Our Position on Religious Legislation and the Sabbath
By Editor
Our Position.—The SIGNS OF THE TIMES is unalterably opposed to all religious legislation. Sunday-observance, Sunday-rest, or Sunday-closing laws are religious legislation. The last is a religious measure under a temperance veneer. It is an entering wedge for “more stringent laws, with more adequate penalties,” as we have often proved. We are opposed to religious legislation, because it is contrary to the Gospel of Christ, to religious liberty and equality, and inevitably results in oppression and persecution. We believe in the seventh-day Sabbath, because it is commanded of God and was observed by our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not the day as a mere day, but it is a question of loyalty to him, and we have no desire to turn from the glorious path lighted by God’s word and aflame with the glory of the life of Christ, to the by-paths of tradition or worldliness, nor to seek the state aid of Egypt or Assyria. We again briefly restate our position, in view of the remarks of the Pacific Coast Endeavorer, with reference to what we recently said on the “Christian citizenship” movement. After referring to this paper and the Seventh-day Adventists, it says:— “These people occupy an anomalous position in the religious life of our times, and astonish their brethren with the most paradoxical attitudes toward moral questions. We can not question their sincerity, and so far as changing their interpretation of Scripture goes, this is universally conceded as a hopeless task. They have always and everywhere parted company with other Christians when the ‘seventh day’ was involved. The church to these people is more than the city or the nation. When the question of Sunday closing was before the people of Oakland, the Seventh-day Adventists took sides with the saloon.” Our position is just what we have stated above. The question is not—should not be—Is it “anomalous” “in the religious life of our time”? but is it in harmony with God’s word as it is in Jesus? The Endeavorer concludes:— “Our attitude toward these people should not be one of censure but of sympathy [pity]. Let us pray for them.” Good! This last expression is Christian in a much broader and better sense than the “Christian citizenship” scheme. And so will we pray. 1 Tim. 2:1-4.