Pastor Sid's Journal

Worldly Amusements and Freedom

One of the positions of the CRC that is the subject of historical jokes is the position on "Worldly Amusements." In 1928, in the midst of the prohibition in the United States and a denominational debate on common grace, the CRC made a statement concerning worldly amusements. Now the reason the statement became the butt of jokes over time is because it took a strong stand against dancing, card playing and theatre going. Over time attitudes and beliefs changed concerning these items and Synod made adjustments to their statements to reflect the changed attitudes within the denomination (at least with respect to dancing and theatre going...nothing has ever been altered about card playing as best I can tell...). It probably shouldn't have singled out the particular items of dancing, card playing and theatre going because now people tend to ignore the position all together. But while we ignore the 1928 report, its basic principles still stand within the denomination. The basic position says:

"God gave humanity the cultural mandate to develop the potentials of creation and dedicate them to the glory of God. Christians must learn to discern God’s will in every area of human life in regard to what is good and evil, avoid the worldliness of loving temporal or sinful things instead of God, and call society to the obedience of Christ. Christians must be spiritually separate from the world even while enjoying things that the Bible neither commands nor forbids. In such matters, believers must exercise Christian liberty guided by a Spirit-enlightened conscience, submit prayerfully to God’s Word and Spirit, and appreciate the pastoral guidance of the officebearers of the church."

It's a good statement and still an important topic. In reviewing some material from the agenda that was sent to Synod in 1928, I came across a wonderful paragraph on Christian freedom. It says,

"The Word of God teaches that the Christian is a free man and should “stand in the freedom which Christ has made him free.” What is meant by Christian freedom? What is freedom in general? We answer: it is not the right and the ability to do as one pleases, but the ability to move without constraint in the sphere for which God made us. Freedom therefore is not inconsistent with limitation and law. The bird is free only when it can move in the air unhindered. A worm is free when it is not prevented from moving in the ground--in a sphere which would mean bondage and death for many other creatures. A locomotive is not free unless its motion is confined to the two rails on which it was made to run. Man was made in the image of God to be like Him and to reflect his holiness. Consequently he is free only when he moves without constraint in the sphere of holiness and obedience to God’s law." --“Christian Liberty,” in “Report of the Committee on Worldly Amusements,” Agenda: Synod of the Christian Reformed Church, To convene June 13, 1928 at Holland, Mich., p. 22.

I like the way that this is written and I think these words from 1928 are very relevant today!