The Democratic advocate., 1908-08-28
TAFT AND CHRISTIANITY.
Not in Accord With the COuntry's
Religious Beliefs.

One of the reasons why Mr.. Taft
cannot be elected this year, whatever
his personal popularity. may be, Is
found in the fact that his religious be-
lief is entirely out of harmony with
that of all the Christian Churches OF
the land. His creed denies the d1-
yinity of Christ This is land OF
religious liberty, and it will ever re-
man such, but it is nevertheless a
Christian nation, and it is not likely
that one who holds Mr.. Taft's views
will ever be elected to the exalted po-
sition of President. The Rev. Henry
c. Morrison, in the Pentecostal Her
aid, asks the question: Shall we
have for President of this nation a
man who repudiates Jesus Christi
Then Dr. Morrison answers:
Think of the United States with a
president who does not believe that
Jesus Christ was the Son of God,
but looks upon our immaculate Sa-
yiour as a common bastard and low,
cunning imposter, What must Mr..
Taft's feelings be toward our c1vllI-
zation, which is SO permeated and In
terwoven with the religion OF Jesus
Christ? Take Christ, the inspiration
of His gospel, His sacrifice and His
church out of our national history
and life. and what would we have left.
Try to imagine the discovery and
civilization of this great continent pass
ing through it's many trials and con-
f1icts without the ministers of Jesus
and his grace. Take his name and
power out of our civilization, tear
away the churches which have been
erected for his worship, the schools
that have been erected to his honor,
in which His teachings have been re-
peated and emphasized, blot out the
charitable institutions which have
sprung up out of devoted love for him,
take His name out of our literature,
His praise out of our songs, His doc
trines from our society and homes, His
promises from the foundation of our
hopes and His love from our hearts,
and what have we left?
Are we ready, by electing this COM
monplace unbeliever our chief magis-
trate. to repudiate our faith in the
worlds, Redeemer? Will we dare the
reckless risk of crucify1ng the Son of
God afresh will we, after all our
preaching his word, praise to Him and
praying to Him, put Him to open
shame before the civilized and heath
en- world? What would Europe think
of us? / venture to say that civilized
Europe would not think of putting
the crown upon the head of man
who denied the Messiahship of Christ.
How would our missionaries answer
the question of shrewd and smiling
heather who must inquire how it is
that your Christian nation has elected
a man to the presidency who has no
more faith in Jesus Christ than
naked savage.
How could Mr.. Taft, if he were
president, represent us? His belief is
so different from ours, or rather his
unbelief is so contradictory to our
faith-he cannot sympathize with us,
he cannot enter with us into feelings
and holy hopes and aspirations. What
stupid idolators we must appear to
him! AS he passes by the church
buildings, they are to him the monu
ments of our ignorance and Supersti-
ton. And this man asks our Chris
tian ministers to trail the banner of
the cross in the dust and vote for him
for the presidency. He would have
the Christian manhood of this nation
to turn their backs upon the Christ
vino died for them. and lift him upon
the price of their apostasy, to the high
est place in the nation. How could
he enter with us into the joys of our
Christmas celebrations?
''It would seem that a man with a
mind so twisted as to have no faith in
the Christ and heart so cold that in
it there is no love for the Son of God,
who gave Himself for the ransom of
the race, would prefer to go and live
among the Turks and worship with
the Mohammedans. There is a much |!
closer sympathy between the religious
faith of Mr.. Taft and the Turk than !
there is between his faith and that of
the Christian faith of the American
people. Every minister of the gospel
and layman of the faith, and every |
mother who loves our Lord, and every
Sabbath-schooll child in the nation,
ought to rise up and march to the
polls on election day, singing "All
hail the power of Jesus name," and
give Mr.. Taft rebuke that will go
ringing around the world, up to
heaven and down through the CEN
turies;
Jesus, the name high over all,
In hell or earth or sky;
Angels and men before it fall,
And devils fear and f1v''