Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1895-07-25
Where Are We Drifting?

The efforts to enforce Sunday obsarv-
ance by civil law are attracting some
attention at present in different parts of
the world. In Tennessee, Georgia,
Maryland, and in the Old World the
work of persecution or so-called prose
cution goes ON. Inoffensive citizens are
being hned, imprisoned, and disiran-
chised for the grievOus crime (?) of
working six days and resting the sew
enth, or Saturday. 1t is claimed that
this is all done, because sunday is not
observed, but evidently this is not the
real truth, as very many go free who
observe no day in the week, and we
must come to a contrary conclusion.
In 1920 the Pilgrims came to our
shores seeking refuge from religious
oppression, but as soon as they had
gained the desired end there was devel-
oped in them the same spirit of intol-
erance which actuated their former per-
secutors, as subsequent events in their
history attest. Undoubtedly the ira
mers of our constitution were men of
true nobility who could see what the
final result would be of carrying out
such intolerant princi pies in the gov
ernment, and they strove to effectually
guard against future mistakes by laying
down the principles of liberty, which
guarantees to every man the freedom
to worship God according to the die
tates of his own conscience. 1t is a
trite saying that history repeats itself.
We have before us the example of re-
ligious intolerance in all the ages past.
Human nature is ever the same, which
in some degree accounts for the like
spirit manifested by few in our day.
III is nftnn "a ai ,,aH that SI,ch lo\IS n
civil, and not of religious nature, but
facts go to prove that they are used by
class of zealots in religion to inflict
injury upon few peaceable and geAer-
ally law abiding citizens who are living
up to their best convictions, and who
claim a God-given privilege-the right
to worship when and in the manner
they choose. Such mistaken zeal is
manifestly from beneath and not from
alb we.
1t seems to be hard matter for some
people to discern between the sacred
aud the profane, or in other words TO
discriminate between purely civil en-
actment and a religious law. What are
the Sunday laws to be found upon the
statute books of nearly every state in
this boosted land of liberty but relig-
ious laws? 1t is all right to protect
man in his worship, but give to all the
same privileges. 'The truth of religion
is never represented by physical force"
nor by the "stress of law or the force of
arms"
"Men are attracted by the power of
love, but they cannot be driven toward
the drivern 1t is of no use to compel
man to be religious. One is no better
who is made to do a good act, any more
than man could be the worst criminal
who was forced to do very wicked
deed. The moment coercion begins,
missionary work loses it's sacredness.
Will men never learn that they are
wronginp their fellow-men to trammel
the conscience, whether in the guise of
a civil enactment or of strictly relig-
ious law. Fifty millions. of martyrs
persisted during the dark ages, all be-
cause they refused to obey existing laws
f rhidding the free exercise of their re-
ligious opinions, and evidently if they
had obeyed them not one need to have
lost his life. Like our valiant ancestors
who valued liberty more than their
lives, there are many to be found now
who will rather suffer imprisonment
and death than to violate ,nscience by
submitting to an unjust and unholy
law. ****
The above communication is printed
by request, but of course the fact of
publishing does not endorse editorially
the sentiments expressed.-ED.