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Divine Talks to Lawmakers

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 4, 1909

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 86, No. 5.

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“Divine Talks to Lawmakers”

By W. A. C.

UNDER the above heading the following appeared in the Sacramento (Cal.) Bee, of Jan. 18, 1909:—
“Laying aside the cloth for the robes of common citizenship, the Rev. Dr. W. H. G. Temple talked to a small gathering of legislators last night. He sounded the throbbing questions of the day from the standpoint of a respectable man of Christian belief.
“Dr. Temple spoke in furtherance of four bills now before the legislature—the Anti-Racetrack Gambling bill, the Local Option bill, the Suffragette bill, and the Sunday Rest law. After analyzing them individually, the speaker asked that they be passed in the name of honor, charity, duty, and rectitude. . . .
“‘The last bill of which I will talk is the Sunday Rest law. The question has been heatedly debated. You must disentangle argument from sophistry. It has been recognized for ages that man must have one day of rest. This is a Christian nation, founded on prayer. We are not Mohammedans, nor Jews, nor Buddhists. We offer religious freedom to all, but we have a right to demand that the alien in religion shall conform outwardly to our customs. When one branch of the Christian church, so small it is insignificant, takes another day for Sunday, we have a right to make that sect conform to our practise.’”
It is not difficult to discern in this the dragon voice, or detect the spirit that would oppress dissenters.
The claim that this is a “Christian nation” in the sense that only Christians are citizens, is false; for there are thousands of all faiths and of no faiths who are citizens here. Religious belief is not a test of citizenship in this country.
This man says: “We offer religious freedom to all.” But what kind of “religious freedom” does he offer? upon what terms does he offer it? and how much “freedom” is there in it? After saying they offer it to all, he adds: “But we have a right to demand that the alien in religion shall conform outwardly to our customs.” Who does not know that all the great religious persecutions in the world were carried on under acts of conformity? All the most bigoted persecutor of the Dark Ages ever required was simply “outward conformity” to the prevailing religious customs. All that the established church in England or Scotland ever required was “conformity.” Bunyan’s long imprisonment of twelve and one-half years was simply for disregarding an “Act of Uniformity.” Sunday laws are mere acts of conformity and uniformity.
And that this man would bring all the strength of the civil power to bear against that small body of Christian people who dare to observe another day than Sunday, is apparent from the last statement above quoted. “When one branch of the Christian church, so small it is insignificant, takes another day for Sunday we have a right to make that sect conform to our practise.” Though so small as to be “insignificant,” he would not overlook them when it came to enforcing his religious practises by law, had he the law.
From this it is plain enough to be seen why a Sunday law is wanted in California.                                                                                                                     W. A. C.