The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-14

what they are educated to be. Hence,
on this side of the Bible Mr.. Billiard has
no case, unless he can show that it is
being used to teach his son immortality.
On the other hand, from one point of
view, he is himself teaching his boy
disobedience, which is the first step on
the road to ruin.
We now come to the other side of the
question. The Bible, we all know, is
accepted by the Christian world as au-
thority on all matters of religion. But
here comes another vital question, that
cannot be overlooked, and that is, What
is religion, primarily? This, Webster
says, is purely mans personal relation
to his Creator; and this in the very
nature of things must be true, for the
moment man touches his fellow man
that touch becomes morals, and the fun
damental law of the moral code is do to
others as We would that they should do
to you. This certainly crowds all that
pertaining to religion into a straight
line between each individual and his
Maker. Then here we have the Situa-
ton: God at one end of the line and
man at the other, and each man with
the Bible, Gods written word, in his
hand, and he is amenable to no one but
his God for the use he makes of it; this
is the common heritage of all mankind
Then where is the man that dares to
come to the front and say one man has
not as good a right to read it, study 1t
and speculate over what he finds therein
as another man? And where is the man
that dares come to the front and set
up the claim that God has specially
commissioned him to tell people that
they must believe this or that relative
to it's teachings? For that matter is
the sacred right of every accountable
individual on earth, and the moment
that right is usurped by others the
moral code is swept away, leaving the
Bible an instrument of torture in the
hands of few by which they might
shame the Inquisition,
h. 60
reaching this may be, it is logical truth
and mo man can refute it, and when
carried out to its logical sequence, will
remove the last vistage of mans
domination over his felloWman relative
to his religion.
There it is as clear as the MONDAY
sun, that every man, rich or poor, bond
or free. white or black, is perfectly free
to read his Bible, believe it just as he
pleases, and get all the comfort and
enjoyment that the consciousness of
being in direct communication with his
God brings to him, and he is at perfect
liberty to n AXE such negotiations rela-
tive to his reception into Heaven when
he leaves earth, as they two can agree
upon, but he must in no sense interfere
with his fellowman's right to do 1he
same thing.
This is inteIligently understood reIg
ious liberty, and the Godgiving heritage
of every son and daughter of Adam,
and to this the world must bow
L Ills gives III Si1eai AohS uot5Cs o..N .oSA
can reasoning, the nature and limit OF
mans legitimate authority over the BIZ
BILE and its teachings.
This controversy it seems has grown
out of the action of Principal Wright IN
expelling Mr. Billiards. son from school
for refusing to participate in rehglous
exercises, made compulsory by the
board of education, through the instiga-
ton of the Ministerial Union, as though
they were the arbiters as to who, when,
and where, other people should engage
in religious exercises and worship.
From the position taken in this paper
this action of the union can be regarded
in no other light than that Of a con-
spiracy against the rights of other peo-
pie. that finds its parallel in the history
of ages much darker than the dawn of
the twentieth century
If the venerable union had made the