The Christian Civic League of Maine

the RECORD

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Church in Western Maine

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"Fearful lest it be relegated to the position of an isolated sect, Christianity seems to be making frenzied efforts at mimicry in order to escape being devoured by its enemies--a reaction that seems defensive, but is in fact self-destructive. In the hope of saving itself, it seems to be assuming the colors of its environment, but the result is that it loses its identity. . . ."
--Leszek Kolakowski, from Modernity on Endless Trial

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KING SOLOMON’S FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE

“The Teacher [King Solomon] was very wise and taught the people what he knew. He very carefully thought about, studied, and set in order many wise teachings. He looked for just the right words to write what is dependable and true. Words from wise people are like goads used to guide animals. They are like nails that have been driven in firmly. Altogether they are wise teachings that come from one Shepherd. So be careful, my son, about other teachings. People are always writing books, and too much study will make you tired. Now, everything has been heard, so I give my final advice: Honor God and obey his commands, because this is all people must do. God will judge everything, even what is done in secret, the good and the evil.” -- Ecclesiastes 12:9-14

HOW TIMES CHANGE

“The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice.” -- G.K. Chesterton

“If you give them long enough to talk about it, they will come back with reasons why we shouldn’t have ratified the Ten Commandments.” -- Will Rogers

ACLU REMOVES 23rd PSALM FROM COURTHOUSE WALL

Following a complaint from the ACLU, a rendering of the 23rd Psalm has been removed from the wall of a courthouse in Oglethorpe, Georgia. The words of the 23rd Psalm, which the ACLU found offensive, were woven into a tapestry the County Clerk had placed outside her office to share her faith and to lighten the burden of those who visited the courthouse. The director of the ACLU in Georgia said he was unaware of any case challenging a public display of the 23rd Psalm, but was concerned that it might be a “potential violation” of the Constitution.

THEM MAINERS

Dr. Cutter is the local Veterinarian, known for his wry humor. He surpassed himself one summer day when a city dog was brought to him after an encounter with a porcupine.

After almost an hour of prying, pulling, cutting and stitching, he returned the dog to its owner, who asked what she owed.

"A hundred and fifty dollars, Ma'am," he answered.

"Why that's simply outrageous!" she stormed. "That's what's wrong with you Maine people, you're always trying to over charge summer visitors. Whatever do you do in the winter, when we're not being gypped here?"

"Raise porcupines, Ma'am."

MOVIES IN MAINE A CENTURY AGO

These popular places of amusement now number about eighty in Maine, all of twenty cities and more than a score of the larger villages having their moving picture shows. Rumford Falls (12,000 pop.) with two permanent picture shows and Waterville (12,000 pop.) with three, are typical examples. These moving picture entertainments are given continuously afternoon and evening in the larger towns, and even forenoon exhibitions draw fair-sized audiences in the cities. The program is usually one hour in length and is so popular among the children that in several places boys have become junk thieves or turned to street begging to obtain the nickels necessary for admission fees. In some towns there is a strong prejudice against this inducement to divert coins from the children’s saving banks to the pockets of the show manager.

These facts do not necessarily make a case against the moving picture show. If it furnishes clean amusement and considerable instruction for five cents, it may be a public benefactor instead of a public nuisance. This is where the average moving picture show fails and needs to be supervised.

The songs and accompanying pictures of these shows are usually excellent, although they contain some excess of sentiment; many of the films are of scenery, sports and industries, but interspersed are portrayals of brutality, vice and crime, unfit for a public exhibition, especially where children and youth predominate. A Hancock county lawyer accompanied the writer to one of the least objectionable of these shows in Lewiston. He left in disgust when the program ended, declaring that it was his first, and last visit to a “moving picture show.” The Bijou on Lisbon street was at that time running a set of pictures which showed an enraged father drive a Don Juan from his house, beat him to death and back a cart containing the corpse over a high cliff into the sea. The making of that film required the brutal killing of the cart horse, but to the child the entire atrocity was real. Blowing up a ship for plunder, dragging a woman to her death at the heels of a horse, a bank robbery by the Yonger brothers, murders, seductions, drunkenness and knock-downs are some of the sensations set forth in fascinating stage dress in nearly every picture show in Maine. We appeal to parents, teachers and pastors to attend these shows in their towns and investigate the charges made above in the interest of public morals.

from The RECORD July 1908

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The Christian Civic League of Maine

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Augusta, Maine 04330

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