The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-19


sis and Exodus and the history Of
the Sabbath in Israel do not teach us
that the day is divinely appointed.
We who understand the bible accord
ing to the modern reading and inter-
probation know that the bible is not a
divine book. know that God did not APP
point the seventh day or any other day
TO mark the creation or the redemp-
ton from Egypt, neither is il possible
to prove that the seventh day is even
the seventh day in the regular order of
weekly succession from Gods day of
rest after the six days work of crea-
ton.
our system of time is not divine: it
is a human time reckoning. Have the
weeks been counted regularly ever
since the Sabbath of creation? Where
il the real evil Of this Sunday Sab
bath? Is the real evil in the lack Of
rest on the Sabbath day, in the desc
Grafton OF the sabbath or in the wor
ship on Sunday morning? No ortho-
dox jew would say that there was an
evil in worship or devotion ON sunday,
for ne is asked ia worship every day
/ The evil must he. II evil there be- in
/ the disohedienee Of the law OF Cod |
make this statement specifically. The
| officers and members and possibly the
rahbis of other congregations do not
keep the Sabbath. Let sabbath break
We wish 70 be true to ourselves and
honest With God, proclaim steadfastly
a divine commandment, a Sabbath in
honor of God, and then-men women
and children, officers and members of
egations-ourseives disregard the
Sabbath and charge others with prac-
ticing a religion of convenience"
While the rabbi has innumerabie ad-
herents to his nonconformist belief, he
is nevertheless opposed by well-knoWn
men in Jewish religious circles. both
here and in Cleveland and Cincinnati
chief among his opponents being Rev.
DR.. Isaac Wise, president OF the col
lege from which Rabbi Cries gradu-
ated and Rev. Joseph Stoltz of the
Isaiah congregation Of this city. The
| latter expresses himself as confident
of the ultimate explosion of what he
termed new tangled ideas"
While it is true that | hold services
| in my church on Sunday" he said. sit
is also true that | do 1t only for the
convenience of those who cannot at
tend on Saturday, that being our regu-
lar day of worship, In my estimation
Saturday is the correct Sabbath day
The Christian, in order to be different
from the Jew in the days of old
changed his Sabbath which he orig
inally observed on Saturday To Sun
day, and the Mohammedan. to be diff
l&itItl lIhtt ttlH tIdiigFtl his lt4 VII
day. If the jew of to-day gave up his
Sabbath Saturday he would give up
his most distinguishing mark. because
Saturday Is the day that is distinct
i've of the uniting of Israel the world
over. Rabbi Cries, like RABBI Hirsch,
simply advocates a doctrine of utili-
tarianism. and would give up their
day. the day Of their race, simply To
suit the convenience of the few. The
most beautiful feature Of the Jewish
Sabbath is Friday eve, ana II is very
questionable To my mind If the Jew
could give to Saturday eve the same
religious thought and spirit he gives to
Friday eve. The Christians holiday
begins at midnight and ends at mid
night, while that of the jew begins
at eve and ends at eve. and | am OPP
posed to the new idea, ana as long as
! am pastor of a Jewish congregation
! they and | will observe strictly sat
urday as the Sabbath day.
| Far stronger are the expressions oi
I DR.. Wise. who in an editorial in the
I American lsraeIitc, OF which he is the
4 editor, remarks: "A rabbi in Israel
| takes upon himself the solemn duty
1 to teach, exnouud promulgate and
/ preserve Judaism intact, as taught by
! Abraham. Moses and The prophets. AZ
i the history and literature of Israel
presents and reflects IT, Any argu-
ment hasine upon the eYcf-changing
tenor Of criticism. science or philasa-
/ ply. antagonizing the Judaism Of 3.00e
/ years Of evidence is nuI and void for
the rabbi in Israel. for he has not the
duty Ia justify what is NOW called sell
enece On philosophy. His duty is IL
teach and preserve Judaism and
/ he cannot do that IL becomes his duty
as an honest man IL step down and
out :"
Such Is the question now placed be-
fore the Jewish people, and II rests
| with the leaders of the race What The
consequences shall he In the near flu
ture. ii being their duty To determine
whether The Jewish sabbath shall In
/ transferred to the Gentle Sunday OF
remain as ii has for ages past.