, 1876-09-03
Is THIS 4 CHRISTIAN NATiOyt
TO the Editor of The Tribune.

~aAsAoot aug. o1.-1our correspondent l" g,
+. F." combats the assertion that ''this is not
Christian nation" and that religious instruction
has no place in the public schools, aud as proof
to the contrary fourishes the oath required in
courts OF justice and to afidavits, and allege.
that such oath must be made "on the Chris
tians' Bible aud in the name Of the Christians
God" This" he says, lis substantial rec
ognftion Of Christianity and OF the Christian
God" he goes On to argue that, therefore, it
is necessary for Ill to be educated as to that
Bible and that God, else the oath would be
valucless. He "caunot believe that Liberals
and Catholics are prepared to go to the length
OF abolfshing the use Of the oath,'' aud must,
therefore be inconsistent in desiring the omis-
sion OF Bible-reading in the schools.
think sc. E. F." had better have informed
himself on the matter before he rushed iuto
pr1nt. Now, tue law in regard to the oath to be
used in courts or elsewhere is as follows:
1t shall be lawful for any person empowered to
administer the oath to administer 1t in the follow-
Ing form. to- Wit: The person swearing shall, with
and shall not be compelled to lsy the hand on or
kiss the Gospels--ln. Revised Statutes Chap. 1o1,
Sec. ).
II there is any recognition Of "the Christians
tian or Jew, Buddhist, aiohamlnedan, or Ration
a1ist alike could claim this oath as prepared to
meet each his particular views. Some of all
religions may object to all oath in any
form, aud our laws provide that
As to the abolition oi the oath altogether ss1
maintain, and large class Of thinking people
maintain, that oaths should be abolished, and
witnesses simply held in restraint by the pains
and penalties for perjury. The manner in
with all moral impression that is sought in ali
oath, and tends to render the people indiffcr-
ent to Its solemn meaning. The form OF af-
frmation seems to pledge the personal honor
OF the witness, which to many seems better
than to invoke the most high God, in such
flppant and almost blasphcmous manner IS is
usual. This mu1nbling OF oaths in courts, and
rattling off OF chapters Of the Bible in secular
schools to children in hurry to get at their
account: They blunt The moral sense rather
than otherwise.
But this claim Of Puritan people that for this
aud that reason this country is proved to be q
Christian country, and it, Government and
laws therefore justly should be under djctation
Of Christians or those who assume to class
themselves such, is to an emphatic degree alb
surd. There is nothing in the organic act Great
ing the national Government referring to
could be claimed as Christians in the orthodox
sense are the members Of churches, aud not
one-twentieth part Of the nation are church
members Probably half OF the church mem-
bers would not pass muster as real Christians,
taking Chtist's teachings as standard.
The nation, ~ to its business, its So
is yastly more Pagan than Christian. Ninety,
nine men out OF hundred In this land, wheth-
er in churches or out Of them, conform all their
life and actions almost exactly to tue principles
which actuated the Pagans Of old Greece, and
By no manner whatever to tue non-combatant,
self-ignoring principles laid down BY Jesus.
Christ required men to seek, not their own ad-
vantage and gain for SELF but to work for their
fellows. If one man has superior talents, be is
to use them to help those vino are weaker. No
one is to lay up wealth, but let each day take
care Of itself. No one to return blow, but to
return good for evil. If = man take your coat,
give him your cloak also. Each one must deny
needy, visiting the sick, .succoring the
poor, and despising riches, worldly
honors and everything sensual in lie. The Pa
gan world around Jesus lived on different prln-
ciples. They believed in each man for himself,
and the strongest man the best fellow. they
some charities, to be sure, where SYM
pathy WAS excited, but selfish advancement in
wealth, in honor, in power, was each mans
eager desire, and the man devoid Of such ambi-
ton HAS regarded as = visionary or an imbec1e.
Take the two standards and tell me, man or
angel, is not this nation Pagan rather than
Christian!
No, indeed! this is not Christian nation.
There are some people in it that profess to gov
really lire according to the principles Of Pagan
ism The great mass Of Christendom have
never pretended to be governed by any other
motives than those Of cultivated heathendonl.
Ings Of Christ's teachings, no one would ever
suspect that any one knew that such teachings
existed.
Modern Christianity is only ancient Paganism |
eayened with little pietistic hypocrisy. Deny
t and.l will prove it. n.