Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-02-20
Religious federation.

A correspondent in one of our State
exchanges, thus, comments on the
prevailing topic of conversation-Sun
day legislation.
The excitement that has been
aroused and the sentiment called
forth from the pastors of the city over
the proposed legislation affecting the
interests OF Sunday observance is
ludicrous, rather than convincing to
people who are accustomed to take Il
common sense view of the subject. I'll
doubtless has not occurred to the aver
age mind that there is Il side to this
question which is almost entirely over |
looked. While the writer has no
sympathy whatever with the saloon |
element to whom has been attributed |
the measure now before the State |
Legislature, he is in favor OF that man ,
illness and justice that would forever
erase all reference to Sunday and re- |
ligiun from the statute hooks, and |,
thus place all citizens upon an equality |
before the law Why should our civil |
codes be mixed up with religious enact
ments?
Is not ours land of religious liberty
Is not our government founded and /
maintained upon that eternal principle !
set forth in the Declaration Of hide
pendence, that all men are created
equal and that they are endowed by
the Creator with the inalienable rights
of life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness? Is not. that principal !
stamped upon our glorious constitu-
ton, which declares that Congress
shall make no law respecting the cs-
Enlistment of religion or prohibiting !
the free exercise thereof" Does not
the American constitution confer |
upon every citizen the right to worship
God according to the dictates of his
conscience, or The tight not to worship |
if he so chooses Said George Wash I.
ington. Every man who conducts
himself as a good citizen is accountable f,
alone to God for his religious faith, and
should be protected in worshiping
God according to the dictates of his
own conscience.
According to the constitution there
is a complete separation between re-
ligion and the State, but every Sunday
law that was ever made is violation
of it and an Infringement of natural
right. But it is said: 1--WE do not
want legislation for the religious Sab
bath" Oh, no, its only the civil Sab
BATH that they want. Let no one be
deceived by this spacious plea. 1t is
sheer nonsense. People who use the
term ought to know that there is not
and cannot be any such thing as n
civil Sabbath. The sword "civil" is
simply the mask ny which they would
hide the glaring features of religious
legislation The Sabbath is wholly Il
religious institution. 1t pertains
entirely to religion and the conscience.
A civil institution is one that origin
ates with the people. But the Sabbath
originated with God, and rests upon
the authority OF His commandment.
The State has no business 10 NEEDLE
with the Sabbath. The moment civil
government does this it stops beyond
its legitimate province and invadcs
the realm of religion and the con-
science, and somebody's religious rights
are ,rampled in the dust. The words
of Hon. Richard Nj. johnson in the
United States Senate report of 1929
are in place here:
Our government is n civil and not religions
institution. Our constitution recognizes IN
every person the right to choose his own relig-
ion, and 20 enjoy it freely. without molcstation.
The proper object of government is 10 protect
all persons in the enjoyment of their civil us
well as religious rights, and not to eterminc
for any whether they shall esteem day
above another, OF esteem all days alike holy
What OIL her nations call religious liberation we
call religious rights. They not exercised in
virtue of governmental indulgence, but Ms rights
OF which government cannot deprive any por-
ton of citizens, however small. Dcspotic pow
er may invade those rights, but justice still con
firms them.
The divine author OF Christianity
forever settled this point when he
said: "Render unto Caesar the things
which are Caesars, and unto God the
things that are Gods" His mistaken
followers of the present day would i'm
prove upon his plan and have lis rem
der unto Caesar that which is Gods"
They would have the state usurp the
divine prerogative and demand from
the subject the obedience which be.
longs alone to the Almighty.
1t must be conceded that every man
who wishes to keep Sunday has ma
tural right to do 50, and no power on
earth may take away his right. 1t is
likewise true that every man who
wishes to rest on Saturday or some
other day, or even-so far as man is
cOncerned-nOt to rest at all, has the
same right. But the basis on which
rests this Sunday legislation theory is
that no one has any right to refrain
from resting ON Sunday, even though
he may have no religious convictions
as to duty in such matters Those /,
who are not Christians are compelled
to act as though they were; that is, /
compelled to be hypocrites.
The religion of Jesus Christ knows
no such thing as coercion and these
misguided zealots who would enforce
upon their fellow citizens their inter /
pretations OF the divine will would do
well to take little time to study the
golden rule. e.
The whole theory is monstrous
fallacy, anti-Christian and contrary to
and common sense. Sunday