The “Creed of Christian Patriotism”
By L. A. S.
SUCH a creed has been formulated and set forth under authority of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. As given in the Union Signal of February 18 it is as follows:— I believe that human governments are ordained of God, are bound in all their acts by his law, are essential to human welfare, and are, therefore, to be loyally upheld. I believe that Christ’s law, “Render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s,” binds me to the intelligent and faithful performance of my full duty as a citizen. I believe that that duty includes the following:— The payment of all taxes justly assessed against me. The study of the questions to be decided at the polls. The knowledge of the several political districts in which I reside, and the records of the several candidates. To register and vote and to exert a positive influence at every general and primary election, so far as I may, for the triumph of righteous men and measures. To take an active interest in public affairs and in my country’s history and welfare. Thus believing, everywhere and always, the first affections of my heart and the first labor of my hands, next to that due to Christ’s world-wide kingdom, shall by my country’s. From the Christian standpoint, we think this creed is open to objection in several places. The statement, for example, that human governments are bound in all their acts by the law of God, seems to imply that the civil government is bound to take cognizance of and settle religious questions relating to the law of God, as the question of the observance of a weekly Sabbath. If civil governments may rightfully take cognizance of religious questions, their decisions respecting such questions may rightfully be enforced, and all dissenters from such decisions, all who disregard them, may rightfully be punished. And from this it follows that the persecutions of the Dark Ages were right in principle, at least. For, to quote from a United States Senate document of 1829, “Among all the religious persecutions with which almost every page of modern history is stained, no victim ever suffered but for the violation of what government denominated the law of God.” It is not the business of civil government to deal with religion at all, and it can not do so without such a use of force as is contrary to the purpose of the gospel. Every government official is bound individually by the law of God, and he can not under any circumstances separate himself from this responsibility. But he must act for himself alone in religious matters; he is not authorized to act for any one else whatsoever. And since in his official capacity he does represent and act for others, the sphere of his official acts is bound to be kept separate from the sphere of religion. The government is non-religious, but not anti-religious. When a government becomes religious, it inevitably becomes antichristian. We think this creed is in error also in making the study of politics a Christian duty. It is plainly stated in the Bible that Christians are a great power for good in the world. “Ye are the light of the world,” is the statement of Christ to his followers. They are “the salt of the earth,” also; the thing by which the earth is preserved. But how? Is it through politics that they enlighten and preserve the earth? Is it not a well-known fact that the sinners far outnumber and out-vote the saints? Is it not well known7that the small minority who constitute Christ’s followers can neither dictate the party platforms, nominate the party leaders, nor control the vote for any successful candidate? Beyond all dispute, such is the truth; and if Christians were obliged to render their service to the world by measuring votes with the multitude who oppose the truth of God, they would come very far from fulfilling the Saviour’s words. It is by their union with Christ, not with politics, that Christians are the light of the world. They are ambassadors for God, seeking to make men subjects of another kingdom and another country, not of this earth. “My country” means to the Christian the country of his father Abraham, of which Paul wrote in his letter to the Hebrews: “For they that say such things [those who confess themselves to be strangers and pilgrims on the earth] declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” Christians are the light of the world not by being like the world, but by being unlike it; not by descending to the level of the world, not by employing worldly agencies and weapons, but by sitting with Christ in the heavenly places, and by the use of weapons and the influence of agencies working with them that proceed alone from God. It is the one purpose of the Christian to hasten by such means the answer to the prayer, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” L. A. S.