The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-05-12
God in the Constitution.

EDITOR REPoRTBR:-On of your read
ers some time ago requested me to write |
on the above subject. have just finish
ed reading thousand page history of
the Christian religion, written by John
+. Hurst. venture to say that no SEN
sible man after reading the same could
ever want church and state in any way
united. When experiments have already
been tried it would be insanity not to
profit by them. The union of church and
state in the past has filled the world
with woe, with ignorance, with slavery
and bloodshed. Religion is based on
the freedom of human will. Every mans
mind is monarch. No government
should interfere except to guarantee
freedom where it interferes not with
the freedom Of others. Washington,
Jefferson, Adams, Lincoln, Grant and
other great statesmen opposed the union
Of church and state. Nevertheless there
has ever been goodly number of honest
but am forced to say, ignorant Christ
ians who have clamored to have God and
Jesus Christ recognized in the constitu-
ton. They innocently say: at would
do no harm and would show much re-
spect." There has been some little sue
cess in their efforts in the direction of
uniting church and state. But as far as
can learn there has been but two occa-
sions where congress has taken any SER
ious steps toward altering the constitu-
ton to make it recognize God and Jesus
Christ; these both resulted in failure.
The first in 1914 and the last in 1885, l
here quote from speech by S. P. Put
man delivered before Congress in this
last attempt as follows: II want to call
your attention first to the fact that this
amendment is entirely revolutionary. 1t
is radically revolutionary. 1t changes
the very basis of our government. 1t is
as revolutionary as if you should intro
duce an amendment to have king in
place of a President. 1t proposes an en-
tire and absolute change in the whole
foundation, principle and administration
of out government. The fathers of this
| republic endeavored to found purely
secular government; that was their in
tention. They did not leave out the
word God accidentally. They meant
to leave it out"
| The following are questions asked by
the chairman Of the committee on the
judiciary Of the house:
Chairman want to get at exactly
what you mean here. l read from your
proposed amendment; eve the people Of
the United States, acknowledge
Almighty God as the source Of all power
and authority in civil government, the
Lord Jesus Christ as the ruler of nations
and his revealed will as supreme author
ity in civil affairs)"-in civil affairs
that is the point. What do you refer to
by his revealed will?
DR.. McAlister-The Bible.
Chairman-Then you wish the consti-
tuition to recognize the Bible as supreme
authority in civil affairs do you not?
DR.. McAlister-Yes sir.
Then the supreme authority, that is,
law in civil affairs, must be constructed
and forced by the courts must it not?
DR.. McAllister-Certain
Chairman Then the next step would
be that the construction of the Bible
would be thrown into the courts, and
you would have conflicting decisions,
and instead of leaving men to determine
the meaning OF the Bible in the affairs
according to the dictates of their own
intelligence and conscience you would
have judicial decisions, would you not:
x x x There is not congress
passes but that thousands of petitioners
are praying for the above amendment
though the movement is waning. We
must look at the past in order to antici
pate the future, through intelligence
we will act justly and profitably.