p. 5 | Sunday Laws Not Needed in Madagascar

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 17, 1910

Sunday Laws Not Needed in Madagascar

STRONG efforts have been made during the last few years to thwart the efforts of Christian missions in Madagascar. The governor of the island has been unfavorable to Christianity, and has encouraged persecution, resulting, in some cases, in martyrdom, and has promoted the practise of heathen rites. Recently he has been replaced, and Mr. Henry Cor, at one time governor of Tahiti, has been appointed to the position. In speaking of the status of Christianity in the island under the administration of the former governor, a missionary writes:—

In our own mission churches we have 29,319 members, and a total of 116,986 adherents. That is the bitter pill for our antireligious opponents. In spite of all the bribery by which it is sought to draw the natives away from Christianity, in spite of the “Sunday entertainments and other efforts put forth to make the people give up their worship in the Christian churches on the Lord’s day, the people stand firm. Indeed, they are getting refined by the things they suffer, and the Malagasy Christians are of a higher type to-day than ever before.

Sunday-law advocates may learn a lesson from this testimony. When once the spirit of real Christian devotion enters into the hearts of the people of any nationality, there will be no need of laws requiring Sabbath observance. They will worship the Lord from choice,