Shall We Join Secret Societies or Unions?
By Clarence Santee
The question, Shall we join secret societies or unions? has been troubling many of the brethren recently, on account of the difficulty of obtaining employment. This has not, as yet, been so marked outside of the larger cities, but it is growing, and will face all classes. The question of the difficulty of obtaining employment is not a new one. Many of the brethren had to face this question when accepting present truth. “How can I support my family?” has been the question that has kept scores of men from accepting the Bible Sabbath. The wife may have accepted, and stands alone, while the one who should be the priest of the household, halts, condemned by his own conscience, yet fearing to step out and trust God. How strange that men can, so entirely, forget that it is God who gives all that we have, whether we be good or evil. He “sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” “He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” But they choose to trust in the arm of flesh, which can bring forth nothing, and can only use the things granted by the Lord, from whom they turn. We who are standing in the blessed light of truth to-day, have gained the victory over this foe, and have taken our stand with those who regard the Sabbath. But has Satan confessed himself vanquished, and left us alone?—No. The same temptations, under other forms, will meet us again and again. Just now the same serious question confronts many of the very persons who so nobly, by faith, took their stand on the words of the Saviour, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The different lines of business are now represented by “unions,” which say, “Join us, and abide by our rules, or starve.” Faithful men have been thrown out of employment, honest men have seen taken from them the work for which there had been definite contracts made. The reason given was, “He does not belong to the union. If you employ him, we will have nothing to do with you.” The faithful laborer is sacrificed that the favor of a union may be retained. What can be said in favor of any company of men who will, knowingly, take from a man his honest livelihood, and thus bring suffering upon helpless families, simply because he does not put himself under their dictation, and add his influence to theirs, in crushing other men? I asked a man why they were so urgent that all men of his trade should unite together? He answered, “It is a matter of the big fish swallowing the little ones. We must be the big fish, or we shall be swallowed.” Is this the Christian way? Is this Christian doctrine? If not, can we hold it, and yet be among those of whom it is said, “When He shall appear, we shall be like Him”? The Lord has warned His people of every pitfall that lies in the way. The prophet says: “The Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.” Isa. 8: 11, 12. What is “their fear” which the Lord says we are not to fear? In the twenty-second verse we are told: “And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness.” “Their fear” evidently is the fear of that which may bring them “trouble,” and to avoid it they “associate” themselves together (verse 9), or form “a confederacy,” a union, so as to defeat any attempts against their craft or trade. But will these unions to whom we pay the dues, and thus divert the funds which ought to be in the cause of God, accomplish their purpose?—No, for God is against them. He says of them, “Ye shall be broken in pieces. . . . Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.” Verses 9, 10. If “God is with us,” and they “shall be broken in pieces,” then what attitude shall we sustain to them? The end is hastening on. Soon the earth will cease to yield her increase. God has said that the fire will devour “the pastures of the wilderness,” “and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.” Read Joel 1: 15–20. At that time the Lord says, “No craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee.” Rev. 18: 22. Where then will stand the man who has depended on the orders of his craft for a living? The arm of flesh has failed him. It will be too late then to cultivate that faith which will bring the fulfillment of the promise, “Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.” God’s people must be a separate people from all others. As men of the world band themselves together more closely for oppression, the servant of the Lord will separate himself farther from them. As all these elements, banding together, do their part in bringing to pass the edict “that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark,” it will be against God’s people, because they are not found among them. “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” This does not mean that we are to fold our hands in idleness, but that, in faith, we are to accept of the “thought” that God has taken for us, and in this way we are assured that “all things shall be added” unto us. Like the father who, in the early hours, maps out the work of the day, saying to this son, Do this, and to that son, Do that, and as the sons, with no thought or question, heartily join in carrying out the plans of the father, so we should let the Heavenly Father take the “thought” and form the plans, and we, as the sons, believing His thought to be all right, and for the best, join in carrying them out, knowing that thus all will be well in this present world, and we will have an abundant entrance into the world to come.