son into the world at such an infinite sacrifice to save fallen man from
utter ruin?”
14. Lines 36-37:
“Was the mind awakened to grasp God because of His great love wherewith He
has loved us?”
15. Lines 38-42:
“We hope, now that the Christmas is in the past, that those who have put
forth so much painstaking effort will now manifest a decided zeal, and
earnest, disinterested effort for the salvation of the souls of the teachers
in the Sabbath school, that in their turn they may each labor for the
salvation of the souls in their classes, to give them personal instruction as
to what they must do to be saved.”
16. Lines 42-47:
“We hope that they will find time to labor in simplicity and in sincerity
for the souls of those under their care, and that they will pray with them,
and for them, that they may give to Jesus the precious offering of their own
souls, that they may make literally true the symbol of the lighthouse in the
beams of light shining forth from their own strong efforts in the name of
Jesus, which should be put forth in love,
they themselves grasping the rays of light to diffuse this light to
others, and that there shall be no settling down to a surface work.”
17. Lines 47-54:
“Show just as great skill and aptitude in winning souls to Jesus as you have
shown in painstaking effort for this occasion just past. Point them in your
efforts, with heart and soul enlisted, to the Star that shines out to the
morally-darkened heaven at this time, even the Light of the world. Let your
light shine that the tempest‑tossed souls may set their eyes upon it and
escape the rocks that are concealed beneath the surface of the water.
Temptations are lying in wait to
deceive them, souls are oppressed with guilt, ready to sink into despair.
Labor to save them; point them to Jesus who so loved them that He gave His
life for them.¼”
18. Lines 55-59:
“The Light of the world is shining upon us that we might absorb the divine
rays and let this light shine upon others in good works that many souls shall
be led to glorify our Father which is in heaven. He is long suffering, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, and it
grieves the heart of Jesus that so many refuse the offers of His mercy and
matchless love.”
19. Lines 60-62:
“Will all who acted an interested part in the program of last evening work
as zealously and interestedly to show themselves approved unto God in doing
their work for the Master that they may show themselves intelligent workmen
that need not to be ashamed?”
20. Lines 62-64:
“Oh, let the teachers in the Sabbath school be thoroughly imbued with the
spirit of the message for this time, carrying that message into all their
labor.”
21. Lines 64-67:
“There are souls to be saved, and while in the Sabbath school work there has
been much form and a great amount of precious time occupied in reading of
reports and records, there has been but little time to really let light shine
forth in clear, steady rays in the very instruction needed to save the souls
of the children and youth.”
22. Lines 67-71:
“Less elaborate speeches, less lengthy remarks, and plain, pointed truth
presented, not one word uttered to exhibit profound knowledge, not, one word
in any speech, but the greatest evidence of real knowledge is the great
simplicity. All who have taken knowledge of Jesus Christ will imitate Him in
their manner of instruction.”
To
conclude from the statement in AH 499 concerning the “the simple exercise of
playing ball,” and from the Christmas play Letter 5, 1888, that Mrs. White
did not “reveal an across-the-board condemnation of all enacted programs,”
does not speak to the facts. One must ask, “Are the statements of counsel
and disapproval made by a person who enjoyed the drama and was just providing
a critique on how to make it better?” In reality, the weight of evidence
from Letter 5, 1888, is not an
acceptance of the Christmas play, but a kind and firm condemnation.
If
this paragraph, the one which follows it,
and Arthur White’s interpretation of Ellen White’s attitude toward
the play she attended as described above in 2MR, pages 235-238 (Letter
5, 1888) were left out of his paper, anyone reading it would conclude that
Ellen White had nothing but condemnation for the use of drama. These two
paragraphs and the interpretation actually contradict the balance of his
paper. For example, the two
concluding statements he quotes on page 8 clearly define Mrs. White’s
attitude toward drama.
Jesus
Christ is the example for the Christian in all things. Of Him she wrote:
I
have not been able to find one instance where He educated His disciples to
engage in amusement of football or pugilistic games, to obtain physical
exercise, or in theatrical performances, and yet Christ was our pattern in all
things. —Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 229.
A
sound guiding principle to keep ever in mind in dealing with questions of the
kind we have been studying is stated in Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 360:
Our
example and influence must be a power on the side of reform. We must abstain
from any practice which will blunt the conscience or encourage temptation. We
must open no door that will give Satan access to the mind of one human being
formed in the image of God.
While
it is most unfortunate that Hancock subscribed to A. L. White’s thesis as
noted in his paper “Is Dramatization Wrong?”, page 13; yet the general
tenor of Hancock’s paper can be summarized in his last paragraph:
Is
it not time for us to direct the energies of our youth away from the
theatrical world of sham to the stark reality of a life and death message for
a society fast headed for curtain-fall? Have we been drifting, perhaps almost
imperceptibly away from the old paths and need to heed the warnings of our
pioneer leaders who recognized that, “Satan’s ruling passion is to pervert
the intellect and cause men to long for shows and theatrical performances.”
(Evangelism, p. 266.) Is
it time for the voice of another Autumn Council to affirm the church’s
historic position in this problem area as it appeals for revival and
reformation? —Hancock, p 14.
1974
-
The Committee on Guidelines for Competitive Activities and Drama:
On
January 28-31, 1974, the General Conference convened a committee of 37 select
individuals, some of whom read papers on the subject of competitive sports and
some on drama (see Appendix 23). In communication with the General
Conference to prepare this paper, the GC archive workers were able to find
only three papers that were scheduled to be presented, those of Josephine
Benton, J. H. Hancock, and Frank Knittel. Two other papers were written for
the committee. They were by Phyllis Paytee and Leslie Hardinge.
Either the rest of the paper read have been lost or they did not
present or turn in papers.
Each
paper will be briefly commented upon. The
reader can find the complete text of the papers in the Appendices.
Josephine
Benton’s paper was a compilation of informal interviews of producers,
participants, and viewers of dramatic productions. It was subjective in
content, “without a pretense at supplying answers.” Page 8.
(For the full text, see Appendix 24)
J.
H. Hancock’s presentation was comprehensive, documented and objective. It
has been quoted extensively in this paper. For the full text see Appendix
25.
Frank
Knittel’s paper begins with, “I have assumed that some general enactments
of scenes by players is an acceptable Seventh-day Adventist activity.” Frank
Knittel, “Shall We Use Commercial Drama In Seventh-day Adventist Schools,”
p. 1. He continues on page 4:
“During my lifetime I have seen only about 150 stage productions—about 75
of these at one university—and I have yet to see one in a public arena that
I would personally judge suitable as presented to be staged on a Seventh-day
Adventist campus.” (See Appendix 26.)
Knittel
presented this paper during the time he was president (Knittle was
Administrative Dean from 1968-1971 and President from 1971-1982) of Southern
College of SDA. Perhaps his assumption “that some general enactments of
scenes by players is an acceptable Seventh-day Adventist activity” can
explain the college’s leadership attitude toward the enactment of Dido
and Aeneas eight years later at 8:00 p.m. on March 18, 1990, at the
Ackerman Auditorium of Southern College of SDA.
Appendix
27 entitled “The
Witches’ Den Opera at Southern College of SDA” describes the opera and
circumstances of is production. (The writer has in his possession a video of
that enactment. You are welcome
to request a copy to view.)
Phyllis
Bryan Paytee submitted to the committee a paper entitled “Drama in the
Elementary Classroom.” Note her
primary thesis in the first paragraph of her paper (see Appendix 28):
The
moment the word “drama” is uttered, we find ourselves upon debatable
ground. Both the Bible and the
Spirit of Prophecy urge that caution and restraint be exercised by the
Christian who is tempted to participate in any activities of a sensational,
theatrical nature, whether presented in the theater or in our own
institutions. At the same time,
however, neither the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy offer direct condemnation
of drama as a learning tool.
Undoubtedly
she had read White’s paper, for her conclusions on page 5, demonstrate her
mind set:
The
elementary teacher who used informal classroom drama as a vehicle for bringing
to the instructional program new appreciations, insights, and understandings
would select only those dramatic episodes which will meet a particular learning
need. He would select materials having basic elements that are easy
to outline and easy for boys and girls to transfer into simple action and
dialogue. The teacher should also
know the children and materials particularly well and try to put them together
in the best possible way.
By
March 3, 1975, a summary of the January 28-31, 1974 committee was written
entitled “Guidelines for the Use of Dramatization Among SDAs,” and was
approved by the General Conference special committee. The underlying theme of
this paper was to encourage drama with certain cautions. The flood gate of drama
was opened and soon our homes, churches, and institutions were inundated. (See Appendix
29.)
Coupled
with Arthur White’s 1963 paper and the March 3, 1975, summary of the January
28-31, 1974, committee entitled “Guidelines for the Use of Dramatization Among
SDAs” and along with the baby boomer mentality, our college drama departments
grew in direct opposition to the recommendations given by the Spirit of
Prophecy and church leadership for more than eighty years.
How could this be?
