Moral Panic

At the start of the 20th century, both immigration and urbanization were rapidly increasing. People were moving from the countryside into cities, and for the first time in American history, women were able to support themselves financially in these urban centers and gained unprecedented physical and financial freedom. With this newfound freedom also came an American fear of sexuality. Young people were changing the norms of courtship, and anxiety spread through the country about these new cities being the perfect breeding ground for debauchery.

By 1907, a panic was spreading through America. People began to believe that women were being forced into prostitution on a large scale by a malicious and established network of individuals. Horrific stories of women being drugged and kidnapped spread like wildfire through the media, feeding the hysteria.

The government responded in a couple of different ways, but most notably, the federal government put into effect the Mann Act, making it a crime to "transport or cause to be transported, or aid or assist in obtaining transportation for" or to "persuade, induce, entice, or coerce" a woman to travel "in interstate or foreign commerce, or in any Territory or the District of Columbia" if the travel was "for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose ... whether with or without her consent."

What I find the most interesting about the Mann Act is that, as the moral panic of "The White Slave Trade" began to fade, the government used the Mann Act to target its political opponents. One notable example is Charlie Chaplin. Many officials disliked Charlie Chaplin because of his progressive views, supposed support of communism, and controversial relationships with younger women.

In the early 1940s, Chaplin was in a relationship with a younger actress, Joan Barry. As their relationship ended less than amicably, Joan accused him of transporting her across state lines for sexual purposes, thus bringing the Mann Act into play. In 1944, Chaplin was indicted under the Mann Act and, while later acquitted, the whole ordeal completely tarnished his reputation. America had lost its trust in Chaplin, and in 1952, when trying to travel back into America, he had his permit revoked, thus very nearly ending his career in America.

It's Only a Paper Moon

While the image of a "paper moon" conjures up feelings of fragility, I believe that the magical reality that Moses and Addie find themselves in is more powerful. Throughout the movie, Moses and Addie live in a bubble that is made up of small-town scams and the unlikeliest of partnerships. Perhaps from the outside, their constructed world looks flimsy and volatile, but throughout the movie, something lasting and real begins to take shape and bind them together.

The title of the movie, borrowed from the 1933 song "It's Only a Paper Moon," was written during the Great Depression, a time of intense uncertainty and fragility. The title choice highlights the message of flimsy illusions, but also that of a magical hope and the bubble that love can forge. 

Although their relationship is not necessarily built on candor in any form, what makes their relationship "real" is the choices they make to protect and choose each other time and again. What I enjoyed greatly about this movie was that a seemingly fragile connection like the one Addie and Moses started with was forged into something authentic. Perhaps not a connection that will be long-lasting, but one powerful enough to mean something to them both. To give them both what they need: acceptance in a time of loneliness and uncertainty. Their time together may be an illusion, but it holds truth; whether or not they are blood-related, they are each other's family.

Daniel 8:14

Charismatic leader of the Millerite Movement, William Miller, believed that he had predicted the Second Coming of Christ through the insights he derived from the Bible verse Daniel 8:14. 

And he said to me, ‘For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.’ (ESV) 

Miller and his followers believed that the "2,300 evenings and mornings" mentioned in Daniel referred to a period of years that began in 457 BCE and would end around 1844 CE, the approximate date of Miller's predicted rapture. 

When I first learned of this particular verse being one of the greatest predictors of "The Great Disappointment," I began to think about the various Christian denominations and Jewish interpretations of the Old Testament's teachings. 

In the Catholic and Jewish traditions, Daniel 8:14 takes on a more historical interpretation in which the prophecy refers to the Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his desecration of the Jewish Temple. The temple was then later cleansed and rededicated by the Maccabees in 164 BCE. In these traditions, the 2,300 days refer to the period of oppression faced by the Jews; not in reference to any end-times predictions as Miller and later, the Seventh-day Adventists, interpreted the verse to be about.

The various interpretations of Daniel 8:14 are reminders to me that scripture speaks to different communities in different ways depending on the experiences and spiritual needs of the people. While one interpretation cannot be considered right and the other wrong, it does go to show that biblical interpretation is complex and vast. 

Drunk on the Millennium

After our class discussions this week, I wanted to dive deeper into the historical context that made millenarianism so appealing. The 19th century was an absolute hotbed for Christian movements promising the imminent arrival of divine intervention, but why did it all catch fire so rapidly?

Thinking back to the 1800s, the United States’ colonial society was facing upheaval on a variety of fronts: industrialization, revolutions, Enlightenment ideologies, continued colonization, and increasing population. With such great change, people were susceptible to beliefs that promised imminent order, peace, and perfect divine intervention.

Examples of these movements include the Shakers, whose beliefs appealed to those facing inequality because of the promise of an egalitarian society; the Millerites, whose simple, urgent message, accelerated by the printing press, spoke to those seeking imminent, all-consuming salvation; and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who appealed to those searching for belonging and special knowledge.

So how did this “drunkenness” come to be?

1. The time of upheaval made people feel unstable and uncertain, so they sought reassurance through emerging Christian ideologies.

2. Religious freedom emerged after centuries of persecution, accelerating beliefs and the creation of religious sects. 

3. The printing press spread messaging faster than ever before.

4. Revivals created physical environments where people experienced collective ecstasy, furthering the momentum behind millenarianism. 

5. Religious movements provided hope in an uncertain, unequal world, especially for the poor and vulnerable.

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