“IMMORAL AND INANE”

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 51, 23 November 1928, Page 13

“IMMORAL AND INANE”

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND MOVING PICTURES A HOSTILE REPORT Dominion Special Service. Auckland, November 22. A strongly-hostile attitude to moving pictures in general is taken up by the life and work committee of the Presbyterian Church in its report presented to the General Assembly. “On the whole we are safe in saying that moving pictures continue to exercise a most pernicious and demoralising influence on our young people,” states the report. “When they are, not openly immoral they are inane; they exalt problems of sex to a disproportionate plane and by their exhibitions of luxurious living they tend to make young people discontented with their humdrum lot. While it is true that the best people in our churches do not attend pictures to any extent, it is also true that the time is more than ripe for a stiffening up of our censorship of films, for the authorities so far have certainly not erred on the side of prudery.

“We might also as a church seek to counteract their evil influence by providing healthy antidotes in the formation of literary and debating societies and similar organisations. We believe also that it would pay most churches handsomely to provide tennis courts for young people so that they can have their recreations under the shadow of the church.”