"THE ROAD TO HELL"

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 132, 5 June 1923, Page 7

"THE ROAD TO HELL"

MINISTERS AT VARIANCE ETHICS OP THE "JAZZ" AND THEJ THEATRE AN ATTACK AND A REPLY., fJI TELEGRAPH,—-SPECIAL TO THE POST.) AUCKLAND, This Day/ . The ethics of tne'"jazz" and the thea^ tre from the -^ypoint of avowed Christians formed the theme of an address by the Rev. J^. W. Kemp at the Baptist . Tabernacle last evening. . The text was a verse irom Ezekiel, '/And they shall, teach My people the 1 difference between the Holy and Profane, and cause them to discern between the Unclean and th» Clean."Mr. Kemp said that at the Anglican Church Copgress in Christchurch recently .a vhigh tone was maintained, a. magnificent note was struck ■ from thd beginning, and a most gracious and spiritual atmosphere pervaded the gathering. One could not read the reports without realising that; but one. report' came out which widely shocked the thoughtful and right-thinking people who were iuterested in 'the morals of our young people and the spiritual life of the community. ' "I have the report before me, and I am only too sorry that the message was declared: by an Anglican minister in, Auckland."

Mr. Kemp read the following passage from the report: "When the people said that card-playing, dancing, and the theatre were wrong, and that the'racecourse was the 'road to hell,' then there was some justification for thinking their judgment was warped." A confession was made by an Anglican divine thstt he had made some unsuccessful attempts at "jazzing," that his wife had perhaps not been a successful teacher in thai line, and that he did not get^ many-op-portunities of going to the theatre, but from his earliest days he ;had attendee? theatres, and, generally; speaking, then had been profit in it. ■ - ■ •' ' A SIGN OF THE TIMES:"" ' ' "The,whole tenor and tone.so far aa the report goes is to indicate his ap-. proval of the things I have mentioned," said Mr. Kemp. "'You do not wonder, therefore, that the atmosphere of Christchurch was charged > with amazement and bewilderment.' I think the reverend, gentleman made one of the greatest mistakes in his^. life when he made ;tho statements he*did." Ha was bewildered; not only. he, but thousands upon thousands of people, to hear it declared from the platform of the Church Congress that it was quite legitimate for young people to go to theatres,. to jazz, and to play cards. It was a sign 'of tht times.. i , '■' : When he talked; two years ago on morals, Mr. Kemp continued, he was dragged through mire and filth, and wai made to appear the most colossal "}ojf killer" that ever put foot in the Dominion. When he went to Christchurch recently he found that "thunderous lie" had run ahead of him, and when he went to see the choir they.looked like so many frightened hares. He asked them- to; sing, and, they said, "Why_, we thousbj you did not believe in singing?" , MODERN DANCING DENOUNCED*

He was not against pleasure, againsfc sweet, clean, and genuine amusement. He was.not ail 'enemy of the people's pleasure, but he was bound to express his condemnation of every form of amusement that cast a blight upon young people. God had given us desire ani capacity for amusement. Every sensible man knew there was benefit in som« forms of recreation, but he could give' scores of' reasons why no good peopl» should practise dance as it wag practised to-day. Dance generally sought this cover of tiight,. and as carried out today it could not be Indulged in without! weakening the brain cells. With regard! to 'the' theatre, he said that some tim« ago when he spoke on the subject he was taken to task by some notable peopla in the theatrical world, but at the same! time he was visited by one whohad beeri 35 years behind the footlights and behin^ the scenes, and he said; "What yotf stated is mild and tame as compared witF the actual reality." !. "NARROWNESS AND INTOLER- | % ANCE." In a reply to Mr. Kemp, published in this morning's "New Zealand Herald,'the Rev. Gordon Bell, the Anglicasj clergyman referred to, says: "I am'sat* isfied that more harm is being done to Christianity in the Dominion' by th*, narrowness and intolerance of. some pro. fessing Christians than by its avowed ■ opponents. It is one thing to be ira* pressed by the fact that New Zealand--ers are pleasure-loving people and to feel the necessity of warning people against over indulgence in pleasures. It is quite another matter to allow oneself to b« trapped into violent denunciation of pleasures which are in themselves innocent* to declare things to be sins which God Himself has not declared sins. That is just the position into which Mr. Kemp and those who think ; with him havte placed themselves. Can he or-any of his friends justify their denunciations of a game,of carda^a visit to the theatre, or participation in a dance as essentially sinful? The strongest denunciations which fell from the lips of Our Blessed Lord in His life upon earth were those which he addressed to narrow, puritanical Pharisees, and they accused Him, tha one only;who is without,sin,'of, too'graatl tolerance—'This man eatath and drinketh with publicans arid sinners' I afw tacked mcidem Puritanism deliberately and with a'good conscience. I shall com tinue to do so, because I am convinced that Mr. Kemp arid the school of thought which he represents are misinterpreting our holy faith and alienating many iron . Christ by .their narrowness of outlook.

Mr. Bell proceeds: "What justifica* tion has Mr. Kemp for his assertion that' 'thousands upon thousands of people' were bewildered by my remarks, or foi his implication that I was responsible for* lowering the spiritual tone of the ChurcF Congress? There was ample time for any member of the congress to call attention? to the matter and to make a protest if it was thought neceesary at the meetings on the day following; but far front being criticised I was thanked repeated* ly for having spoken out on this subi ject." ;. '