Politics and Religion

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 29, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 17.

Politics and Religion.

In 1891 the Methodist Conference held in Des Moines, Iowa, censured the governor of that State because certain laws were not more stringently executed. In a subsequent speech the governor alluded to this censure, and in course of his remarks uttered this sentiment, which seems more and more like a true prophecy as time passes:

“I think I can safely say that, so far as worldly people are concerned, they do not believe that our politics and religion can be mixed without converting the entire mixture into politics alone in a very short time. I want to say farther that those who attempt to do this will sooner or later learn that their churches have become political instead of religious organizations, and that they must thereafter be content to wield such influences over the consciences of men as other political organizations are able to do, and no greater or better.”