Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1910-02-10

meaning people, too, people who gen
orally want to do the right thing when
they know it. who have demanded IA
little here and little there of relig-
ION mixed with government. 1t is not
hard matter for us to see the inius-
tlce of this when the religion placed
upon the throne of government is the
other fellows religion. When we are
forced to pay homage to a religion that
we count as superstition it is not hard
Tor us to see how rapidly we are laps
ing back to the dark ages. But when
1t is our religion that is thus favored
and when the votaries of religions con-
trary to ours are forced to submit, or
be taxed, to support such religion, we
are SO sure that our religion is the
true one, tha only one that is good for
us and all mankind, that we cannot
see how it can be wrong to give it an
| exalted place upon the throne and
force all to bend the knee to it. There
is nothing that many are more certain
or than of the truth of their particular
religion, while in reality there is moth
ing that people may be more mistaken
IN. 1t Is supposed that where good peo-
pie are at the helm that government
blended with religion could never lead
US pack to the dark ages, nor even
step In that direction, provided, of
course, those good people are our
selves. But | wish to give an example
OF the good people uniting religion and
government, and that is the case of
england; and the reason l go across
the ocean. for the example is because
II is easier for us to see the faults of
others than those of our own. The
church of England has for ages taxed
the people under the authority of the
government, and used that money to
Dulld churches and hire preachers. etc.
TAXED the people to support religion
that many do not believe in. This Is
nothing more nor less than Wholesale
robbery. Yet the mass Of the ones that
reach in their neighbors' pockets and
take from them their earnings are
honest people. They would not know
ingly wrong their neighbors of sim
gle cent. But why, oh why, when re.
ligion is connected with government.
are they SO eternally slow, hopelessly
SLOW IN learning what is right and
what is wrong? Why for ages has the
church along with government, its au-
thorlty, put hundreds of thousands of
innocent people to death for their opin-
ions; While anyone with the smallest
amount OF reason ought to know that
every person has as much right to his
opinion as he has to life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness? Why is 1t
that religion, the supposed eternal
champion of the right, so persistently
for ages practices the wrong?
| think | can give the correct an
swer to the above. Religion takes its
authority, not from this world, but
from one unknown. Not from reason
or experience, but from that supposed
to be above both. 1t tends to be faith
full to duty but slow to advance; for
how can one improve upon that sup
posed to be perfect? Now government
to be just, must be progressive. It
cannot bank on the supposition that it
Is perfect and cannot be improved
upon. 1t must be a servant of reason
and not Il sovereign over It. 1t must
vary with experience. 1t must have
It's source from the people and not
from beyond the skies. Governments
are for the people of this world and
there their authority should end. An.
other reason why so many religious
people are SO slow to use reason where
1t might conflict with their faith is that
man Is threatened with the most aw-
full punishment for nonbelief, and it
Is known that reason is quite often
disturber of faith.
In vindication of Jesus against the
charge of being the author of these
words: He that believeth not shall
be damned" the higher critics con
tend they are an Interpolation, that
they are not found in some early man !
uscripts; and that several years after
the whole Christian world was aston
lshed at the idea just then for the first |
time revealed to Peter (See Acts. 18th |
chapter) to the effect that the gospel
was to be preached to the GentiIes
and since the above text was COM
mand to preach to all nations they |
could not be the words of Jesus: for in |
that event Peters vision would be out |
Of place; would be no revelation at |
ALL
For centuries religion has been
taught in public schools at public ex-
pense Nearly all of Spain's schools
are religious schools. Francisco Fer
fer, who gave his life few months
ago as a martyr to free his country's
ng the children too much concerning
! world that nobody knows anything
about and too little concerning the
world they live in. He saw his country
sinking lower and lower for the want
of proper education and he conceived
he idea of secularizing the schools,
out for his philanthropic efforts he
vas court martialed on flimsy pre-
ext by mock court and shot to death.
1t seems that our Iowa is determined
o have religion taught in the public
schools. The Bible, its statutes say,
shall not be excluded from the public
schools. and provision is made for the
eacher and the children to recite the
4ord's prayer. This prayer Is utter
dolatry in the eyes of the Jew; but he
taxed to support the schools and
orced to send his children there. But
here are some court decisions under
his law given in view of belief; but
he intended relief implies the disease,
nd indeed the relief is worse than the
isease For instance: the teacher
must read the Bible without comment.
Comment would be sure to give Of
ense to some of the different sects.
VOW there are large portions Of the
bible, If read to children without ay