Ah, Tovorisch!

Stumbled across independent PHC forum and found old debate going splish-splash about mandatory chapel attendance. Some want backpedal to honor system, but notice none who experienced such, so not compelled by argument. Others standing on grounds of sickbed, what business has school to drag from point of death for glazed coughing sit-up session because all sick-days used up? No huhu there, but, as other pointed out, malaria victims almost certain to get exceptions if they ask.

Why have to ask, tovorisch? Because it's a community, gospodin. My dinkum word, is enough to make ache for return to Rigid Tradition. May be only way make people to do necessary thing in small town like college---plain old superstition and "always done it." Free speech and democracy blistering headache to decent orderly behavior. Doubt not Founding Fathers felt same way during some hot afternoons Constitutional Conventionalizing. Try and prove how dizzy-circles-speeches helped process of Our Fair Nation building (not sarcastic, just saying).

Sprechen of which, something to be said for brainless habit? Who makes serious huhu about engagement bobtisms? "always done it this way." Why not treat Chapel same fashion? No fuss, just enjoyment of school tradition. Wonder whether have got the whole honor thing wrong---maybe need less sense of "honorable to do this" and more of "DISHONORABLE not to, so don't muck up!" Imagine Chapel skip similar crimson of shame as calling D1 "Mount Vernon," only hope-against-hope Chapel blush is more vivid shade. Funny what grows sacred, nyet? Funny what sacred isn't treated so, nyet? Funny.

In good old honor days now so dimly remembered seem golden, was pressure of peer-frowns on skippers, but now? "Ah, tovorisch, bling-bling for you! Would myself except hassle of RA one-on-onesie. Not even sure Chapel is biblical. What Hebrews mean by "do not neglect to meet together," anyway? This isn't church, my dinkum brother. Quite right. Would myself, except..."

And on and on. Wish privately sometimes Chapel were something students invented all by our diddums---would all fight for it then, come bombs in Washington or chicken strips in dining hall. Can't seem to realize own self that community is mutual responsibility. O my brother, your dishonor is my dishonor. I don't like dishonor, will jolly well see that you don't muck up. Enough dishonor under old honor system, collective body lost right to attend on principle and now compelled. Well gospodin, as my wise mother says, "if won't rule yourself, will be ruled." Why make huhu? Weeping, wailing, howling at moon, what for? Earned it. Smack-dab deserved it. And to fourth generation, still paying dues for it.

Crime and punishment, O my little brother. Only difference between We and Administration is A. members behave better---pay up consequences of enforcing rules without murmur, even unto Founding Fathers scale headache of applying card system to us wailing wallers. Said we'd attend. Didn't. Now paying up with tears of anguish. Said they'd enforce if Honorables broke word. Like Old Testament covenant, kept word even when Honorables didn't, and accepted nasty consequence of administering cards, which undergrads hail as castor-oil (so hard to keep track of Chapel cards, Tovorisch? How will ever manage in Big Old World?).

Hear any huhu from A. members? No, tovorisch. They grit teeth and gird up and do as advertised. Only happens to be enforcement, so cause of gnashing and more wailing among Would-Be Honorables.

What's that, gospodin? Weren't here when First Student sinned over honor code chapel system? Shouldn't have to pay up? Nonsense! Whole human race still sinning because of First Parents. Thinkest thou, O my little brother, that thy generation wouldst not sin? Note example of Israelite generations, tovorisch. All flesh is as grass.

Ever ask yourself, gospodin, why you want to make with chop-chop of Chapel bonds? Plan to spend the extra hour in Scripture? Maybe praying? Is time to be honest, tovorisch, even if not Honorable. Own self admits: want it because nobody thank-you-curtsey should tell what to do thank-you-curtsey. Am People. Am THE People. HAVE RIGHTS.

Mistake. Rights forfeited in distant past generation Israelite desert-wanderers who mistook Promised Land for Ettinsmoor. Tovorisch, own selves are not in position to argue biblical-ness of present Chapel system. Would be like chronic liars preaching word-perfect Hebrew-and-Greek lesson on truthtelling. Accurate as bees-knees, MAYBE, but no weight, gospodin, no weight. Where no living is, will be no believing from on-lookers. And is bees-knees? What harm, tovorisch, to worship God an extra hour? Where is biblical sin in golden opportunity? Forced, Tovorisch? Is free country. Who forced to come to Chapel-attending school and make seal on scroll of rules? Same matter, who forced to break word? Which is sin, Tovorisch?

My dinkum opinion, gospodin, is honor system can be regained. But building takes lifetime; tearing down takes eye-blink. Four years, one whole generation of students needed, who consider personal shame to misplace chapel cards, miss chapel unnecessarily. Need flocking and herding to Chapel, sheep both outside and inside sheepskin, no wolves.

One generation such, then maybe next has ground to stand on and will not need to shout "honor"--will have it. One generation of no huhu, no wailing wall, just attempt to humble selves and find what good is there to find---and there IS, my dinkum word---in Chapel. Found it own self spite of self and self's own diddums self-righteous snobbery.

Find out what is to gain before giving old shove. Own it, O my little brother. Defend with lifeblood. Think what will become of twentieth generation if fourth sneers at congregant worship. Think which tradition would rather have as brainless habit---complaint or gratitude? Would have traditions of seize every opportunity for voice of song and jeweled hush of heaven-thoughts, even though some days boring, some days rainy, some days not enough sleep? Or would welcome each chance to howl at moon because life so hard hard hard? Will be harder by and by, tovorisch. Will wish someday for schedule-space to sing and hush in, O my little brother.

Think it over, gospodin. Is real conscientious objection? Or would fight for it like dragon's-teeth soldiers if were your tradition? How brainless is habit of complaint about Chapel? Tovorisch, live by complaint is die by complaint. No glory lives behind back of such. Own dinkum word from one for whom School of Hard Knocks was invented.

O my little brother, ultimate question is has present path brought brightness to eyes and bushiness to tail of Christian soul? If not, tovorisch, then will have to pay up consequences aplenty for toying with serious business of God's glory, not to mention stuffing bitterness in Heaven-beloved heart of Christian being.