DRAMA
and
the
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
APPENDIX 12-13
Appendix 12
“What
of the Religious Motion Picture Drama?”
*by
J. A. Stevens
(Sunday
School Times, January 28, 1928)
It
is heartening in this day of lowering standards to find editorial backbone
necessary for giving an unequivocal answer to the above question that heads a
fine article in the Sunday School Times. So many churches have tried to
compete with the theaters by staging spectacular attractions, that it is not
altogether surprising to find the theaters simulating the church by an
endeavor to put on semisacred plays. A letter to the editor of the Times
called forth the comment that may be read with profit by every Seventh-day
Adventist.
The Letter
“There
is a subject that I would be so glad to see treated in the Times. I
refer to the religious plays that are having such an enormous run. In some of
these plays no individual actually impersonates the Christ, but in others the
impersonation is carried out to the minutest detail. The ‘______,’ which
has been running for years in the out-of-doors theater in Hollywood, depicts
scenes taken from the Gospels, and the man who impersonates Christ spends his
time between scenes smoking cigarettes.
“In
the new film, ‘______,” I understand that Christ’s passion, including
the actual crucifixion and the resurrection, is acted out minutely! These
plays are sponsored by ministers and Christian workers, and Christians by the
thousands go to see them, and come away captivated by them.
“If
one protests, one is met with all sorts of arguments about the ‘wonderful
good accomplished,’ the ‘beautiful character of the man taking the part of
Christ;’ and we are even told, in all seriousness, that he ‘actually lives
the part.’ ‘______ is a very religious man, you know,’ they say, and
‘people who will not go to church will go and see these things, and only
think how uplifting it is,’ always winding up with, ‘Well, if you would
only go and see it for yourself, you would feel very differently about it.’
“To
my way of thinking it is a desecration; it is blasphemy to commercialize the
most sacred things. I cannot believe that any good could come of it. I would
like to know what the Times thinks on this subject.” —A
California reader.
The Answer
“For
half a century the Sunday School Times has consistently held the
conviction that, as a young converted actor said in his series last year in
these columns, ‘a Christian has no place on either side of the
footlights.’ The dramatic or theatrical profession, at its best, is
demoralizing. At its best it is unworthy of the lifetime study and devotion
that it demands from those who would rise to the top of this profession. It is
based on artificiality: successfully seeming to be what one is not. While
there are a few outstanding exceptions in its ranks, of individual men or
women who have not been dragged down by it, its general trail of wreckage in
character can be compared to no other reputable profession or life calling.
And its accompaniments, in such matters as late hours, abandonment of ordinary
standards of modesty, shameless freedom between the sexes, and other
tendencies, tell their own story and bring their inevitable results.
“This
is the profession that produces the religious plays of today. The actors and
actresses who make up the companies that present these religious plays, are
presenting, with equal enthusiasm and facility, other plays that no consistent
Christian could consider witnessing. There have undoubtedly been some
exceptionally fine religious plays in recent years, both on the stage and on the
‘silver screen,’—in motion pictures,—and the themes of such plays, and
even the incidents and details, may be largely free from objection. The fact
remains, however, that even in the best of these the motive for the production
is commercial and mercenary; the characters of the cast are those of the
demoralizing dramatic profession; and the Christian who attends such a play is
lending his or her influence to a business that is doing more to injure society
and wreck lives than any other reputable business today.
“Christians
cannot afford to lend their influence to this. It is true, as the correspondent
notes, that we are told impressively of the great good accomplished by religious
plays. But has any reader of the Sunday School Times ever heard of a soul
saved, born again by faith in Christ as Saviour, through a commercial religious
play of this sort? The Times doubts whether such a result has been
brought to pass. Even if it has, it is only an instance of God making the wrath
of man to praise Him; and God does not want His children to encourage the wrath
of man.”
Appendix 13
Has
the Time Come for Us to Alter Our Standards
and
Rebuild Our Platform?*
by
Carlyle B. Haynes
(Review
and Herald, March 1, 1934)
The
text for this morning’s sermon contains a word of important counsel from the
world’s wisest man. You will find it recorded in Proverbs 22:28, and it
reads: “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.”
This
informs us that our ancestors have set landmarks. It admonishes us not to
remove them. It leads us to believe that these boundary lines are of value to
us. They were set where they were because of the knowledge and understanding
and experience our fathers had. They are not to be changed by us.
We
catch the picture at once. All of us have had some experience with the
annoyance caused by inaccurate signposts or boundary lines. We know something
of what it means in loss of time and positive exasperation when we are
misdirected and get on the wrong road and go a long way out of our course.
This may be due either to wrong markings or to the absence of markings.
The
text leads us to believe that the generations of the past learned some things,
and came to assured knowledge, before we arrived on the scene of action. They
learned them from experience. If we could only bring ourselves to accept their
findings, we should be saved many a sad experience.
Worldly Amusements
Our
views about separating from the world and belonging to God have led us to be
careful with reference to worldly amusements. Just as the early Methodists
did, so we discountenance dancing, theater going, card playing, competitive
sports, and everything of like nature that would lead away from God and
prevent our leading consistent Christian lives.
These
have been our standards from the beginning. They are our standards now. They
are going to remain our standards.
But,
as in the case of others, so in ours, when a denomination becomes established,
and develops size, and creates large church, and the early rigors of
opposition subside, there is always a tendency to lay aside or modify these
standards. A greater indulgence is shown toward their violation.
In
every large church there are always two classes of believers. One class is
determined that these standards of the faith shall be maintained. The other
class believes these standards are unnecessarily high, and should be modified
or discarded altogether.
It
sometimes happens this second class enlarges its numbers and influence until
its representatives come to occupy places of prestige and power in the church.
Then church standards come to be violated and overridden with impunity. They
are not enforced. When members are known to be doing to dances, or card
parties, or shows, a quiet and indulgent smile is about all that follows.
I
desire to emphasize, my brethren, that when that time comes and church
standards are dealt with in that way, the church is in serious danger. I would
have you remember that God places His mark of approval and acceptance on those
who sigh and cry for the abominations that are done in the church. (See
Ezekiel 9.)
When
such laxness becomes prevalent, then the opinion begins to be expressed that
these old church standards are too rigid, that the landmarks of the fathers
should be removed, that in order to win the rising generation we must soft
pedal these things, and permit the youth to adopt lower standards. I assure
you with all earnestness that such a course wins no respect for the church or
its divine Head.
Think
of the anomaly of a leader in the church, an officer, a Sabbath school
teacher, teaching these church standards on the Sabbath, and being discovered
at other times violating them. It is not unknown among us for leaders of the
church to smugly and complacently dress in accordance with church standards on
the Sabbath and at church affairs, but when invited to some worldly banquet or
social occasion to dress like worldlings.
Pageantry
in Services
But
there is another matter in which our standards are endangered. One cannot help
observing that many pageants and shows are being given in our services, in
both the Sabbath school and the church, and at the young people’s meetings.
At these it is noticeable that rouge and make-up and paint and costuming are
being more and more used. Some of our young people are asked to do a bit of
acting. Little playlets with definite plots are being put on. Theatricals are
pressing their way into the church. Our thirteenth Sabbath programs, our
Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, our graduation and commencement
celebrations, and other programs of the church are witnessing more and more of
this kind of questionable thing.
I
raise the question, Where are we going? What are we heading for? Are our
church standards to be altogether ignored? Are we to remain silent while these
things are being forced upon us? And if we remain silent and let these things
grow, what will become of our church standards? I notice that there is always
some one who will carry these affairs on to the very verge of the
questionable, and then sit back and see if anything is said about it. If
nothing is said about it, then the next time the affair becomes a little more
daring. If still nothing is said and no opposition is expressed, these things
are pressed to the point where there is outright acting, make-up, and dramatic
portrayal of character parts.
For
myself I have come to the place where I can be silent no longer. I want it
known by every one that I deplore the laxity that leads to this abandonment of
our church standards. I want to be on record, so that my influence may be most
positively against the theatrical, the make-believe, and against acting in the
church. I propose to introduce into the next meeting of the executive board of
the Tabernacle the following resolution, and press its adoption. I read it to
you now, so that all may know what it contains:
Whereas,
The Seventh-day Adventist movement and teaching are essentially Biblical,
placing emphasis on the basic, the fundamental, and the actual in Christian
living and experience, leading to simplicity, plainness, and earnestness in
our daily walk with God; and,
Whereas,
This naturally results in the individual believer’s cultivating the
attributes of candor, sincerity, and reality in dealing with the essential
facts of daily life; and,
Whereas,
In literature the very genius and spirit of our message lead to an abandonment
of all that is imaginary, fanciful, and fictional, and the study and reading
of that only which is true, solid, and real; and,
Whereas,
In entertainment we discountenance all that is theatrical, and turn away from
the dangerous fascination and glitter of the world of unreality and
make-believe, and encourage only the informative, the educational, the
wholesome, and the character and body building; and,
Whereas,
There is need of sounding a warning in the interests of safeguarding our
members, and particularly our youth, from the evils inherent in theatricals, and
with the desire to avoid all pretense, sham, unreality, artificiality, and
make-believe in the activities of the Tabernacle, and to have all our work in
every department of the church represent only that which is genuine, sincere,
real, and true; therefore,
We
recommend, That all our
officers, leaders, teachers, and helpers co-operate with us, both in the
Tabernacle and in Battle Creek Academy, in discountenancing and eliminating from
all programs, exercises, and celebrations, any pageant, play, show, performance,
or representation of any kind whatsoever which requires or employs any acting,
make-up, costuming, or taking of character parts, even of Biblical and religious
incidents, scenes, and characters; it being understood that this is not designed
to prevent children in the Sabbath school from using a costume or reciting a
part which may represent the native dress or speak in the name of a foreign or
home mission field.*
I
want to know whether you think we have come in this church to the time when we
should discard or enforce the old standards? Do you want your pastor and your
board to wink at violations of these old and established standards? Shall we
modify our standards to meet lowered ideals? or shall we uphold them and insist
on their observance? My own position in this matter you will find stated clearly
and emphatically in the text for today, “Remove not the ancient landmarks,
which thy fathers have set.”
________________
* Unanimously adopted by the Tabernacle Executive Board, January 8, 1934.
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