p. 21 | Civil Government and Religion

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 28, 1908

Civil Government and Religion

THE Chattanooga Times of March 8, 1908, contains the following sensible editorial:—

“It seems to have been the purpose of the founders of the Republic that the end and aim of religion was to make godly men and good citizens, which being duly and truly exercised, the control of government affairs could safely and satisfactorily be preserved as a purely civil function; and their wisdom has been more than once proved by the fact that where religion has failed of its influence with the individual, it has not been any more potential when it invaded politics. But wherever and whenever it has busied itself in making the right sort of men, there and then was civil liberty the greatest and government the best. It is better to keep religion away from politics, otherwise the first becomes contaminated, and the latter more or less tainted with hypocrisy and sham.”