AN ERA THAT IS PASSING AWAY.
THE Los Angeles Sunday Times of July 10 has an editorial entitled “Laus Deo” (Praise God), in which the writer refers to the foundation principles of this government, and what has given to the nation its greatness. Among other things it says:— It is true that we do not, as a nation, claim any religion or creed, and that our tolerance is limitless; but no people upon earth have a more genuine reverence for the most high God, and for man made in His image, than have we. No nation recognizes more distinctly the obligations of duty and humanity, the sanctity of all the sacred relations of life, and of the responsibilities of citizenship, than does ours; and are not these high faiths in God and man a religion as far above creeds as the stars are above the sea that faintly and fitfully reflects them? The condition noted above is passing away. It was once the strength of the nation that it had no religion or creed. Just as soon as a church or a nation attempts to define in set form the conscience or creed of the church or nation, that moment it takes a step backward. A church has no other conscience than the consciences of her individual members, and to draw an average conclusion is always a matter of compromise and always a matter of dissatisfaction to both parties to the compromise, one of which will strive to tighten the bonds and bind the conscience more strictly, while the other will labor for greater laxity. So with a nation. There can be no greater folly than to attempt to formulate a national religion or creed. At its best it is a compromise among the majority and a menace and means of persecution against the minority. Instead of securing uniformity, it foments discords. A man is condemned as being an enemy to the nation when he is simply opposed to some formulated creed. Our forefathers distinctly saw this evil, and attempted to effectually and forever bar its entrance into national life and law, but it has crept in. Existing in State governments, fostered by judges of religious prejudice, the sentiment of a national creed, put forth by “national reformers,” has grown apace. Its first article was crystallized into words in 1892, when the Supreme Court pronounced this to be a “Christian nation,” and the same year the legislative branch decided its first religious question, that Sunday was the Sabbath, and voted that the World’s Fair at Chicago should be closed that day. Since that time other steps have been taken, but ever backwards. The term “rights” has given place to “tolerance.” How long will it be ere it will be said, “We can only tolerate those who subscribe to the national creed”? To the last question of the Times quoted above we would answer, Most certainly. But these high faiths are becoming low when defined and fixed by human words or decisions. It is old paganism. They simply wrote their creeds in the carved stone idol.