The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-13

and refute the claims of Romanism. And ii, I
believed that Christianity was the only true
religion l would get into the old mother
church as fast as my legs could carry me.
If the New Testament is true the Apostle
Peter was the transmitted head of the church,
and, consequently the Popes of Rome are in
direct succession TO Peter, else the church OF
God must have died on Peters hands, with no
power TO perpetuate itself. To q Protestant
Christian believer in the Immaculate Concep-
ton, trinity of God, heaven, hell and the
devil, and the Bible as the will of God, how
can any such person or church deny or refute
the claims OF the Catholic church TO spiritual
power? The Protestant and Roman churches
must live or die together, so far as their creed
and theology are concerned.
To Protestant Christians this is an open
ques ton. But to Liberals and Freethinkers it
is no longer question of debate. We take our
place on the side of reason, science and COM
mon sense and deny as unteDable the false
claims of Christianity.
AS Liberals and Freethinkers we have no in
fallible bible or Pope, and simply deny the
whole system as of pagan origin.
From our standpoint the great conflict raging
between Father 6orke and the Protestant
Church has deeper and wider significance
than some people attach to it, and really in
wolves the question of the truth or falsity of
Christianity.
If Christianity is true why should any sane
man be member OF the A. P. A and struggle
to keep the church out of politics and
schools? If God has book what right has
any man to keep that book out of the schools
OF our country? Don't we want Gods truth
everywhere to a dying world? What's the
matter with US? If Christianity is true and
God is the author of it why should not his
church take his religion into politics, Govern
ment and schools? And thus the science of poll
tics and Government would become the sci
ence OF God and his church.
This is the logic OF Christianity. And what
objection can any honest, sincere Christian
have to placing the name of God, Christ and
the Bible in the constitut ton OF our country,
Christian country?
Why should we shut out GOD, mis- word and
his priests, from the control of state and
schools? And next week there will he pre-
sented TO both houses of our Congress an
amendment to our organic law recognizing
God and the Bible And thus for twenty-seyen
years God has been knocking at the door OF
Congress at the hand of his church and can't
get in. These sincere Christians desire the
glory of God, and to this end they want relig-
louS Legislatures, Sunday laws and thumb
screws for the unbelieyer.
And while we commend their sincere and
honest zeal and loyalty TO their conviction we
deprecate their Judgment and logic in the In
terest OF religious superstition and quackery,
which has no foundation in truth. The whole
question involved in the conflict between Ro-
manism and Professionalism is the truth or
falsity of its claims.
If it be from God and the truth let it control
both state and school, but ii it be OF men let 1t
be kept out from all human concern, and the
only consistent reason why we should oppose
the infusion of the church into the state is that
it cannot in the light of this day sustain its
monstrous claims upon the intellect OF the
world.
As liberals and freethinkers we war against
the system and not against the good name of
men and women on account of their religious
belief. To my mind nothing but freethought
and enlightenment of the mind can heal the
malady.
As unbelievers in all forms OF supernatural
religion we place the Protesta ut on the same
common ground with the Catholic mother,
and all other religions, and that both OF them,
while entitled to protection in their religious
belief, are dangerous as a ruling power and
cannot be trusted with the liberties OF the peo-
pie, simply because they are not true to nature
ana not adapted 10 uman government.