WE are receiving many gratifying responses to our Bible Band. Some of these ask for application blanks, and others make their application thru letters. We have been a little slow in getting our application blanks and cards printed, but they will soon be out now, and all will be furnished who comply with conditions.
Let us state again our plan and conditions. They are,—
1. To read the Bible thru next year, beginning with Jan. 1, 1908.
2. To publish in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES the chapters to be read each week, with a short synopsis of the ground covered, and with accompanying articles at times, together with the best data on the various books of the Bible.
3. To answer all questions from our Bible Band members in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES if they are proper questions for the paper. These questions should be upon Biblical, religious, and historical matters, answers to which would minister to more than childish curiosity. All religious questions will be answered from the authority of the Bible only, or upon reasonable deductions from Bible truth.
4. Questions from Bible Band members requiring answer by mail should enclose two-cent stamp.
5. Bible Band members contribute ten cents for the purpose of defraying extra expense involved in the printing of cards and the conducting and directing of the reading.
6. The SIGNS OF THE TIMES will give first consideration to Band members in the answer of questions.
We request those outside the Band when questions are answered by mail to enclose ten cents in stamps. If published answer is required enclose two-cent stamp, as reply by letter may be necessary.
On all matters requiring information of no profit to him who gives it a stamp should be enclosed. This is a small matter of expense occurring only occasionally; but where from twenty to one hundred letters are received in a week, the burden becomes too heavy. It is of small moment to the individuals who ask; it means much labor and oftentimes expense to the party who answers. For instance, just recently several postal cards have come in asking questions which involve considerable search, one of them necessitating writing to others, to whom, of course, we must enclose stamps. Is it not best that the burden be more equally distributed? We are sure that our readers will agree with us, even the thoughtless postal-card questioners. Our sole purpose is to help our readers.
Now let us hear soon from all who wish to go with us on our Bible journey in 1908. Application blanks will be sent, and cards returned as soon as the blanks filled out are received.
Sunday-Law Agitation.
THE main article in our Outlook Department will show quite fully the agitation that there is, and is bound to be, over the Sabbath question. The sad thing is that instead of becoming a Bible investigation it is taking on a demand on the part of Christians for a legal Sabbath. It crawls in in almost every conceivable form; it creeps into our municipal and State legislatures as a police regulation, a temperance measure, in favor of the workingmen, and its latest phase is for the special benefit of the theater-goers. Los Angeles has a pastor in one of its Baptist churches, Mr. W. F. Ireland, a cousin of archbishop Ireland of the Catholic Church. Mr. Ireland when in early life was an actor. Wishing to introduce a Sunday law into Los Angeles, he made as a pretext that the actors themselves would be very greatly benefited by closing the theaters on Sunday, and consequently brought before the City Council of Los Angeles a measure with that end in view, signed by nearly all the pastors in the city, but, strange to say, not signed by any of the theater people. Petitions were circulated in favor of the measure and a number secured. It is reported that thousands were signing the petitions. A full account of this will be given in future issues from our representative, Mr. Blunt.
What we wish to note here is that the movement is like all other political movements, seeking to establish itself by every means to which politics can resort, and that not even honorable politics. And yet we would not misjudge all who are connected with the movement. The proponents of such measures may be divided into two classes; first, those who believe that the day ought to be kept free from all traffic and show which are proper and allowable on other days; and, secondly, those who want the evils suppressed wholly, and if not able to suppress them all the time, feeling that one-seventh of the time is better than none. There are two classes of opponents to such measures; first, those who want the traffic carried on because of the profit and pleasure, and whose hearts are in harmony with the evils; secondly, those who are opposed to any legislation in support of a religious institution.
Of the proponents we sympathize with the second class. We believe it would be better for society and communities in general, and especially for the youth, if there were no saloons nor vile theaters, but we do not believe that the suppression of these evils for one day of the week will help matters. To suppress the saloons or the theaters on a religious day only is to politically honor and protect the religious day, a thing which should never be done in a free country. And such action admits the necessity, at least, if it does not tacitly approve, of the evils on six days of the week. Such measures form the opening wedge of a church-and-state union, a fearful curse of the ages, and they do not remove the evils which they seek by law to suppress. We therefore oppose Sunday legislation, not because it centers around Sunday, but because of the nature of the thing itself. As earnestly and determinedly would we oppose it if it centered in the seventh day.
We have no sympathy with the first class of opponents of the measure. Liquor drunk on one day will make a man as maudlin and ugly as on another. A low theater performance—and the critics tell us that that is about the character of all theaters—has the same effect on the mind one day as on another. The only true political remedy is the total suppression all the time of all such evils upon which it is proper to legislate; the only true religious remedy is the power in Jesus Christ and His word and Spirit. When Christians leave that word, turn from that promise of power, for political aid, they forsake the fountain of living waters for the broken cisterns of men; they forsake the Rock of Ages to lean upon the broken reed of Egypt, which pierces those who trust it.
We decidedly object to being allied with saloon forces or theater-goers. Our ground of opposition to Sunday legislation is on an entirely different basis, and this basis is the very genius and spirit of Christianity itself. God left every conscience free to choose or to reject any and every religion, and any and every religious institution, and it does not lie properly within the purview of the State to meddle with any of them. If the minds of the people generally were enlightened in regard to the true principles which underlie Sunday legislation and the history of the thing thru past ages, there would be no question as to their position upon it; and if Sunday-keepers knew the power and Gospel of Jesus Christ, they would never demand it.