Sunday Laws and Religious Liberty by S. B. H.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 7, 1911

Sunday Laws and Religious Liberty

By S. B. H.

EVER since the Connecticut Legislature has been in session this year, appeals have been made looking to the modification of the present Sunday-observance law. A final stand was taken upon the question by the General Assembly on August 16, resulting in the failure to secure such modification. The senate had

passed one or two measures on the subject, but the house refused to accept those measures. It is being stated by friends of a more liberal Sunday law that the Connecticut legislators fear the political influence which might be brought against them by the clergy of that State, and for that reason refuse to respond to what is evidently a popular demand for amending the Sunday law.

It is not an uncommon thing to pick up a newspaper to-day, and find considerable condemnation expressed against the operation of Sunday laws, which are very generally referred to as blue-laws. Some who are opposed to enforced Sunday observance believe that in order to repeal these laws, a general enforcement of the same should be undertaken.

MANY speeches were recently made in the Senate and the House of Representatives, based on the fundamental principles upon which our government was founded; and as these principles apply to the question of religious legislation, we are planning to formulate a symposium on the subject of civil and religious liberty, from the view-point of congressmen, and publish it in this department soon.

ELDER L. H. PROCTOR, of Elmira, N. Y., on the evening of Sunday, August 13, delivered a forceful sermon on the subject of Sunday laws, maintaining that their existence is due to selfishness. He said, among other things: “This [same] spirit of selfishness is prevalent in our time, even among many so-called Christians. Take the enforcement of Sunday laws, for instance. Is it right for some in our land of liberty to make use of the civil power to enforce their religious doctrines upon the people? Have they any more right to do this than had the Pharisees in Christ’s day to enforce their views on the people? Is it not time for all liberty-loving people to arouse and come to the rescue of our country, and save it from the disgrace and ruin which have overtaken other countries?” S. B. H.