Untitled article by C. P. B.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · October 9, 1890

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 5, No. 40

In the Minority.

By C. P. B.

An exchange remarks that “the Independent has been gathering statistics concerning church-membership in the United States; finding an aggregate of something over twenty-one millions in a population of sixty-three millions. The Chicago Times calls attention to these statistics in view of the demand to close the Columbian Exposition on Sunday; two in three of the population not being church attendants at all, and nearly one half of the remaining third being of some liberal faith and holding very tolerant views of the use of Sunday. It says: ‘The attempt of the Sabbatarian to enforce his peculiar views on this country is the attempt of a relatively small minority to coerce a mighty multitude.’”

Some will no doubt think to break the force of these figures by the assertion that the twenty-one million church members are adults, while more than one-half of the other two-thirds are children. But this is not true; the Catholics number ten millions, nearly one-half of the total church membership of the United States, and that includes men, women, and children. The Lutherans, and possibly some other denominations reckon as members all who have been baptized; thus it is safe to say that nearly, or quite, one-third of the twenty-one millions of church members in the United States are children. Were the issue squarely made between voting church members and voting non-church members, the former would certainly be hopelessly in the minority even in this “Christian” country. But even were it otherwise it would not justify the majority in forcing their religious views upon the country. The

small minority of the people of the United States who have any real religious regard for Sunday, are, as Mr. Crafts says, of the Jew and the seventh day, “left perfectly free to keep it”—that is, if they are willing to deny themselves enough to do so; if not we venture the opinion that it makes no difference whether they keep it or not. God requires heart service.

C. P. B.