The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-07-09

/
see lhe-s with il.
Our nation Is The attitude 4 an
c'en- u d IN Christian
/ f.Eeipies. "a me .Eo lecies ii hei
choicest SPIRITS in th-.r moments o.
highest inspiration SET for a light tC
/ me nations-meu OF our land have
prayed this prayer. And these days
in the midst Of the turmoil OF world
politics, in a time when mems mind.
are crowded with the ideas OF com
mercial gain-in a time when there is
so little Of what Wordsworth called
plain living and high thinking
need 10 catch the vision of the fathers
Of the Republic and pray this prayer
Of the Hebrew people.
We claim TO be a Christian nation
Not officials, and not in all our acts.
but We are prevailingly Christian in
our ideas and in the type of our insti.
tutions. We are even Protestant
Christian. And it is much that we
san assert this TO the world and use
lii as against opposing elements at
home.
But this claim is now being denied
by a weu organized movement. 1t
showed itself in gathering Of Jews
in Philadelphia, and they are joined
by others who deny to Christ the po-
culiar position in which Protestant
America holds him. They would re-
move from US Christmas customs and
take from our schools and institu.
lions all references that indicate
recognition OF Jesus Christ.
Time fails me to show how our
nation was founded upon the corner
stone, Jesus Christ. We see it in our
public documents, in the character Of
the early colonists, in the observance
of the first day of the week as the
sabbath of rest and in our legislative
customs Established thus it be-
hooves US to keep it so. We must
not prove recreat 10 the high duty of
the fair deposit left US by
our fathers.
But for the Church there is much
to 10 10 make cur land more thorough
~ Christian. Vast foreign elements
are among us unassimilated and I'M
Backward peoples are
here forming problems that await the
Christian solution. We are witness
ing an invasion OF pagan ideas, more
dangerous than the onslaught Of
pagan peoples:-a Grass materialism
that holds the mind captive and loses
for US high ideals; a gross selfish
less that moves individuals and ag
to acts that are barbarous,
The loose customs and practices of
pagan Rome in regard TO the home
and marriage; and the breaking down !
If the Sabbath of rest by nervous, |
eager but thoughtless, careless people
ana greedy corporations,-these are
'orces with which the Church must |
if we are not to become pagan |
II heart.
1T is with no self-complacent pride |
hat we ask God to bless us, but in
he deep humility we feel in the face
# grave national dangers that we
ray. God be merciful unto us and
less US"
But we turn to the second part of
he prayer. That Gods salvation
nay be known to the world" This
vas israel's hope. America is fulfilling
t today One of the greatest works
+ the nation is now Protestant For
ign Missions. We give as much as
he rest of the Protestant world to-
ether. The change has come so rap
lly from the experimental stage ten
ears ago when the good women were
hiefy responsible for the enterprise
hat many have failed to catch up
18th the procession The work OF
laymen today is fulfilling
ne great purpose and their effort is ;
lcreasing those missionary influences I
lat have borne fruit for civilization /
Siam, Turkey, Persia, China and
apan.
But behind the message let us have 4
1aracter. As it is necessary for the I
-eacher that his message bear fruit,
II the professed Christian that his
fuence be good, so it is necessary
" a Christian nation. And we can.
IT support our professions by ex-
citing the Filipinos for the Sugar :
rust and the Tobacco Trust" y