The Significance of the Christian Endeavor Movement
By F. C. Gilbert
The Significance of the Christian Endeavor Movement. No. 1.
Doubtless all the readers of this periodical are well acquainted with the fact that there has lately closed in the city of Boston, one of the greatest religious gatherings that the world has ever known. Statistics show that over fifty-six thousand people actually registered, besides a number of thousand who did not enroll themselves. So that probably there were nearly sixty-five thousand young people gathered in the “Hub” of the United States to be present at the fourteenth annual convention of the Christian Endeavor Society. There was an earnestness and an enthusiasm manifested by that vast concourse of people, worthy of the most noble cause that could possibly be conceived. At times, in the large hall and at the tents, the cheering was so intense and continued that it seemed as though the floors and seats would have to give way on account of the pressure. The question might well be asked, For what purpose was all this assemblage of young people, and why so much earnest devotion? Is it to carry out the purpose to which they are pledged,—to be a blessing to mankind, and an honor to God? Surely such a purpose is a noble one, and is worthy to be honored, as the world is much in need of such kind of people. But while this may have been the avowed purpose of the people gathered, the sentiments expressed at the convention by the speakers were far from carrying out this aim. In other words, the trend of thought expressed at these meetings, if carried out, would utterly repudiate every principle of Christian endeavor from the Bible standpoint, and be rather a curse to mankind and the world. That this is a fact will be noticed by some of the statements made. One speaker, in giving the address of welcome, said as follows:— And this leads me to say that we welcome you to our city just at this time in our history, because you all stand for “good citizenship.” We believe in “God in politics,” and that allegiance to God and patriotism are synonymous. And that he really meant it for all it was worth, is clear from what he further said:— I say all without reservation, for our young women, as well as our young men, are thoroughly in sympathy with, and using their influence for, this revival of patriotism. And that it might be clearly seen what his idea of “synonymous,” in allegiance to God and patriotism, was, he said in the same speech:— There can be no separation of piety from patriotism, and the man who neglects his civic duties is not a Christian citizen. Let us now examine these statements, in the light of God’s word. On one occasion Daniel was called upon to pray to no other God save the king of Persia for thirty days, for the disobedience of which order he was to be cast into the lions’ den. Now if it be true that “there can be no separation of piety from patriotism, and the man who neglects his civic duties is not a Christian citizen,” then certainly Daniel received his just desert for disobeying the decree of the state, and the king must have been justified in casting the prophet to the beasts. And, further, in the light of the above statements, Daniel was not a follower of God, either. But it is evident from the Bible record of that affair that the Lord did not think that way, as did the one who uttered those statements noticed above, for in the eyes of God the prophet did right in disobeying the law of the state, and the Lord, by delivering the prophet, showed that he was a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. No doubt, if Daniel were alive to-day, the same would be done with him now as was done by the state back yonder; and in all probability the Lord would once more show that a man can be and is a Christian who does not follow the laws of the land. But this is in no way encouraging violation of law; for Daniel, of all people, will understand the laws of the land, since he was premier of the vast realm of that mighty empire. But the reason he refused to obey the mandate of the king was because the king got out of his realm, and had no business to interfere with the prophet’s religion, nor with his religious convictions. Politics and religion are two distinct ideas, each having a sphere of his own. It is therefore clear that to believe in “God in politics,” and act accordingly, is not true Christian Endeavor in the Bible sense, for God does not believe in sending men to lions’ dens, and putting them in fiery furnaces, when they repudiate the idea “that allegiance to God and patriotism are synonymous.” God stands by them to teach the people that when politics seek to interfere with a man’s religion, the one who endeavors to unite them is not a Christian citizen, while the one who disobeys the law, is a child of God. But to show that the Christian Endeavorers do not intend merely to go into this thing with words, the speaker further said:— We welcome you because you are opposed to the saloon and the evils which go with it, and to all who are trying to undermine in any way the Christian sabbath and the sanctity of the home. We have some very clearly defined moral issues at least, and we have enlisted, not for three months or for nine months, but for the war. We propose to lay aside all that hinders, and go in all over and for all we are worth, to win.8 These certainly are statements with no uncertain sound. They clearly indicate the religious trend. Another speaker said:— Do not be content with overthrowing one Tammany in New York and another in Chicago. Do not be content until a Tammany in America is forever an impossibility. . . . Follow the flying foe. Push things. The sword of the Lord and of Christian Endeavor. That is what they propose to do. Since all the evils are placed in the same category, and since the evils of the saloon and Sabbath desecration are alike, then all who oppose the first day of the week as the Sabbath may know what to expect when “Christian citizenship” comes into power. The civil power or sword will be used to enforce what this “good citizenship” demands. But is that “Christian” endeavor to kill a man with the sword who is willing to obey God and refuses to obey evil laws? The so-called “Christian sabbath,” that is so universally observed, and which these people are trying to preserve by the power of the sword of Cæsar, is the day recognized by the majority of people,—our Sunday. We are all aware that the Bible teaches us that the seventh day of the week is the Sabbath of the Lord, or Lord’s day. Then all who refuse to keep the day that is set aside by the civil power of “good citizenship” will be punished as the king of Persia treated Daniel, save here, instead of giving them to the lions, they will seek to exterminate them with the sword of Christian Endeavor “good citizenship.” Beware, readers; the voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau. More will be noticed in our next from other speakers. To all the followers of God’s truth this movement is significant indeed. Watch it, and beware of it.