The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-03
SUNDAY. APRIL 8, 1910.
THE CHURCH AND BETTER CIT
IZENSHIP.

/
day sees new efforts made to meet
these demands. The Church as never
before is striving to keep pace with
the far-reaching needs of complex
civilization and is eXerting It's every
energy to hold its place at the head
of all the forces which seek the bet.
| terment of man in this world and his
| preparation for the world TO come. /,
)The churches, of every creed, fully
/ realize that 1t devolves upon them,
! more than upon every other force of
modern life to mould for good
| or for evil the destiny OF our people,
\ and they aer trying as best they may
!, to make better citizens.
/. None Will doubt that on better
citizenship depends as much the safety
of the Church as the strength OF our
society. Good citizens make good
church, and good church makes good
citizens. In the whole course of
modern history, the influence of the
Church has been steadfastly aimed at
making better men, and, where properly
guided, this influence has never
failed to produce stalwart honest
electorate. There is strong ten
dency OF late in some quarters to have
the Church fight the battles OF the
state and to carry the Church bodily
into politics. Sincere and consecra;ed
men, many OF whom have no personal
political aspirations, believe that
they can render the best service
to their cause If they marshal
their forces and storm the polls.
Only by such struggle. they believe.
can the moral forces of the Church pre-
vail against the world, the flesh and
the devil.
We give full credit to these men
for the sincerity OF their views and
for their honest purpose to promote
better citizenship, but we believe that
they are making the greatest mistake
of the day in choosing their method
of attack. The Church is the Church
and the state is the State. When the
two arc yoked together, both lose theil
proper functions and miss their true
destiny. The whole spirit of our Gov
errmcnt IS against such union. we
have long held that the state has M
right to dabble in the affairs of The
Church. Into our organic law we have
written the doctrine that every mar
has a right to his own religious be-
lief and that no government has the
power to abridge or TO lessen that
right. Religion" says the Virginia
Bill OF Rights Nsr' the duty which we
owe to our Creator, and the manner
of discharging 1t, can be directed only
by reason and conviction, not by force
or violence; and, therefore. all men
are equally entitled to the free exer-
else OF religion, according to the die
tates OF conscience; and -. II
is the mutual duty OF all to practice
Christian forbcarance. love ant
charity towards each other Upol
SO broad a principle OF tolerance
the Church should not use the free
dom it enjoys in the State to regulat
the affairs OF the State or TO dictate
as Church. the conduct of the State
From whatever side we view til
question, there are great and funda
mental objections to any attempt o
the part of the Church to make bette
citizens by making a better State
When the Church gets into polite!
politics will get into the Church. n
company of men agree on any polite
question, and they Will no more agre
as churchmen IMAM they will as voter
When they are called upon to supper
any measure for the Church again!
their own private convictions. the
naturally, expect the Church TO SUI
port their own measures in turn. I'll
one course is as fair as the other.
It is useless 10 argue that the Churc
can be in politics on one question,
for example the prohibition questio
and can escape all other political el
tanglements. No question stan
alone, and no election in the histo
Of modern politics was ever won
a single issue, Just as surely as L
Church goes into politics for prof.
bition, the Church will find itself
politics for other things, 1t cam
retreat. When the issue is Joined,
must fight It's battle TO the end, a
mus, use the weapons Of political wa
fare.
should the day ever come when /
Church Of Christ goes into politics
the prohibition question or any otf
questionable Church will then "a
there lose its high spiritual tuncti
The Church in politics may better pc
tics. bus politics. working in
Church. viii certainly mjure
Church. When the prohibition qu
ton becomes involved in mass
political ssues--as 1t must be
volved.-with the Church as It's cha
pion, then and there the Church '
fall from its exalted state. When II