Intro

This blog gains its name from the book Steele's Answers published in 1912. It began as an effort to blog through that book, posting each of the Questions and Answers in the book in the order in which they appeared. I started this on Dec. 10, 2011. I completed blogging from that book on July 11, 2015. Along the way, I began to also post snippets from Dr. Steele's other writings — and from some other holiness writers of his times. Since then, I have begun adding material from his Bible commentaries. I also re-blog many of the old posts.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

A Game of Cards

QUESTION: Is there any more harm in playing a social game of euchre or cinch or any other game of cards than there is in playing flinch?

ANSWER: My education in card playing was totally neglected. Thanks to my parents, I know nothing of the difference between the games. I believe the testimony of converted gamblers that the preparatory school for the gambler's den is not that den itself, within locked doors, all spectators being shut out lest there be a detective among them, but the parlors of respectable and nominally Christian people, where the young become skilled in so-called innocent, social games. This skill is the young man's temptation. When away from them, he fairly aches with desire to be exercising his dexterity in the exciting manipulation of cards. Thus he is drawn into the gamblers' hell, which has proved to be the vestibule to the devil's hell. American Methodism began with the burning of a pack of cards snatched by a godly woman out of the hands of a backslidden local preacher. Oh, for millions of Barbara Hecks in the Christian churches!

— From Steele's Answers pp. 14, 15.
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1 comment:

  1. Craig L. AdamsFebruary 4, 2012 at 4:31 PM

    Well, what do you know, the Barbara Heck story to which Dr. Steele alludes is in the Wikipedia enrty for "Barbara Heck": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Heck

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