Religious Liberty Notes

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 17, 1908

Religious Liberty Notes

THE effectiveness of our religious liberty literature and the good results following its judicious use, were well illustrated recently in Utica, N. Y. The eighteenth annual session of the New York Sabbath Association (a branch of the American Sabbath Union) was held in that city, November 8-10, and the religious liberty department of the New York Conference began a campaign of education among laymen and clergy, concerning which Elder A. J. Clark, the religious liberty secretary of the conference, says:—

“At the convention held in Utica we saw some gratifying results of our work. We began two weeks before the convention to distribute Liberty and religious liberty leaflets, and had some excellent experiences in our work. Many times the people would manifest indifference to our work, or would be very decided against it; but after a few statements of the principles for which we were working, and an explanation of our reasons for doing such work, we would gain a hearing, and lead them to feel differently. We told them we desired them to read the literature, and in almost every instance they assured us they would do so. We also sent through the mail to every minister a copy of the magazine and tracts. When the time came for the convention, two of these ministers stood with us, and made some positive statements in favor of religious liberty.

These, coming from two of Utica’s most prominent clergymen, had a great effect upon the rest, and also on the convention. The ministers took very little interest in the proceedings of the convention, only six or seven of the forty-two ministers of the city attending. The attendance of the people of that place was also small. Our work was largely done among the business men, as we felt this would reach an influential class of citizens.

“From this experience I learned that the most favorable time to work is when the issue is before the people. I feel that many in Utica might never have known the truth on this subject, as they now know it, had not this work been done.”