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Religious Liberty Notes

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 21, 1909

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 86, No. 42.

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Religious Liberty Notes

By W. A. C.

THE Religious Liberty Association has issued a little publication on “How to Write for the Press.” If you are interested in this subject, send for a copy. It will be sent free to those who will promise to do something in this line.
Elder A. J. Clark, religious liberty secretary of the New York Conference, says: “We expect quite a fight on the part of the enemies of the truth this winter. They were defeated last year, and are now more determined than ever.”
The United States Supreme Court, after a recess of four months, resumed its sittings on Monday, October 11, with only seven of its nine members present, Justices Peckham and Moody being absent on account of illness. Its first session was but forty minutes long.
The Washington Times of September 16 contains the following report from a certain town in Pennsylvania: “The reading of the Scriptures and the reciting of the Lord’s prayer must cease in the public schools. This was decided upon at the meeting of the school board.”
Under the heading “The Unfortunate French Blunder,” the Western Watchman (Catholic) of September 23, published at St. Louis, says: “Six years ago the Concordat was broken. In other words, the bond which united the French government and the Catholic religion was dissolved. The government ceased to pay the expenses of the parish priests, forfeited its right to vote in the elections of the High Church officials, and thus abandoned all religious responsibilities.”
The New York Independent of October 7 makes the following pointed editorial observation: “Concordats between church and state ought to come to an end. The church ought to have absolute independence, unruled by the state, and the state equally ought not to be hampered by the church. The church in France is freer and will be stronger for the abolition of the Concordat.” The occasion of this comment is a Vatican violation of a concordat, or mutual agreement, between her and Bavaria.
A hot Sunday-closing fight is on in Richmond, Va., according to the Times Dispatch of that city. It seems that until lately confectioners have in all parts of the city been uninterfered with; but a short time ago Rev. G. Otis Mend, rector of Christ Episcopal church, complained of a number of these dealers, and had them arrested, while on Broad Street men in the same business were permitted to go on unmolested. A. Sangone and John Sandy, two of the victims, are thoroughly aroused over the partiality shown, and declare they will fight the thing to the bitter end. The Times Dispatch says, “The case will be watched with interest by other confectioners and all who keep open on Sunday, for the ruling on this case will have an equal bearing on all.”
Rev. Dr. Charles E. Guthrie, pastor of the Hamline Methodist Episcopal church, of Washington, D. C., in a sermon delivered Sunday evening, October 3, criticized Dr. Cook for delivering a lecture in one of the theaters of the city on the same evening, on his trip to the north pole. The chief objection to this was that in doing so he had “presented to the Christian public an alternative, which means that the Christian public must either turn away from their churches and their religious duties on Sunday night” or “join the crowd of Sabbath-breakers, who believe in Sunday theaters.” W. A. C.