Untitled article | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · July 24, 1890

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 5, No. 29

How It Looks From Australia

“The Bible Echo, a religious paper published in Melbourne, Australia, has this to say about the efforts now making to secure religious legislation in this country, and also of a similar movement in the Australian Colonies:—

The Constitution of the United States guarantees to all its citizens freedom in matters pertaining to the conscience; and declares that Congress shall make no laws for the establishment of religion, or restricting the free exercise thereof. And in laying the foundation of the Government, by special effort all allusions to matters of religious belief were omitted. The law undertook only to control in matters which were purely civil and national, not in those which were ecclesiastical or religious.

But of late years there has been on the part of many religionists a feeling of discontent at this state of things, and a movement has been inaugurated to obtain an amendment to the Constitution such as will permit the enactment of certain laws concerning Scriptural education, Sunday observance, etc. This movement is opposed by a large class of citizens, and the contest waxes warm.

A similar contest is probably before the people of these Colonies, as demands for stricter Sunday laws and for Scriptural education in the public schools are already being actively urged. We stand on the side of good law and order. We believe in the sanctity of the Sabbath day and in the importance of the religious training of children; but we are wholly opposed to the State becoming an agent for enforcing and prescribing either. Parents are responsible to God rather than to the law for the religious influences which are exerted over their children. The sacred duties which we owe to God should be taught by faithful fathers and mothers, rather than perhaps ungodly and infidel teachers in the humdrum mechanical method of the schoolroom, where they will soon become degraded and commonplace. If perchance a parent does

not wish to have his children brought under such instruction, it should not be forced upon him. Such a course cannot result in any good.

So in all matters pertaining to religious obligation, the law may compel a hypocritical observance of its provision, but it cannot render men pure and acceptable to God. The Lord has not delegated his work to Cæsar. Let the Bible be upheld by our churches; let it be exemplified by Christians; let it be urged upon the consciences of men by its friends; but let the law keep its hands off from those duties which pertain to man’s relation to God. Every man must form a character for morality and truth, and meet it in the Judgment. As he alone will be held to account, so he must be free to act.”