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Traditional Change

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Berean, Jan 2, 2012.

  1. Berean

    Berean Member
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    It would be of interest to note all of the things that were considered sin in the early part of the twentieth century that today seemingly are no longer frowned upon and in most cases ignored or accepted.

    I will start the list;

    1. Going to the movies.
    2. Card playing.
    3. Dancing.
    This is not meant to spark debate merely to see how many you can add to the list.
     
  2. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    In the early 1930s, my church disfellowshipped a member for gambling.

    His sin? He had invested in the stock market.
     
  3. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    The minutes of my church's business meetings extend all the way back to 1901.

    In the 1930s, the minutes, in great detail, record a business meeting in which one of the members accused another member of dancing. Brother J was present and was called upon to answer the accusation. He stood, said yes, he had danced with his wife, and he wasn't sorry.

    Whereupon, the minutes record, the church voted to disfellowship Brother J.

    Mrs. J said yes, she had danced with her husband, but she was sorry.

    Whereupon, the minutes record, the church voted to forgive her.

    The rest of the story: In 1963, I was elected minister of music at that church. Brother J was the oldest deacon. His wife was a sweet lady, beloved by all.
     
    #3 Tom Butler, Jan 3, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 3, 2012
  4. Mexdeaf

    Mexdeaf New Member

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    The biggies of the 1970's-

    Gold-rimmed glasses and long hair on men, and women with 'bobbed' hair, or that wore pants. With the kids it was 'back-talk' and gum-chewing in SS class.
     
  5. Oldtimer

    Oldtimer New Member

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    1. Guitars, drums, etc. in church.
    2. Tattoos
    3. "On The Wings of a Dove" resulted in a bitter fight among our church members.
    4. Clothing that bared much of women's bodies in summer.
    5. Lack of reverance in church. Kid's acting as if it were a playground.
    6. Any non KJV Bible and a KJV in a non traditional cover color.
    7. Divorced church leaders.
    8. Parents and children weren't separated during worship services. Suspect it would have been considered to be a sin if Childrens Church had been suggested. (At least in our church when I was a child.)
    9. Using yeast bread during communion.
    10. Bluejeans and shorts.
     
  6. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    I've heard that marriage can lead to dancing...

    Sounds like her husband wasn't a very good dancer.

    :wavey:
     
  7. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

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    Moving from the north to the south, there were a few. In the north, smoking was considered to be a biggie, while swim parties and days at the beach were church activities.

    When I moved to Knoxville, guys were smoking in front of the church, but they didn't dare go "mixed" swimming. At first I thought that what they called "mixed bathing" was inviting blacks and whites to go swimming together, but found out that it was males and females swimming together.:eek:
     
  8. JesusFan

    JesusFan Well-Known Member

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    My Mother could ONLY play cards while her parents went off to town, and they had to make sure all the cards were put away before returned!

    big sinful card game was 'Old maid!"

    their church also did a 'skirt check", as ONLY ankles were allowed to be exposed!
     
  9. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    Forty years later our pastor preached a sermon in which he discussed dancing.
    Basically he said that dancing was a sexual exercise and unmarried people shouldn't do it because of the sexual implications.

    But, he said, it was just fine for married folks. I remember he said, "y'all just roll back the rug in your home and have at it."

    This thread sorta reminds me of something I heard 30 years ago or more.
    "Catholics can now eat meat on Friday; Jews can eat pork; and Baptists can drink in front of each other."
     
  10. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    About the cards, poker was obviously frowned upon, but Rook was okay in my Baptist culture.
     
  11. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    I attended a Baptist college in the late 1950s. There were strict rules for behavior. Students were not allowed to dance, even off-campus. Drinking was forbidden.

    We sorta joked that the boys shouldn't smoke, drink or chew, or go with girls that do.

    40 years later, I was at the school homecoming, where I learned that for the first time, the school was having dance.

    One old alumnus said, "I can handle it if they're not touchin' each other. Can't Nothin' happen with two people standin' six feet apart shakin'."

    Interesting thing: when I was there, the school was quite theologically liberal, but socially very strict.
    In succeeding years, the school became more theologically conservative, but the social standards were more relaxed. Go figure.
     
  12. nodak

    nodak Active Member
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    We could square dance, but not regular dance.

    No sleeveless blouses or dresses for the ladies.

    No hair touching the collar for the guys.
     
  13. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    Hmm... In the Baptist circle I was raised in, resistance against the school district's elementary school unit on square dancing (where children were actually required to square dance) was considered on par with Daniel and his friends refusing to eat the king's meat and bow to his idol. Not only were we told to dance, but we were expected to unnecessarily touch hands with multiple members of the opposite sex!

    My parents cheerfully told me to participate instead of writing me an excuse note like some of the other kids, a position that was not well-received, especially since I had not gone forward, shaken the pastor's hand and been baptized like almost all of the other elementary kids.

    Of course, some of the worst critics of the "dancing program" smoked like chimneys just outside the doors to the children's Sunday School building. My father was a smoker, so I was used to cigarette smoke, but walking through that gauntlet of thick smoke every Sunday morning would make me cough something fierce.:eek:
     
  14. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    Pastor J. B. Hawthorne, First Baptist Church of Atlanta, mounted a vigorous campaign against the abomination of—get this—women riding bicycles! :eek:

    Atlanta Constitution, July 26, 1895, p. 7:

    "SHALL WOMEN RIDE?

    Dr. Hawthorne Says They Should Not and Gives His Reasons

    THE ANTI-BICYCLE CRUSADE IS ON

    . . . .

    "No man, who understand the physiology of woman, doubts that the most serious physical injuries will result from her use of the bicycle. One of the most learned of American physicians says: "Bicycling is harmful to some women all of the time, and to all women some of the time." No later than yesterday one of the most skillful specialists of our city said: "The bicycle is by far more injurious to the health of women than the sewing machine."
    But the physical mischiefs of this abomination should not be mentioned in comparison with its moral effects upon the women of the world. Bishop Coxe in witnessing some of the disgraceful fruits of it, exclaims, "Oh shame! Where is thy blush?" J. B. HAWTHORNE"
     
  15. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    At one time playing the stock market was included.
     
  16. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    Nobody is completely conservative or completely liberal.
     
  17. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    San Francisco's Hamilton Square Baptist Church's pastor railed against—get this—boxing! :eek:

    San Francisco Call, November 25, 1907, p 12:

    "MINISTER SCORES PRIZE FIGHTS FROM PULPIT

    Rev. Louis Sawyer Brands Pugilism as Relic of Uncivilized Age

    "Our Municipal Disgrace—the Prize Fight" was the subject chosen for a sermon by Rev. Louis J. Sawyer, pastor of the Hamilton square Baptist church, yesterday morning. The prize fight was characterized, as the one blemish on our civilization. Not only the fighters and their backers but the men who take part in the sport were scored."
     
  18. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    OK - this is hysterical!!
     
  19. Mexdeaf

    Mexdeaf New Member

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    It's almost as funny as those who preach that POW* is more immodest than those jeans skirts they love so much.

    (*POW for the uninitiated= Pants On Women.)
     
  20. abcgrad94

    abcgrad94 Active Member

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    In Grace Livingston Hill's books set in the 1930's and 1940's, the good christian heroines never painted their nails, wore rouge or lipstick, or bobbed their hair.
     
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