Liberty in France

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, Cal. · May 31, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 22.

Liberty in France

Liberty in France.—J. W. Jenks, of Cornell University, in writing on Education and Religion in France, remarks: "All religions are now equal by law, and the State grants aid for the support of any church which has 100,000 adherents. By far the larger part of the aid, of course, goes to the Roman Catholic Church. There is, however, on the part of large classes in the community, much jealousy and fear that the church will secure great political influence. So powerful is this feeling in some quarters that 'a French citizen who is dependent on the State for his livelihood, is not always at liberty to accompany his wife and children to mass on Sunday morning, without risking his future prospects and their means of sustenance.' Even the President of the republic is careful not to pronounce the name of God in any public utterance for fear of offending the anti-clerical free-thinkers, and avoids appearing in any public capacity in any religious edifice. Strange perversion of the spirit of religious tolerance!" How long will it be before the same principles will bear sway in America? The intolerance here, however, will come not from "infidelity," but from the religious side; and it will in France before a great while.