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Two Incidents

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 1, 1914

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 91, No. 1.

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Two Incidents

By W. F. Martin

Two significant events have recently occurred, both of which show the trend of affairs, but each in a different part of the country.
A dispatch from Aurora, Ill., states that there was a slight difficulty between two neighbors. To secure vengeance one of them had the other arrested for a violation of the Sunday law. The offense charged was carrying ashes out of his basement one Sunday. This shows to what use such laws can be put. They place power in the hands of bigots to be used against better men. The purpose of any body of religionists in wanting a Sunday law or any other religious measure is to be looked upon with suspicion.
When any church or combination of churches stoops to ask the civil government to aid in the support of religious tenets, there is something dangerously carnal in the purpose. There is the intent to use the law when it is secured. The enforcement of any religious tenet means infringement upon some one's rights. That always results in persecution. Any law that results in persecution does not have its origin with the Author of the golden rule. Again, no religious law is or can be consistent. We have seen nothing in recent years that more fully illustrates this fact than the case mentioned above. When a law puts the power for spite work in the hands of bigots, it can always be assumed that there will be bigots to act.
That means suffering on the part of good men. Religious laws make criminals of good men. That is not only wrong, but inconsistent. All Sunday laws are inconsistent.
The other incident occurred at Jefferson, Oregon. It was at a Sunday school convention. At one of the popular evening meetings a strong plea was made for the teaching of the Bible in the public schools. Thus we see that in all parts of our land, there is a strong agitation for a governmental recognition of religion. Surely the friends of religious freedom should be awake to the situation, and do all in their power to disseminate the true principles of religious liberty. W. F. MARTIN.