The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-06-06
HUMANITY
Is the Platform Proclaimed by Rabbi
Levy.
Mr.. Editor:

Mr.. Editor:
Would you kindly allow me space !
1t YOUR valuable paper to express my view
o in regard to an article in the column
of the Evening News of May the ZINC
II supposed to have been written by reI
!, resentative of the Y. NJ. Q. A., whicl
d saws that / had stated, "The platform
$ broad enough for all men to stand upon
no matter about his creed or faith" I'M
learned gwentleman has failed to pom
S out the platform referred to.
t As Jew, l believe in religious fedora
I ton" When we read of these feartu
. wars of determination, we must not re
: gard them as evincing anything Like {
t want of forbearance or liberation towards
r followers of a religion differing from
cur own.
We are told "Thou shalt not abhol
stranger" Deut. XIII. Z. The law
t knew no difference between Jew and
Gentle.
There is however a kind of spurious
tolerance which is not the result or true
PHILOSOPHY or true liberality, but rather
the effect of religious indifference. 1t is
common enough to hear persons indiffel-
ent to religion say that one religion is as
good as another. Against such indiffer-
ence the Bible warns us, Deut xiii u.
| | believe a man to be true man only
when he is a loyal citizen to his country,
with complete loyalty to his religion and
his God. That such loyalty need not de
| traet from our tolerance of the religion of
Others may be best proved by reference
to a prayer perhaps the most remarka-
BILE in the whole Bible the prayer of King
Solomon at the dedication of the Temple.
| To tho h1accinu off bino on tho
| building he had raised to the glory of
God, and begs that the prayers and suppl
cations that he and his people may there
offer may be favorably answered; and
then he Graves the same blessing for
those who were not of his own faith.
2nd Chro., vi, 30. I konw from the Tai
mudical and other accounts of the Tenn
pie land these accounts are supported by
the results of recent investigations that
this prayer was not as some might sup
pose. the mere individual expression of a
wisely liberal king. For it has been found
that, surrounding the raised platform on
which the Temple was erected, and lying
between the outer porticO and the Temple
proper, there was a great corridor thirty
cubits as feet wide, which was known
as the court of Gentiles," destined for
the worship of strangers, and that this
court, which formed an inner belt en-
crcling the Temple, was many times
larger than the court of the men of Is !
rael." See Ferguson's "Temple of the
jews" Murray, 1878. l am proud to see
in this century, and the first time in the
history of the world, Y. M. G. A. de-
claring a principle of religious liberation
propounded more than 5000 years ago by
Moses. But why is it that the clergy
and the Y NJ. G. A., doubtless actuated
by sincere though mistaken motives, still
condemn to perdition all who refuse to
believe as they do? There may be many
religions; there can be but one morality.
There is q well worn tale told Of two
learned and rival doctors of the Talmud,
Hillel and Shammai, which bears upon
what | have 10 say. A soothing heather
applied 20 Shrmmai requesting him to
teach him the laws of Jul9sm in the
short space of time thai he could stand
on one foot. Shammai, in anger, sent the
scoffer away. Thus repulsed, he went to
Hillel and made the same request of him,
and Hillel replied: ''Do thou not unto
another what thou wouldst not have an
other do unto thee"
Unfortunately in our artificial state of
society the relations of Jews and Chris
tians are far from satisfactory, both fire.
quently forgetting the command: "ThOu
shalt love thy neighbor as myself" I
Look at our State houses; look at our
city administration or county officials and '
see how many Jews are there employed. Q
Is this fair? Is this tolerance? Alas! t
When will our Christian friends ever t
learn that we are citizens first, Jews af- t
forwards Does the jew pay taxes? Do t
the Jews contribute to all charitable en- S
terprses or not? Do they patronize the C
charitable affairs, irrespective of creeds? "
Let it be understood once for all that
those men and women who profess the s
Jewish religion are citizens and are as N
much interested in the welfare of the I
State or community as their neighbors of il
,ther faiths, and let the imaginary class N
distinction be obliteratei. This is my ic
platform, Humanity" p,
Ii honor meant but honesty, and glory W
meant Gods glory and not mans, there tt
you'd be no hatred, no prejudice, for al
lis Cory makes the whole world kim NJ
o make this world a world Of peace and
happiness, to make mans life like days of in
heaven upon EARTH" Therefore, He, &C
rave to man this law of love ito love his
leelghbor as himself to widen the sphere
Il human Sympathies, to bridge the rivers,
eas and oceans with one broad span of
vide philanthropy, to make the earth
ne nation and all mankind fellow citi-
ems.
And this, Mr.. Editor, was the broad
latform, the platform of humanity | "
eter TO, Can jew belong to a =.
!. NJ. {. A." My answer is this: As "
ew ne cannot be Christian and therefore v
annot be an active member unless he
enounces his faith, but he may pay five
ollars, for which he may become entitled
the same privileges, such as baths,
ymnaslum, library, etc, and thus asso-I
late with the Y. NJ. G. A., not as a fol-
'Wer of Christianity, but as a Jew. l
Glleye in and follow the words of Micah. on
40 justly, love mercy and walk humbly ii
lth thy God | say, l believe in it, be- M
ause they embrace mans higher duty az
nd contain the essence of truest re- ~
gl0n for both Jews and Christians. N n
rdently the jew, no less than the Chris &c
an, yearns for that day when the earth le
nall be bathed in the sunshine of love
nd the brilliant orb of truth, unobscured
cloud, shall send its warming and h,
notifying rays into every human heart. in
.ehgion in the past has been the breeder ri ri
contention. Let it now become the 10
NIGEL of peace. Long and bitter has &c
lie contest ragged. The world has been n,
renched in blood, shed in the name of h,
1ligion. Let the sword of hatred be in
'rever sheathed in its scabbard and re- al
aced by the gentle weapon of love. W
ct all disputations about theological @,
)gmaS cpaSp low and Christian stand -