The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-25
A LIVELY DISCUSSION
Aroused by an Address by Rev.
Mr.. Settle.
THE CHURCH IN POLITICS
Warmly Debated by the Butte Minis
terial Association-A Decided Diff
ference of Opinion Was
Developed.

| meetings, which will begin on Thurs
| day evening at the Auditorium. The
following committees We're appointed:
On ushers, Noftsinger, Stevens and
Taylor; on finance, Albritton, Greene
| weld and Settle; on music, Groeneveld,
Tonge and Shipper; on advertising,
Goodfriend, Hay and Peterson; on
| cards, Noftsinger, Shipper and Greene
| weld; on conference, Albritton, Good
| friend and Noftsinger. Beginning
Thursday evening, the meetings will
continue 10 days, the meetings to be
| held each evening.
| A very warm discussion was precipi-
| tated at the meeting by a paper which
was read by the Rev. Mr.. Settle. The
| subject of the paper was the church
| in politics. The paper was discussed
by most of those present, some taking
| the view that the church should mix in
| politics, while others took the ground
| that it should leave politics severely
alone The paper which provoked the
| discussion is as follows:
THE writer takes up this question
very reluctantly. Were it not for the
| fact that the subject was assigned him
| by the Ministerial association he would
| surely decline to discuss any such topic
| His embarrassment is increased by the
| fact that he is fully aware that some
| of the members of this association will
| controvert his position. He also doubts
| the wisdom of a discussion of this topic
| at this time. However, the powers that
| be have decreed that the writer shall
express himself on this topic, and later
| they ordered that he deliver his mess
| age this very day. No one unacuuaint-
| ed with the peculiar doctrines and
| usages of the NJ. e. church South Cor
| Southern Baptists or Presbyterians as
welD can fully understand why | should
| shrink from such topic In the first
| place, the church is the most holy in
| sttution on EARTH 1t is Gods church
| only as it is clean, only as it has clean
| hands and a pure heart. Anything
| which adds ito the real character of the
| church as an institution of the most
Holy One is to be commended. That
| which takes from it its clean record or
| soils its hands or in any wise detiles its
| garments is evil and to be avoided.
The people fully recognize this and
sooner or later look with scorn on a
! detied church. How do we explain the
| presence of men who claim to be in
| fidels? They at once point to the in
| constituencies of the church and minis
| try.
THE peculiar doctrines and polity of
| the NJ. E. church South is that if
| church is to be recognized as Gods
| church, it has ito deal with the religion
| of Jesus Christ and with that alone.
Our only work is to save men and wo-
men,. We most emphatically declare
| that our ministers must attend to their
| legitimate work as ministers of the
gospel and let other things alone. We
| make a speciality of attending to our
| own business.
ITO my mind, one of the most dis
gushing things to be seen is a church
posing as a republican or democratic
church. In one year three ministers of
| our denomination ran for office-one a
democrat, one a republican and one a
| prohibitionist. All three We're promptly
suspended from the ministry. Others
| may pass political resolutions and COM
pliment men on their election to office.
| etc, but / have never heard of politi-
cal resolution being passed by one of
our conferences. We are not in the po-
| litical business; have no sympathy with
church which dilutes its religion and
religious work with politics. And why
| so? First, it is contrary to the whole
| spirit of the gospel. Light and dark
| ness have no fellowship The best and
| cleanest ministers have had no inclina-
ton to dabble in politics. A church full
| of holy zeal and inspired by clean mo-
tves and holy ambition cannot endure
| pit. A church which can feed on such
| stuff is in need Of a gospel preacher. A
| preacher who can find comfort in work.
| ing on the political prejudices of his
congregation needs some one to teach
him the first principles of the gospel of
Christ. This writer to-day assumes the
role of prophet and announces that he is
also the son of a prophet He prophe
sizes that the day is near at hand when
men and women of clean motives and
sincere desires will most emphatically
refuse to follow or be led by those who
feed their flocks on politics. A few will
always love to be led by and fed on
prejudice and hatred, but the great
mass of religious life is rising above
such things. Every year is leaving the
minister and church of narrow views
and narrow feelings further and further
behind. The world grows broader and
grander year by year. We can not af-
ford to be in the rear of this upward
movement. Second-He who enters poll
ties must, or at least does, usually, en-
ploy it's methods and imbibe its spirit.
This writer has noticed a few things
for himself and has been told some
others by old politicians. Suppose we
enumerate a few and apply them to
church work: (a) A plain, simple lack
of truth, or, more directly, plain false
hood. The politicians (not all of them,
OF cOuTSe), start TO carry their point dl
all hazards. If a man is going to be
conscientious he should save time and
| worry by withdrawing at once from the
race. Now, the observation of this
writer have been such that he looks
with a measure of suspicion on any
church or minister engaged in the bust
ness of politics. He expects to hear all
facts overstated. He expects to see
things colored up to suit his purposes.
If any particular rumor would assist
him. the rumor is promptly started, by
whom no one knows, by all denied The
work of the church is OVerstated EV-
erythng is exaggerated. even the prom
ises of God. (b) The politician aims to
break down his rival. A political church
or minister would make war on what
ever seemed in their way. This spirit
is destructive OF Christian fellowship.
That same spirit would teach the chill
dren, and older ones when possible. to
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