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The Lord's Day Congress

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 20, 1914

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 91, No. 34.

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The Lord's Day Congress

By C. E. HOLMES

The local papers of Washington, D. C., recently announced that President Wilson had “accepted the honorary chairmanship of the council of the Lord’s Day Congress.”
The plans of this congress are worldwide. Its promoters purpose to combine in one monster organization all the religious bodies of the world. A delegate is now visiting the “Christian sovereigns” of Europe in an effort to secure their indorsement of the congress. A great convention is being arranged, to be held at the Panama-Pacific Exposition, “under the auspices and by the authority of all the principal Sabbath organizations of Europe and America.”
The principles of this congress, as sent out by the executive committee, are:—
“First: We hold the Sabbath or weekly day of rest to have been founded by the Creator in the beginning; embodied in a commandment of the decalogue; confirmed by the Lord Jesus Christ, by him dedicated to the welfare of all mankind; and finally to have appeared in the Lord’s Day of the Christian church, all whose great historic branches, however otherwise divided, are united in the observance of Sunday as the day of rest and worship.
“We aim to promote the fullest recognition of the divine purpose, to obtain this priceless liberty for all men, and to secure the proper and conscientious observance of the day in the interest of those high attainments in religion and morals upon which the stability of political institutions and of national well-being depend; and therefore we set ourselves earnestly to contend against the adverse influences which so strongly assert themselves and which threaten the integrity of this blessed day of rest and worship.
“Second: While it is not the function of the state to enforce or to interfere with the religious observance of the Lord’s Day, yet for the maintenance of the religious liberty of the people, that their right to worship may not be infringed by the allurements of commercialized pleasure, by the demands of business and labor, and that the physical well-being and the social privileges of all citizens may be safeguarded to them, the weekly rest day has become a civil institution, embodied in law and custom; and thus the state relates itself vitally, through this institution, to the well-being of individuals and of society, to the stability of free institutions, and to the peace and prosperity of governments.
“We aim to promote among all classes such a true understanding of its value to themselves, to their families, and to the state, as shall lead them to resist whatever tends to deprive them of it, and to secure and enforce such just laws as shall protect the people in their right to this day of religious privilege and of freedom from toil.”
The first principle of this great organization states that, however otherwise divided, the historic branches of the Christian church are “united in the observance of Sunday as the day of rest and worship.” In unity there is strength. The churches are beginning to feel their power and are bringing it to bear upon the civil officials for the protection of their rest day. They aim “to secure and enforce such just laws as shall protect the people in their right to this day of religious privilege.”
Such laws cannot be just. The demands of the churches are not consistent; for they are not willing to grant to others what they themselves wish. As declared in the second principle, religious liberty means that on Sunday “the allurements of commercialized pleasure” and the “demands of business and labor” must cease. Those who worship on other days of the week, or those who do not worship at all, have no religious liberty from this viewpoint.
It is necessary only to read over the organizations represented in the executive committee of the Lord’s Day Congress to understand the spirit that is animating this movement. Among these are the New York Sabbath Committee, the Lord’s Day Alliance of the United States, the International Reform Bureau, the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, the National Reform Association, the Lord’s Day Alliance of Canada, the Woman’s National Sabbath Alliance, etc.
Practically all these bodies are engaged directly in the attempt to secure State and national Sunday laws.
It is a cause of great distress and sorrow to the camp of Sunday law advocates that the District of Columbia does not have a Sunday observance law. We may reasonably expect that soon the Lord’s Day Congress will direct its energies toward the capital. At a meeting held in Washington in 1912, a speaker said:—
“There are only two spots in this country where there is no Sunday law. I do not know how you people sleep in the District of Columbia. I do not understand how you are so well satisfied with yourselves when you know the conditions. I would be glad to talk with you about the necessity of securing a Sunday law for the District. But we do not want to rest until there is a model Sunday law for the District of Columbia.”
Left to their own judgment, it is doubtful if our national lawmakers would pass laws interfering with the religious and civil liberties of our citizens on Sunday. But when pressure is brought to bear upon them by their constituents, and especially the churches, they will listen to them rather than to their own consciences.
Years ago the spirit of prophecy pointed out this very thing. Persecution will come indirectly from the people.
“In free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance.”—“Great Controversy,” page 592.
A statement which in a remarkable way shows this tendency, was made by former Senator Bailey. Speaking of the “average politician,” he says, “He will vote for blue laws, because, observing the people, he thinks that is the color of their complexion. . . . You will find the politician the most responsive creature you ever knew.”—Washington Post, April 3, 1913.
Prophecy is fast fulfilling. The important question is, Are we filling our appointed place in God’s great plan of warning the world of its impending doom? C. E. HOLMES.