LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 24, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 25.

LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE.

By Editor

A CURRENT press item says that there is considerable excitement in Mexico among the Catholics over the alleged action of the government authorities in forcibly detaining Jesusa Lopez, the daughter of a prominent merchant, who left the City of Mexico for Lafayette, Louisiana, where she was to enter a convent as a nun. The reform laws of Mexico prohibit convents, and no woman is allowed to take the veil. Miss Lopez, however, desired to enter a convent in the United States and her wishes were acceded to by her parents. She was 900 miles from home when the train was boarded by a police officer, who took her back to the City of Mexico. Strange indeed are the efforts made by earthly governments to secure religious liberty for the people—where they make an effort at all. Mexico made a desperate attempt to get rid of Roman domination, and in doing so went to an extreme. It seems from the case in point that, while a citizen of Mexico may come into the United States for all ordinary purposes, his daughter may not come for the purpose of entering a convent.

The history of governmental action to throw off the yoke of religious tyranny shows in nearly every case a jump from one tyranny to another. Hence, it has been demonstrated over and over that the only true theory of religious liberty is for secular government to keep its hands out of religious matters further than to guarantee to every individual absolute freedom of conscience. The framers of the United States Constitution caught the true idea, but under the influence of religious forces both Congress and the Supreme Court have ignored the provisions of the Constitution upon which the people have relied for the exercise of freedom of conscience. So it may now be said that there is not a government on earth that does guarantee such liberty absolutely. This is because the principle of religious liberty is not understood, the prevalent idea being based upon the theory that only those in harmony with the existing powers have any rights. Those who have the power establish their own freedom, and all others must regulate their consciences accordingly or suffer the consequences of being physically in the minority. But while we may not have liberty under governmental attempts to formally regulate our consciences, we can have liberty in Christ. And, knowing that this corrupt world is soon to come to an end, "we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness."