POLITICS by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 8, 1880

POLITICS.

By Editor

WE are not politicians. In this case the pronoun is used to include Seventh-day Adventists generally. They exercise their privilege as citizens to vote whenever they choose to do so; and we are happy to say, they were remarkably united in their loyalty to the government in the time of the late rebellion. This was right; our mission is one of peace; our rights as peaceable citizens have been protected in a praiseworthy manner by the government; we owe allegiance, the claims of which our patriotism, as well as the Scriptures, leads us to recognize. We believe in freedom as opposed to oppression; the Scripture injunction to "Remember those in bonds, as bound with them," not only permitted us, but compelled us to sympathize with the action of our government in breaking every yoke and letting the oppressed go free. Some have blamed us for this, but it is not possible for us to please them in this respect. They regard it only as a political question, overlooking its great importance as a moral question. We care but little for any question on the score of politics, but have a high regard for all moral issues. And we shall never violate our moral convictions, especially when based on such plain injunctions of Scripture, to appease the feelings of those who often appear to be moved more by prejudice than by revelation or the calls of our common humanity.

But this is as far as we can go. We cannot consent to enter the arena of politics, and strive as the world strives for supremacy and power. There is too much heat of passion—too much selfishness and greed of honor, in the politics of this day, as developed in all political parties. A resort to tricks and questionable methods is deemed allowable to a great extent by the party managers; so greatly so that it is difficult for a conscientious Christian to act with them and still keep himself "unspotted from the world." There are honorable exceptions; there are honest men in public life, and honest candidates for office. We respect all such. But our opportunities to judge of the inside workings of political parties have not been small. We entered a political newspaper office in 1832, in our very boyhood. We have acted with both the leading political parties at different times and on different questions of national importance. Our cautions are uttered advisedly. He who expects to dive into the business of politics and come out with a living zeal for the cause of Christ, with a conscience uncontaminated, with heart-searching piety, may expect to take coals into his bosom and not be burned, or to touch pitch and not be defiled.

We have heard of the piety of individuals and the peace of churches being greatly damaged by their entering into politics; but never benefited thereby. A zealous political partisan and a zealous Christian can hardly be found in one person. There is no good reason why the coming campaign should be a heated one, and yet we expect it will be. We deplore its probable effects; we are confident that it will greatly interfere with evangelistic work for months to come. We ask believers to watch and pray, that they be not led into temptation; that the work of God may progress; "that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified."