Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-01-31
From The Golden Rule
The Religion Of Odd -FellOWshiR.

We have frequently heard it said that
Odd Fellowship was opposed TO religion
that it draws the attention Of members OF
the church from those high and response
BILE duties imposed upon them by their OBJ
legation as components of the great Chris
tian Commonwealth-that so soon as
person became an officer of an Odd Eel
lows Lodge. he would prove direlect to
his confirmation, or neglect that personal
attention to the devotions of the sanctua-
nv, so necessary in Christian COMMAND
~. We have no such idea. We do not
believe the objection valid. because it can
not be substantiated by facts. We have
never vet known an Odd Fellow to be q
less Christian because of his connection
with the Order; but we do know Of scores
of men who have been redeemed from err
ror-who have been elevated in the scale
Of moral being-who have been rescued
from suffering. shame and ccn:empt-in
a word. we have seen those who have been
made devout Christians by their connec-
ton with OddFellowship; we have seen
the outcast reclaimed; we have seen the
inebriate elevated TO the platform of So
briefly; we have seen the inprovident
made comfortable: the man who has me-
SlCCiCu iliS iuHIily OCCoiIIC tI- CdtCi P'O-
wider for all their wants; the profane for
get his oaths. and bow in reverence before
his Father, and his God; and more than
all. we have seen that 'rara avis in terris.
we have seen the miser, made benevolent
made kind TO the poor-the ice melt
around his heart. and smile of gener-
Gus feeling mantle his cheek. We have
seen all this effected by Odd Fellowship!
through lis morality-its RELIGloN!-the
religion of the Christian-of God, and
his creature man!
We have said that we have seen all this
and what has produced effects entirely
congenial to the Christian mind! We
answer the religion of Odd Fellowship.
which is the religion Of Christianity! The
latter teaches that .'Pure religion and un-
defiled before God and the Father is this:
TO visit the fatherless and the widows in
their atflction. and to keep himself un-
spotted from the world" This is the
practical Christianity-this is pure reli-
gion-that which man is bound to prac-
tice if he wishes TO alleviate the distress
of his kind. Odd Fellowship adopts the
sublime sentiment, and in all of its pre-
cepts. its every maxim, in all Of its works.
its signs and its emblems, endeavors TO
inculcate the paramount importance of
an observance Of the duties of this reli-
gion. The fatherless are ;dopted-the
widow is protected.
When the visitation of Providence de-
prves the first of parental care and pro-
lection. it is ours to supply the place OF
the buried one, and to visit the second in
her atfliction. and shield her from the
storms Of adversely. 1t is not only in
prosperity that we are required TO mingle
with each other in Friendship, Love and
! Trrth--not only in the sunshine are we
called upon to rejoice with each other
but in the hour Of adversely and gloom.
we are impe:atively commanded to dry
the widows tears and hush the wall ofthe
fatherless! On. how sublimelv elevated
does man stand when he breaches such a
religion. His nature is refined by it. his
charities are expanded. his aspirations
purified. and he asserts his claim to an
alliance with the angels Of God! No man
can be good Odi Fellow. unless he
makes this religion his study and his prac-
/ tce. and as we have inscribed its pre-
! cepts on cur affairs. let us be careful to
write them as with pen Of diamond up
on our hearts.