THE ADVENT SABBATH REVIEW AND HERALD GENERAL CHURCH PAPER OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS DEDICATED TO THE PROCLAMATION OF THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL The Seventh-day Adventist Exhibit Literature Display in Mexico City I By WILLIAM A. BUTLER N the capital city of the Republic of Mexico a national exposition was held recently. The display was especially in the interests of literary arts. The most beautiful, wide I avenue in the city was selected for the place of the exposition, just opposite our new church site. Among the many booths of display was our own, with our Catholic friends as next- door neighbors. As one can see from the photograph, our display was attractively ar- ranged with many Bibles, denominational books, and tracts. In the background was shown the large world globe, with the inscription just beneath, "Our literature goes from our publishing houses to every home in all the world." The exposition lasted from April 15 to May 15, and 250,000 visitors streamed in and out from day to day. It seems that our display was one of the chief attractions and that we sold more literature than our Catholic friends. Our sales amounted to more than one thousand dollars American currency. (Continued on page 11) VOL. 120, NO. 41 TAKOMA PARK, WASHINGTON, D. C., U. S. A. OCTOBER 14, 1943 OCTOBER 14, 194 3 women follow. They are slower to adopt the full meas- HEART- to -HEART ure of indecency, but each season finds them 'conserva- tively' following at a respectful distance, so that the modes for decent women today were the extremes of TALKS by the Editor indecency a few short seasons back. "The modern unchastity of women's clothes, the crude, lewd, wholly indefensible appeal to man's lowest instincts, the deliberate trading on the unclean and Women's Attire lustful side of human nature, is, we repeat, a basic cause of that widespread dishonor and crime that are polluting civilization today. Surely there are enough HOULD the editor of the REVIEW—a mere decent, intelligent, noble-minded women left to halt man—discuss the question of the attire of this mad craze for criminal impropriety. Surely they S womankind? We know that the answer of can and will take the lead for purity and decency and some would be decidedly in the negative. Indeed, honor, rather than be content to follow at long distance one good brother told me very decidedly a short that road which leads to nothing but degradation for all humanity." time ago that he thought this was a question that the women in the church should deal with wholly. If it was deplorable when this editorial ap- Well, if the women in the church would deal with peared to see the extremes in women's dress being it, we would be very glad to have them do so. In- adopted by conservative women, how much more deed, we have solicited several conservative, well- deplorable is the situation that confronts us at the balanced sisters to discuss this question in the present time. REVIEW, and they have declined our invitation. Responsibility of Mothers We have received several articles from the field on the subject, but written in such a style that We feel that there rests upon the motherhood made them unusable. in the church a great responsibility for this situ- We do not propose to discuss many details of ation. This responsibility was emphasized sev- the question, but we do feel that certain principles eral years ago by an editorial in the fashion maga- ought to be considered. And in dealing with it as zine, Good Dressing. It is well worth reading in a man, I am quite in line with Bible precedent, be- this connection, because it states principles which cause I find that two of the Bible writers lay down apply equally well today. certain fundamental principles which should gov- "A Distinct Point of Morals" ern the question. "What we must not forget is that there is a distinct The apostle Paul, in his epistle to Timothy, says point of morals in this question of how a woman this: dresses. A woman is never better than she dresses, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves or, what is equally important, as she allows those to in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; dress over whom she has a mother's or equally re- not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly ar- sponsible control. In other words, a woman's dress ray; but (which becometh women professing godli- reveals with unfailing accuracy exactly what she is. ness) with good works." 1 Tim. 2:9, 10. There is, in fact, no mirror that so clearly reveals the character as a woman's dress. It is unerring and ab- In speaking of womankind, the apostle Peter solutely self-revealing. states that their lives and deportment should be "When we see young girls, as we saw them in larger of that character that would enable them to win numbers last, summer than ever before, brazenly or their unbelieving husbands. Of the wives he says : thoughtlessly displaying in their attire their physical rather than their innocent charms, the fault is not so "While they behold your chaste conversation coupled much with the girls as with their mothers who permit with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward them to buy and wear such clothes. The excuse that adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, mothers cannot control the attire of their daughters or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden is begging the question; a mother is a pretty poor fail- man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even ure when she has to confess to such an admission. the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in "Every mother of a young girl is a tremendous fac- the sight of God of great price. ' For after this manner tor in this question. She may think that she is only in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in one woman and, as such, powerless, like a drop in the God, adorned themselves." 1 Peter 3:2-5. ocean. But she is watched by some other mother ; her That there are wide departures from the prin- girl is looked up to by some other mother's daughter, and so the circle widens from one to many, and an in- ciples enunciated by these two Bible writers, we fluence is set in motion that it is impossible to recall. are sure all will admit. The years have presented "It is high time that every mother should think of a wide variety of styles and modes of dress, as herself as a powerful moral factor, and, as such, she well as the extremes to which fashion has led. should get very busy on the question of her girl's While conservative women have followed this lead clothes. We cannot be too careful. Then we will have at a respectful distance, the large majority have no after-regrets—the keenest pains in life !" succumbed to the influences surrounding them and The habits of life are formed largely in the have adopted each year the extremes of the year home. The manner in which the mother dresses before. And so they have gone on from step to her little girl is bound to be reflected in that girl's step, until we see today the unfortunate excesses life in later years. witnessed on every side. Unfortunately, these conditions which we see in the world around us are having a marked influence Extreme to Extreme in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Lord This was expressed a few years ago in a news- has called His children to be a peculiar people— paper editorial which we find in our files. peculiar in the way they dress, in heart and hab- "It is deplorable that as the extremists (in dress) its of life, in their recreations, even in the spirit jump from extreme to extreme, the presumably decent (Continued on page 10) • 2 THE ADVENT REVIEW Day of Intercession for Interned Missionaries October 30 By E. D. DICK • AR produces a multitude of evils besides remote from the areas of conflict, there to await the bloodshed and carnage of the battle- the close of the cruel struggles. To them, the time Wfield. The entire fabric of the nations in- of waiting drags slowly. Only the most restricted volved is affected. The social, economic, political, correspondence is permitted with loved ones— moral, and spiritual life of their peoples is often only twenty-five words on a postal card every thereby changed. Millions whose lives have been two weeks. Monotonous days and months wear devoted to pursuits of peace, are now, because of slowly on into. years. Hope wanes in the hearts the war, feverishly engaged in the production of of the captives as in the hearts of the loved ones instruments of death and destruction. Other mil- who longingly await their return. lions who, too, have been engaged in peaceful oc- Such are the restrictions and conditions recog- cupations are marshaled to fields of battle on land nized and imposed by nations which have ac- and sea and air, far removed from their home- cepted the Geneva Treaty governing such matters. lands. Among other nations we have reasons to fear Scores of thousands through the changing tides that even these conditions are not recognized and of battle are taken as prisoners and as such are that prisoners and internees of foreign nationals transferred by the conquering nations to regions in their hands may suffer indignities and cruelties not practiced nor dreamed of by so-called Christian nations.