The Disregard of Sunday
By L. A. S.
What shall be done to stay the increasing disregard of Sunday? is a question that continues to agitate the minds of people who regard Sunday as the bulwark of civilized society. Recently the clergy of Plainfield, N. J., have been making a protest against the playing of Sunday golf, and the leading Methodist organ in this country, referring to the situation there, says that “the destruction of respect for Sunday has made terrific strides within a few years,” among the causes of which it notes Sunday golf playing and Sunday automobiling by church-members. It fears that such an example set by men of social and religious prominence will “utterly destroy the remaining reverence for the Sabbath,”—an eventuality which would, in its view, be attended by appalling results. “What subject is there more important,” it inquires, “than the promotion and perpetuation of a regard for the one day that stands as a bulwark against invasion of the domestic life and the destruction of those conservators of morality, the churches and the Sunday-schools?” Yet to avert the threatened catastrophe, the clergy and religious organs of the country rely on legislation, and call loudly for the enactment and enforcement of Sunday laws. They have no “Thus saith the Lord” against working or playing on the first day of the week, to present to the people; the force of church precepts and customs is not sufficient to deter those who would use Sunday for purposes of amusement, and legislation is the only remaining remedy. Thus they will have human legislation as the foundation of their religious system,—regard for Sunday resting on a Sunday law, and the bulwarks of morality, the churches and Sunday-schools, upheld by regard for Sunday,—the Christian religion resting on a human foundation. Such is not the foundation laid for it by the Author of that religion, and any system resting on a human foundation must meet the fate of the house built upon the sand. The true foundation is the Word of God. These individuals should stop and consider the seventh-day Sabbath, which is steadily gaining adherents in this country and throughout the world, though having neither human laws nor popular custom for its support. Resting solely upon a conscientious regard for the Word of God, this institution stands as the bulwark of morality and domestic virtue in many homes, and might do the same for all homes if there was in all the same conscientious, intelligent regard for the law of God. The history and present status of this institution show that Christian morality is conserved by it without the aid of legislation; while the history and present status of Sunday show, on the other hand, that with all that human legislation can do for its support, as a conservator of the interests of morality and religion, it is a failure. L. A. S.