Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-16
Lutherans Take Issue With the
Presidents Position.
BULLS OF POPES QUOTED
Claim That Roman Church Has Re-
peatedly Opposed Religious Liberty.
DENY THAT THEY ARE BIGOTS
Demand That Mr.. Roosevelt Retract
or Point Out the Error of
Their Contention.

NEW YORK, November 16.-At a recent
meeting Of local members of the synodical
conference of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church of America Rev. William Schoen-
field and Rev. Martin Walker were desig-
mated as a committee to prepare and is
sue an open letter to the President IN re-
ply to his recent letter on tolerance of
religious belief, making clear that while
they would deplore the injection of any
religious controversy into political cam
paign the strongest opposition should be
shown to any church body which endeav-
ored to accomplish that result.
The opposition of the Lutherans to the
Roman Catholic position is based on the
declaration that the Roman Catholic
Church is absolutely committed in its his
tory and official declarations to the union
of church and state. and to the supremacy
of the church in this combination.
I'VE agree with you, say the members
Of the committee. that those citizens are
to be severely criticised who vote against
Jew Methodist, or any other rell-
zionist.
Roman Catholic Practice.
But are you not aware of the fact that
the Roman Catholic Church has again
and again for centuries back, and down
to modern times, through the official head
and other authorities. denounced as who'll
ly wrong and as things to be tolerated
only SO long as they cannot be changed
the complete separation of church and
state. full religious liberty, fire dom of
conscience, of speech and of the press,
and that, moreover, 1t proclalms it's teach
ings and principles to be unchanseable?"
The letter then goes on to quote some
of the text of bulls and other official writ
ings of popes on the subject raised. Cita-
tions are made from the orders of Boni-
face VIII. Plus TX and Leo XIII. and
from Cardinal Gibbons book. THE Faith
Of Our Fathers
Are We not then compelled" the re-
monstrantS ask, Ito maintain that loyal
Roman Catholic who fully understands
the allegiance required of him by the
pope can never sincerely subscribe to the
federal Constitution nor, If he does sub
scribe to it, never can be expected to
abide by it. enforce and defend it?''
The President Interrogated.
The letter asks the President if all Luz
therans and other denominationalists in
the country are to be branded as bigots
and denounced as disloyal citizens be-
cause they believe the chance should not
be given to a Catholic to choose between
his duty to his church and his duty to
his country when holding high office.
we protest" the letter continues, that
it is neither personal feeling nor religious
antagonism which de ermines our atti-
tude in this matter, but solely our dis
agreement with the Roman Catholic
Church on this basic political principle,
a disagreement growing out of the rejec-
ton and denunciation by the Roman Cath
Ollie Church of that very principle which
you admonish all faithfully to uphold,
not only in theory but in practice.
Disloyalty Not Charged.
I'VE do not wish to be understood as
though to accuse the bulk of the Roman
Catholics of being disloyal citizens. We
sincerely believe great many do not
fully realize the position the hierarchy Of
their church maintains with reference to
the principle in question. especially in
view of the outgivings of their teachers
in this country, and that, IL it came to an
issue compelling decision either for the
Constitution or the papal hierarchy. they
would decide in favor of the former, up
holding the Constitution Of the United
States
The letter closes with a demand that
the President show the error of its
writer's, if they are in error, or admit that
the contention set forth in the commune
cation is correct. Presupposing the latter
to be the case, the letter relies upon
the Presidents willingness to show his