If We Patronize Evil…

With increasing concern for the lowering standards of morality and decency, there comes the question what to do about it? Should we just sit as if we were watching the progress of a play – or is there something we can do to change the trend?

One hopeful aspect of it is the growing determination on the part of many responsible people, publicly and privately, to draw a line against looseness and lawlessness. But in many ways there is still indifference or discouragement. And it would seem to be most urgent to face some very simple facts – and one of them is this: Part of the reason why evil is possible is because it is permitted to be profitable. Another fact: We may be against it in principle, yet still patronize it, and make it further possible by making it further profitable.

This applies to any form of evil that is offered to the public as a marketable product. If we patronize or purchase or partake of any thing that isn’t good for people, we are helping to promote it by helping to make it profitable. If, for any reason whatsoever, we purchase or procure any of the salacious products of pornography, in picture or in print, we help to make this evil profitable. If we patronize a lewd or raw or immoral play, by whatever means it is presented or produced – if we pay our money to see something filthy and immoral – we are not only degrading ourselves, but we are helping to promote and proliferate such productions by making them profitable.

Evil is greedy. Evil is used by many to make money. And always we ought to remember that the more profitable evil is, the more powerful it is, and the more prevalent it will become.

Evil will go just as far as we will let it. If we patronize it, encourage it, it will go to unlimited lengths. But we personally can play an important part by not patronizing, not purchasing, not making profitable anything evil or of low-minded morals. If something isn’t good for people, it doesn’t matter how profitable or popular or prevalent it is, we ought to leave it alone.