And That Is Not the Question.
The Pacific Christian, in discussing the church exemption amendment, remarks that "it is not probable that the people in all the other States are greater fools than we are," and continues:— "But the merits of the question do not depend upon what the people of other States think about it. Nor do the merits of the question depend upon the fact that religious people feel the need of relief from this burden. The question of benefit to all the people is the one general question to be considered most seriously. Would the State be better off without the churches than without the amount of taxes collected on houses of worship?" But this is not the question. The real question is, Shall the church of Christ ask for State support? Churches in the East find themselves without act of their own in the condition they are. But not so in this State. California started right in this respect,—separation of Church and State; now shall the right be undone? Col. J. L. Lyon, Baptist, of this city, adapting from that grand memorial of a hundred years ago, in which Baptists, Presbyterians, and friends joined, well says in an appeal to California voters:— "4th. The State has no right or authority to establish or support the Christian religion, to the exclusion of any other religion; if so, it has the right to establish or support any particular sect to the exclusion of all others. But as it has not this right of either establishing or excluding, Chinese joss-houses, Buddhist temples, and every other society which calls itself religious worship, is exempt from taxation." "5th. The church is, or ought to be, purely a religious institution, voluntarily supported by those who accept its tenets or beliefs, or not at all. The State is, or ought to be, purely a secular institution, existing solely to preserve civil and national rights, liberty, equality, and justice, and extending equal protection to all, but favor to none." One of the saddest facts of this time is that professed servants of Christ are so blind and ignorant or so regardless of the fundamental principles of Christianity.