The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-11-04
HOLY ROLLING,

HOLY ROLLING,
The right of every one to wor-
ship God according to the dictates
of bis own conscience is a founda-
tion stone of the American republic.
Every child in the nation under
stands the principle and adheres to
it. If a citizen chooses to be a
Holy Roller" and in the pract-
ice of his religion, does not inter-
fere with the rights of others in the
community, he exercises right
that was sealed and made sacred to
him by the blood of Revolution
ary sires. If the destruction of fur
niture and household effects be
part of the practice of his faith, that
is his own business, provided his
debts are paid and that the des-
truction of such articles is not to
make of him or his a care upon the
community. The deliverance of
the articles to the flames may place
the enthusiast before the commun-
ity as a curiosity or freak, sub
!, ,5ect to remark and ridicule, but that
is his own personal business. and a
matter entirely beyond the concern
of the public. If the Christian
theory is true. and it is, every man
must be answerab1e in the end for
his own deeds. If he chooses to
kill cat because it seems to be a
hindrance to his worship, it is no.
body's business, provided that it is
not his neighbor's cat. IF he burns
the cats body afterward,, that is
wise, because it is better sanitari1y
and otherwise. that the carcass be
reduced to ashes than to tester and
decay either,,in or out of theground.
For every act done in the name of
religion, then, the real and only
test is, was it according to the con-
science of the worshipper, and does
or does it not, by the leading into
unnatural influences or otherwise
endanger the mind or body of ir-
responsible persons, or by tending
TO bring the worshipper or those.
dependent upon him into want to
the extent that they shall become
a public charge. Such acts as sue
cessfu1ly run the gauntlet of this
test are wholly private, and ought
to be immune from the concern of
the public. The right to practice
acts so tested. and found to be 1e-
gitimate, is the heritage of every
American citizen, and nobody has
the right to abridge. Or take it
away.
1t may be seriously questioned
if certain acts that have exercised
the public in Corvallis of late will
successfully run the gauntlet of the
true test of religious privilege. All
of them are probably as orthodox
as are the acts of a distinguished
Presbyterian preacher who certi-
fes that all his football players are
bonafde students when he knows
and everybody else knows they are
not. A lie told by a preacher is
none the less lie because he pro-
fesses religion. If, in the mani
festations of the so called Gods
annointed sect. persons of moder-
ate mental vigor are being led into
false positions, that Is not a pro-
per worship, If the leaders of this
sect, as may be possible, are by pro-
fession Of superior godliness, play.
ing upon minds in such a way
that there is de1usion and folly, the
practice stands convicted by the
test. If two strangers, largely
without antecedent and almost
wholly unknown are leading weak
women into state of mind where
there is more frenzy than reason.
mote folly than sense. the condi-
tion is harmful. IF these compara-
tive strangers, who call themselves
apostles and claim to hold con-
slant communication with the Al
mighty are subsisting wholly on
their labor of leading women and
young girls into illusions and un'
natural conditions. and if in pur-
suit of that labor home ties are
wrecked and happiness driven
away from fresides, great and ir-
reparable wrong is committed.
Many of the patients in the insane
asylums become crazed On religion.
neo of4do aaciaef xuauc IN the world