IS THIS A CHRISTIAN NATION? by J. W. Collie; W. N. G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 13, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 32.

IS THIS A CHRISTIAN NATION?

By J. W. Collie; W. N. G.

BY J. W. COLLIE.

The decision handed down by Justice Brewer, of the Supreme Court, Feb. 29, 1892, declaring that “this is a Christian nation,” and the utterances from that time to the present by so-called reformers, are hardly justified by the facts.

A careful observer of the times in which we live will not fail to notice that crime is on the increase. The condition of the laboring man is not improved, and as a result there is trouble brewing and breaking out in many quarters.

To pick up the daily newspaper and scan its contents, the reader becomes appalled and heart-sick at the terrible list of crimes, suicides, divorces, etc., which its columns contain.

The condition in the spiritual world is not any better. The recent utterances of a noted preacher of Louisville, Kentucky, are pertinent, and describe in a graphic manner the existing state of affairs. And what is true of this city, is equally true of all other large cities.

The pastor in question decided to preach a series of “X Ray Sermons,” and to turn the rays on the various phases of life. One discourse was in reference to the spiritual condition of the churches, and, among other things, he said:—

I find that the churches in Louisville are dead—that we have no Christianity. The average attendance at church is smaller now than it has been at any time since Christ was on earth. I have made a personal canvass of the churches of this city, and find that on an average not one-fifth of the members attend. The same conditions prevail all over the country.

There is a significance to these words, coming as they do from the pastor of a professed Christian church, to a professed Christian people, in a professed Christian country. Continuing he said:—

This city is morally worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. There are more people in this city guilty of adultery than there are whisky drinkers. The church and society life is hypocrisy. It is a fraud. The people go and hear a preacher on Sunday, but that is as far as they go.

This is a fearful arraignment of not only this city, but the entire country; but is it not true? The prophecy of God’s word has said:—

“In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” 2 Tim. 3:1-5.

“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” Verse 13.

God does not desire to see his people pessimists; but, while we are to look beyond this vale of tears, with its sorrows and sins, we are not to be forgetful of the present, and the obligations resting upon us to faithfully warn the people of the impending dangers, and to prepare to meet Him who has promised to come and take His people away from this present world and settle them in a land that stands in a wonderful contrast to this.

There is much significance in the fact that the advocates of enforced Sunday observance expect effectual assistance from the saloon-keepers. This appears to be a leading motive in attacking the saloons first, in hope that if the saloons can be closed on Sundays, then the men interested in the saloon business will retaliate by assisting in the effort to close every other place of business. This is a fair illustration of the unrighteousness of the movement; for the character of any purpose can not be above the power upon which it relies for success. A cause that depends upon a spirit of retaliation and revenge for success must of course be closely related to the one in whom that spirit originated. And as that one has for his principal aim the overthrow of the law of God, which plainly declares that “the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord,” it is doubly demonstrated that the attempt to compel the general recognition of a rival sabbath is in furtherance of that unholy aim.

The same element (professedly Christian) which is thus endeavoring to secure compulsory Sunday observance by enlisting the saloon-keepers as auxiliaries, is also behind the movement to secure a religious amendment to the Federal Constitution. From the beginning of this effort its advocates have acknowledged a dependence upon political forces, which they admitted were most corrupt. They have from the first counted upon the fickleness of the average politician as a principal element in the success of that amendment. Nor have they reckoned in vain. As these religious efforts to control legislation become more and more popular, political office seekers come to count on an acknowledgment of such schemes as a feature of probable success for themselves. So when the proposition to close the Chicago Exposition was before Congress, prominent members discussed the question from the standpoint of expediency—whether it were safe for them to

oppose it and expect reelection by their constituents.

In evidence as to the deceptive and corrupting influence that advocates of compulsory religious measures will attempt to wield, and do wield, upon men in public position, in evidence as to the disposition of politicians to truckle to the dictation of men whom they suppose hold elective power, we cite this significant instance: A leading figure in the National Reform cause publicly boasted that twenty ministers of Kentucky, by writing letters to congressmen from that state, led them to believe that the whole state was in favor of closing the Chicago Exposition on Sunday. So those congressmen thought they must vote that way in order to stand any chance of reelection.

Now with such a religious condition and such a political disposition all over the land, what are we to expect when such forces unite to control the destinies of the nation? What may be expected when such a church is united to a state which it can control? The motto of a religious people who will resort to seeking the aid of the most corrupt influences to further their so-called reforms, must be that which has come down from olden times, namely, “The end justifies the means.” As that has been the doctrine of Rome for many centuries, and we see it being upheld in practice by the professed Protestantism of the United States, who can fail to note the striking similarity of the “image”? (See Revelation 13.) This is practically the motto of church and state union everywhere. Anything to win, is almost invariably the motto of the politician, and it is always manifested in political religion. But we look in vain for any such principle in the life and character of Christ, who never sought to wield any political influence whatever. W. N. G.