Religious Liberty Notes by K. C. R.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 21, 1907

Religious Liberty Notes

By K. C. R.

The Religious Liberty Secretary of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference is planning for an aggressive campaign with our religious liberty literature at Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania.

The Daily Press of Portland, Maine, bearing date of Jan. 22, 1907, reports an enthusiastic meeting of clergymen of that city in the interests of church federation. One speaker calls the churches “political angels of light,” and states that by being federated they “would be able to dictate and put men in office who would enforce the laws that already exist.” These words are significant, as they plainly define the object of church federation.

The Religious Liberty Secretary of the New York and Western New York Conference has just written a letter to the local church Religious Liberty Secretaries to write short, terse remonstrances to the New York senators in Congress. Why should not every member of every other conference do likewise, and do it at once? Congress will close the fourth of March.

“Look at the Roman Catholic nations of the world, where the priests and nuns control education. Compare these with the Protestant nations. Compare Scandinavia with Spain and Portugal. Compare Germany with Austria. Compare Great Britain with Italy. Compare Protestant Ireland with Romanist Ireland. Compare the province of Quebec with the province of Ontario. Compare North America with South America.” These comparisons should awaken all to a keen sense of the blighting effect of Roman Catholicism.

Senator Albert J. Beveridge, of Indiana, in a recent speech delivered in the United States Senate, regarding the situation in France, said, among other things: “Freedom of faith, tolerance of opinion, inviolable right to believe what we will, and serve God as our conscience commands us, absolute liberty to our brother to do the same thing—this is what free institutions mean. Men have rebelled against the intolerance of politics. Men have resisted the intolerance of the church, both Protestant and Catholic; men should no less resist the intolerance of the state, whether republican or monarchical.”

The Tribune of Kokomo, Ind., bearing date of January 15, says that the Sunday-lid was closed so tightly in the city of Montpelier, Ind., that “one woman who makes a living by keeping a cow and selling milk was stopped from delivering the goods to customers. Without their Sunday newspapers, citizens could not even spend a pleasant day at home, and the only thing left to do was to go to church or leave the city, and many chose the latter. Even the ministers believe the matter has been carried too far, but the mayor says all the laws look alike to him, and declares that if Montpelier is to have a ‘lid’ at all, it will be one that fits perfectly.”

A most vigorous campaign is now being carried on by the Religious Liberty Department of the California Conference in their protest against the Sunday rest amendment to the California Constitution. In a report of the work performed up to January 21, it says that 2,500,000 pages of literature had been circulated. This includes distribution of the special religious liberty Signs, Liberty, and other publications. The total expense of the campaign up to the same date is about $1,100. This includes stationery, postage, printing, and the amount paid for labor. This is indeed an encouraging report. Let us pray the Lord to bless the seed that has been sown, that it may yield a bountiful harvest in vindicating the right and in winning souls to the truth.

Five Sunday bills have already been introduced into the present session of the Connecticut Legislature. An effort is being made to have these bills incorporated into one bill, which will make the Sunday-closing question a local one.

We recently wrote a letter to a president of a Southern conference, in which we suggested making an appeal to those who might wish to help in supplying religious liberty literature for that needy field. In reply to the letter he says: “Concerning help for us here along religious liberty lines, that which would help us most is a supply of Liberty. Our worker is energetic, and can make his own if he had the magazine free.” Those who desire to help in the religious liberty work, by paying for a club of Liberty to be used in this way, should write our department in reference to the matter. K. C. R.