The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-11-25
|-sUNnAy AS THE LEGAL SABBATH

we have received from the Inter
\ National Religious Library association
fsome pamphlets and leaflets concerning
the objects Of the association, and con-
tanning accounts of several cases in
which otherwise estimable persons are
in prison for violating the Sunday laws
of the states or countries in which they
Preside.
| The purpose of the society is to pro-
mote perfect religious liberty, and to
OBTAIN the abrogation of laws which
infringe upon it. In a general way
we sympathize with the work of the
association, because we believe that the
right to worship according to the die
tates of conscience. and the right to alb
STAIN from any kind of worship, should
foe secured to every living soul But
IN some respects we regard the doings
OF the association as mistaken.
we will not go into the details Of the
eases set forth in the printed matter
before US. The same principle affects
tnem all Men are suffering the penal
Ties OF law for working on Sunday in
violation of statutes still in force. That
Is the whole complaint and that is what
the society protests against
Most of the persons who ara in trouble
on this account are what are called
Seventh day Adventists. They hold as
distinctive. tenet of their faith that
| the seventh day is the Sabbath, and
that therefore the observance of the
first day of the week, commonly called
sunday or the Lords Day." is re-
ligious error. They keep Saturday as
| the Sabbath and do as they Please on
Sunday
. 1t will be observed that in no case
complained of as "intolerant," "bigoted"
and unjust" is the defendant pan
ished for observing the Seventh day
! as the Sabbath. Nor is it claimed that
the law interferes with that observance.
| The religious liberty of the Adventists,
then, is not infringed in that particular.
They may make any day the Sabbath
which they see fit to choose.
But they are not content with that
liberty. They want to work on the
day which the majority have estab-
llshed as the recognized Sabbath, al
though the law forbids working on that
lday. Here is where their trouble comes
in and it is largely Of their own making.
Because they choose to keep Sabbath
on Saturday, they are not obliged to
work and thus break the law on Sun
day.
They are in the minority. 1t does not
make any difference whether their
theory is right or wrong, so far as this
controversy is concerned The majority
rule as to law. The law forbids I'M
necessary labor on the first day of the
week commonly called Sunday or the
Sabbath or Lords Day." the name
does not matter much. This law is for
the protection of those who desire to
keep that day for rest or devotion or
both. A secular as well as religious
rule governs in relation to it, Rest on
one day out the seven is recognized
as beneficial to humanity. Religion is
aided by the rule. People who wish
to worship are relieved from labor that
they may do so, and those who do not
want to worship may rest from toll.
Whatever views may be entertained
on the religious aspect of the question
they cannot be presented in opposition
to law. We believe it is a good thing
for working people and for society gen.
orally that one day out of seven is set
apart by law for rest day. Until the
majority become convinced that it
ought to be the seventh day, the law
for the observance of the first day of
the week ought to be honored.
The Seventh day Adventists will be
protected in their lawful endeavors to
proselyte the world and convert men
and women to their ideas as to the
Sabbath. But they must not violate the
law and they need not. They can wor-
ship on Saturdays as much as thew
please and may argue in the pulpit and
in print against Sunday as the Sabbath.
But they must not and need not show
contempt for the secular law by work
ing on Sunday where the law forbids ii.
That is the case in nutshell. Until
they can get the laws as to Sunday
to which they object repealed, they
must either observe them or take the
penalties imposed.
The Jews are an example in this
respect to the Adventists. AS a rule
they keep their Sabbath on Saturday.
And in such nations as establish Sun
day by law as the Sabbath or rest day. |
they do not place themselves in OPP
position to the law. The Adventists
should do the same and then their
court and prison troubles would cease. |
Our advice is that the International !
Religious Liberty association use its in
fuence to prevail upon people not to
break the law.