THE World's Christian Citizenship Congress, in session in Portland, Oregon, from June 29 to July 6, is really under the auspices and leadership of the National Reform Association that was organized in Xenia, Ohio, fifty years ago. One of the principal tenets of its faith, as set forth in its organ, the "Christian Statesman," has been to have God acknowledged in the Constitution of the United States, and to have "all of the Christian laws, institutions, and usages of our government placed on an undeniable legal basis in the fundamental law of our land."
This organization has also worked for the purpose of securing a national Sunday law that would be binding upon everybody, and, regardless of creed or no creed, would compel the observance of what they have been pleased to term the "American Sabbath."
A few years ago they enlarged the scope of their work by organizing an international or world's Christian citizenship movement. Their first international conference was held in Philadelphia, in 1910, and this meeting in Portland is their second.
The president of the association, the Rev. Henry Collin Minton, reported at the opening of the meeting that he had traveled extensively throughout the world, visiting all the leading countries, in the interests of this meeting, with the endeavor of securing leading representative speakers on the various topics which they believe enter into their scheme of Christian citizenship.
This meeting has been extensively advertised for the last two years. They have had the hope that it would be an epoch maker in the way of crystallizing popular enthusiasm and popular sentiment. The meeting is quite largely attended — as many as 10,000 persons in attendance — very much larger than what has been seen at the regular National Reform meetings in bygone years.
Some of the opening addresses, particularly that of Dr. Samuel Zane Batten, general secretary of the social service department of the Baptists, have a very strong Socialistic flavor.
The Rev. Dr. James S. McGaw, general field secretary of the National Reform Association, one of the leaders in the World's Christian Citizenship movement, especially in the way of organizing in the Northwest
They see, and affirm with earnestness, that there are great "sociological problems" that are world-wide. Among these problems they mention that of the great accumulation of wealth, the problems of war, of vice, and of official and political dishonesty. They believe that in order to combat these great evils, it is necessary for the whole Christian world to combine in one great overtowering organization which will compel the respect of politicians and command the enforcement of the laws that they may see fit to enact.
There is no question in regard to these great international problems. The world is full of them. There can be no question in regard to the need of combating them in every proper way. But it is perfectly proper to call in question what will be the result of such a stupendous organization along ecclesiastical lines.
The conference throws open its doors to the widest range of discussion. It says it desires that there shall be absolute freedom of speech and of opposing ideas; but it does hope, out of its great plan, to establish on the earth "the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man."
The Rev. Henry Collin Minton, president of the National Reform Association, under whose auspices the second World's Christian Citizenship Conference was held in Portland, Oregon, June 29 to July 6. He was also one of the principal speakers.
The National Reform Association, as expressed in its world's conference here in Portland, is only one of the many similar organizations that are working at the present time to the same end. The plans that it proposes for world dominance are very similar to the plans proposed by the Federation of Churches, by the Men and Religion Forward Movement, by the Laymen's Movement, and similar organizations.
One thing noticeable in the speeches was the call for a world organization, with a world headquarters, that will establish the kingdom of Christ in world politics upon this earth.
Those who are regular readers of the "Signs of the Times" are more or less familiar with the prophecies that have been frequently presented through our columns, which inform us that one of the last acts of the peoples of this earth will be to establish a world-wide empire of religion that will demand world-wide obedience. Now, it is perfectly apparent that the men who are in this movement are sincere. Their hearts are stirred by the wickedness that they see in the world, and they are casting about for some remedy by which the social disease can be cured. But why is it they can not see from the word of God, and from the pages of undisputed history, that they are starting on the identical plan that was proposed in the early centuries, which finally resulted in the enthronement of the Papacy, and all the horrors of the persecutions of the Middle Ages, with its attendant religious bigotry, darkening of intellect, and wholesale degeneration? Religious despotism was established then under different circumstances and a different guise; but this one that is so enthusiastically proposed at the present time, is none the less identical in principle, and will produce the most direful results, even under the blazing splendors of the noonday civilization of the twentieth century.11
The lower picture is the summer White House of President Wilson, up among the green White Mountains of New Hampshire, in a little hamlet on the Connecticut River. The name of the house, or the estate, is called Harlakendon.
These men hope to cure the evils of the world by their system of combined Christian politics, and yet the Christ of the Bible said explicitly, "My kingdom is not of this world." And, furthermore, as is clearly outlined in the prophecies of Daniel, which have been so often presented in these columns, the kingdom of Christ is to be established on the absolute destruction and everlasting overthrow of the wicked kingdoms of this world. We earnestly hope and sincerely believe that many of these men who are so earnest, and who seem to be imbued with such noble principles of justice and uprightness, will yet see from the clearness of the prophetic pages of God's word, that the only hope for the overthrow of wickedness in this world is the second coming of Christ with His own infinite power, and by His personal presence.
Some of the most important sayings of the leading speakers of the conference will be given in later issues, so that our readers may get the spirit of the conference in the words of the men themselves.
