What Christian Citizenship Means
By Editor
AMONG the purposes of the World's Christian Citizenship Conference, as set forth by the Rev. J. S. Martin, one of its chief promoters, is the following: "The conference will be expected TO ADOPT and RECOMMEND to Christian citizens of all countries a program of action which may be helpful in their efforts to realize in their several countries A CHRISTIAN STATE OF CIVIL SOCIETY. This program will refer to such matters as public education, laws affecting the family, the day for rest and worship, righteous men for civil office, the removal of the curse of intemperance, the reformation of criminals, the abolition of war, the salvation of the cities, and, as fundamental to and including all these, a genuine revival of national religion."—(From article by Mr. Martin in this paper two weeks ago.) It is proper for citizens in every land to interest themselves in public education, in that fosterer of governmental expense and crime, intemperance, in the just treatment and reformation of criminals, in the abolition of war, in the right government of cities. With all these a civil government may properly deal; but the day for rest and worship, the revival of national religion, the examination of men as to religious character, is no part of civil government. Just as soon as civil government enters the religious field it becomes intolerant and the tool of the bigots who may be able to use it. And there is no religious body on earth good enough and wise enough to be trusted with civil power. The proper reforms in the normal field of civil government are used as blinds to lead in the deadliest enemies to church and state. It is well that every man should have a weekly day of rest and worship, but that matter lies between him and his God. If a government affair, who shall decide? If a "Christian" government had any right to decide, it ought to choose that the day that Christ gave, honored, taught, observed—namely, the seventh day—should be the national day of rest and worship; but the Sabbath of the Lord needs no help from civil government, and the great mass of the people reject the day. Should the "Christian" government take the other side, it is inconsistent, contrary to the Christian Book, and could never have the united support of its citizens. Just as soon as the government defines in statute law or legal document the weekly day of rest and worship, it makes itself a party to religious controversy, which can result only in evil. By that very act it needlessly, foolishly, places itself in antagonism to many of its citizens who are as worthy of support, protection, and honor as are their opponents. As to a national religion, the very term is nonsense. The nation is not a person. As a nation it can not repent, be baptized or saved. We might as well talk of the saving of a corporation, the Standard Oil Company, for instance. Christ saves men one by one, by persons, not by societies or nations. The sad thing is that men who are professed Christians would advocate such a thing; yet we are told that "this Declaration of Principles and this Program of Action will come before the conference with the concurrence and the endorsement, not only of the large and representative committee which shall prepare it, but of a far larger number of leaders in the religious world before whom it will be laid for their suggestions and their concurrence." What it means may be learned by the following excerpt from a report of an address by Mr. Martin sent out by the chosen and duly appointed press association of the National Reform program committee: "Let the MORAL LAWS of our country, based as they are UPON GOD'S LAW, be EMBODIED in a TEXT-BOOK and taught in all state institutions. And let the WORD OF GOD ITSELF be read there. Let every teacher understand that American patriotism calls for this, and let every opponent understand that this is CHRISTIAN AMERICA with the privilege, right, and DUTY of MAINTAINING A CHRISTIAN PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM with the WORD OF GOD AND PRAYER and religious songs in it, and that THE CITIZEN WHO DOES NOT LIKE THIS COUNTRY, with the CHRISTIAN RELIGION THUS RECOGNIZED in its great educational training school and the civil and religious liberty it guarantees alike to native and foreign born, HAS THE PRIVILEGE OF SEEKING ANOTHER COUNTRY WHERE HE MAY FIND THINGS MORE TO HIS LIKING." What tribunal will decide as to what are the "moral laws of our country" that are based upon God's law? We may safely assert that Mr. Martin does not rightly represent Christianity. Whatever its perversions have been, true Christianity has always been fair. It has disfranchised no man politically; it grants equal freedom to all its opponents. Mr. Martin proposes to grant it to "Christians," to those wearing his brand of theology. For it need not be said that the non-conformist Christian or insurgent religious citizen—tho his life be as white as a Paul or Moses—would be expatriated, banished, outlawed, as truly as the veriest infidel. In the name of religion Jesus died while the infidels triumphed. Yet of the infidel even, Jesus said: "If any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world."