The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-15
SAYS STALL|NGS FORGOT LUTHERANS Rev. Weidman Writes on "Po-
 liticaI Parsons" OBLIGATIONS OF PULPIT Laments That Work of Demagogues in the Pulpit Is Liable To Bring
 Whole Church Into
 Disrespect.

To the Editor of The Age-Herald.
 In his enumeration of religious bodies who deprecate the lobbying of political mention the conservative Lutherans. The Lutheran church has perhaps more con- sistently than any other relegated the present prohibition question in all it's phases to the place where it belongs the private judgment of each citizen.
 MT. Jesse Stalings virulent attack of Monday night upon the political pastor who changes his pulpit into a political rostrum to voice opinions and rantings, often as uncharitable as they are un- biblical, is in more than one sense justi- fable. A pastor deserting his proper sphere, that of proclaiming the scriptures in its truth and purity, and dabbling in one foreign to his sacred calling, ex- poses himself to such well-deserved re- preach and has no room for complaint. The worst of the case is that the dema- gogue on the pulpit brings not merely himself, but the whole church into dis respect and makes it the butt of much bitter sarcasm and even of scurrilous stump speaking. Thinking people feel and are ready to resent-as the mass meeting of Monday night proves-any encroach- ment of the church upon certain inalien- able rights that belong to the body polite. alone
 Such possible infringement on the part of the church our forefathers hoped to forestall by insisting time and again upon a strict separation of church and state. Every honest politician, well as every wise preacher has striven to keep this ime-honored principle of our constitu- ton intact. Whenever the church tam pers with matters of statecraft confusion always results
 Now, whether prohibition is beneficial or detrimental to a community, whether 1t improves or conteracts the civil right eousness dustitia civilis) of a people is a question the decision of which must be referred to the judgment of the in dividual resident of that community, to his everyday common-sense. In other words, every citizen may consider and decide this question, either pro or con, as the dictates of his conscience and common-sense impei, and no church on earth has a right to influence his judg- ment. Hence In the present prohibition campaign one thing ought to be borne in mind; viz, that the church as such and the ministers as such have absolutely nothing to do with prohibition, because the church can forbid that only which scriptures forbid
 Scriptures do forbid the incorporate use of liquors. Hence the church has the right to take into discipline such as are intemperate In fact, it is morally bound to do so. But in no wise can the church forbid the moderate, temperate use of spirituous, yinous. or malt liquors. The one simple reason why so many pastors with their misjudged flocks hurl them selves headlong into this political tur- moil has been often fully stated; the reason is, because they have forgotten the one grand mission of the church; viz, to preach Gods word. And whoso- ever forgets his true calling becomes a dabbler and a busybody. Respectfully yours F. w. WEIDMAN,
 Pastor Zion Lutheran Church.
 Birmingham, September IA. 1909.