WHICH IS THE "BETTER CLASS"?
By William N. Glenn
THE men who are endeavoring to have their ideas of the Christian religion crystallized into the civil law of this country show a most unchristian disregard of the rights of those who do not support their schemes. This is particularly illustrated in the fact that they deem it a sufficient justification of their course to show that some infidel or other non-professor of religion is opposed to it. In the contest over the proposed religious amendment to the Constitution, now pending in Congress, the National Reformers have tried to uphold the amendment on the ground that some non-religionists had appeared against it, just as if such men had no rights which the government was bound to respect. Another autocratic feature of their intolerant purpose is shown in their efforts to cast ignominy and reproach upon Christian men, because, in their defense of equal rights for all, they happen to be in harmony with the views of some non-religious people on the same subject. These overzealous "reformers" would have joined those of old who maligned Christ because he ate with publicans and sinners. Here we are confronted with two classes of men; one class makes no profession of religion, but stands for all civic purposes on the broad platform of equality before the law, civil and religious liberty, as enunciated by the Declaration of Independence and nominally guaranteed by the Constitution, while the other class would compel all, regardless of conscientious scruples or natural, God-given rights, to conform to certain religious dogmas or be branded as outlaws and enemies of society. Altho the latter class are loud in their profession of Christianity, they persistently ignore the standard of Christian life laid down by Christ,—"All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." With which class is it safer to trust our civil institutions? In whose company is it the more creditable to walk in the discharge of the civil duties or social relations of life? It is well to beware of that fast-increasing element who always hold themselves up as the "better class of society" because of their religious profession. The Lord has pronounced judgment against that class of professed disciples who walk "after their own thoughts,"—"which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou." Regarding this class he continues: "These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together." See Isa. 65:1-7. W. N. G.