The Ocala banner., 1913-02-28
"RELiGiOUS ZEAL"
To the Editor Ocala Banner:

Fridays Banner. You quote some
what at length a pertinent paragraph
from Americas gifted statesman,
Daniel Webster. The writer is not.
disposed. in the main, to dissent from
his or your views. But, fearing lest
your concluding paragraph should be
misleading, and convey more than you
really intended that it should, he is
led to write this note:
1. Some things are evil, evil in
themselves, and tending persistently
to greater evil and greater harm.
About these things the church, stand
ing as the exponent of righteousness
in life and purity in morals, may not,
must not be silent, Not only so, she
must "cry aloud and spare not. 10
act otherwise, she would be recreant
to her mission of life TO the world.
She must speak with authority. She
must be dogmatic, even at the risk
Of criticism, or to the point Of con-
fict. Jesus told his disciples to
sheath their swords while he was with
them, but intimates that the time
would come when it might be neces-
sary for them to sell their garments
to buy a sword.
2. There must be some ultimate
authority on questions Of right and
wrong. and from the decision OF this
authority there can be no righteous
appeal. This authority is the reveal
ed word and will of God Misguided
men are prone betimes to 'wrest the
scriptures," to their own hurt, and
the hurt of the cause which may be 2
righteous one. But there are certain
questions of right and
wrong concerning which men are
agreed.
Take some Of the more conspicuous
examples:
(a). Theft. Thou shalt not steal ad
mits Of no argument or quibbIing.
can by 10 qui35Hng or casulstry b.
can by no quiobling or casuistry be
GIched from US without the commits
sion Of theft.
CbD Thou shalt not commit adult
cry" Men are prone in their gratiti-
cation of their unholy passions to JUS
tify "seggregation" in the interest of
illicit traffic in morals But no sane
man will argue" in the face of the
divine Thou shalt not"
(c). Thou shalt not kill" The
church cannot afford to speak other
than dogmatically against these
things, and in doing so it is not quib-
bling about "motes and beams"
(d). Take gambling. Since the days
when Roman soldiers sat beneath the
shivering body of Jesus as he hung
diving on the cross, and gambled for
his vesture, no evil has led more men
and women in the broad way that
leads to death and hell, than that OF
gambling. Gambling has been defin-
ed broadly: ANY game of chance
wherein commodities of value are
staked."
Fully conscious and heedful of the
demoralizing and damning influence
upon the individual of gambling, most
states have enacted stringent laws
against the practice. Shall the church
spike her guns and suppress criti- !
cism? Several states have said that !
the common, maddening practice OF
card games among women for prizes
is amenable to anti-gambling legisla- |
tion. Shall the church fail to speak!
Common consent" can never make
evil good, or wrong right. With your
usual fairness to all, and innate kind
ness of heart. you say: I'VE should
always remember that there are two
sides to every question, to no one set
of individuals is given the merit OF
perfection
You are right. The perfect man is
like angels visits-few and far be-
tween. Enoch, Job, Elijah and Jesus,
our Divine Lord, seem about to com
prehend the catalogue. You are also
right that there are 1.-TWO sides to ey-
cry question: But on moral ques-
tions, questions affecting mans rela-
tions to the day OF judgment, one is
the right side, and the other is the
wrong side. Gambling is right or
wrong Stealing is right or wrong.
Adultery is right or wrong Murder
is right or wrong. It does not make
a rose noxious to call it gypsum
weed. It does not change the real
odor of skunk juice to call it altar OF.
roses. Right is right. inherently and
eternally, and wrong is wrong. The
religion which is not jealous for that