The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-05
CITY COMMISSIONS STAND IS APPROVED Resolutions Are Adopted by Seventh Day Adventists NO CIVIL SABBATH State Has as Much Right to Govern Ones Eating as His Observance of
 Certain Day Is Position
 by Members
NO CIVIL SABBATH

At lively mass meeting held by the Seventh Day Adventists yesterday aft ernoon at 230 o'clock in the church at 725 North Nineteenth street, the fol- lowing resolutions were passed, to be
 presented to the city commissioners:
 "Whereas, We desire to experss our confidence in our city commissioners; and
 sWhereas. We desire to express to
 them our approval of the stand which
 they have taken on the subject of Sun day moving picture shows; and,
 "Whereas. We believe they are en- titled to a full expression from all the
 people on this question; therefore,
 Resolved, that we, the Seventh Day
 Adventist church of Birmingham, put
 ourselves on record as indorsing the attitude they have taken on the ques- tion of the moving pictures.
 ''We do not wish to be understood as
 favoring moving picture shows or thea tre-going on any day of the week. but as this is religious question we do not consider it proper matter for leg islation, and for this reason we indorse the altiluuC ol lliC Clty SoIiilhiSSi'H'
 NOT ACCORDING TO CHRIST | "Our Savior or the apostles never re- l sorted to the arm of the law to en- force religious duties and the Saviors words in Matthew 22:21, Render there fore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things which are Gods indicates distinc- ton between what man should rem der unto God and what he should rem der unto the state and where the apostle deals with the same question in the thirteenth chapter of Romans it is evident that civil government only has to. do with the relationship be- tween man and man. Sabbath keeping is a duty we owe to God and not to the state. There is no such thing as l a civil Sabbath.
 we do not believe that Sunday laws are in harmony with American prin- ] ciples of religious liberty. Our views | are well expressed in the Sunday mall I report to the United states Senate or l 1929: Tt is not in the legitimate prov l ince of the legislature to determine | what religion is true or what false our 1 government is civil and not re- l 1irious institution. Our constitution 1 recognizes in every person the right l to choose his own religion and to en- l joy it freely without molestation. The l proper object of government is to pro l tect all persons in the enjoyment or | their civil as well al their religious | rights. and not to determine for any 1 whether they shall esteem one day | above another or esteem all days alike | holy What other nations call religious | toleration, we call religious rights, They are not exercised in virtue Of govern 1 mental indulgence, but as rights ot | sap a portion of it's citizens, however small ] Despotic power may invade those 1 ri ehts but justice still confirms them | sunday mails report, 1929.
 The principles of our government do 1 not recognize in the majority any author l ity over the minority. except in matters which reeard the conduct of man to ms | fellow man.. The constitution regards the 1 conscience, of the Jew as sacred as that of the Christian, and gives no more au- | thority to adopt measure affecting tue | conscience of a solitary individual than i of a whole community. Sunday Mails 1 Report, 1S50. sf . III
 | of the Seventh-Day Adventist church. OTHER EXPRESSIONS | Evangelist w. C. Wales, in the course of his remarks on these resolutions. stat ed that 1t would be just as reasonable to
  meeting or be baptized as to force them 1 by law to keep Sunday. He also stated
 that from the standpoint of civil govern ment he has just as much right to de- mand law compelling people to eat oat- meal porridge every morning for break fast because he did, as to compel people ] to keep Sunday because he did.
 ! o. k. Godsmark, secretary of the Ala ba ma Tract society, in his remarks. stat ed the churches of today were simply l doing as the church did in the fourth century. He auo,cd from a work en- titled. Civil Government and Religion I: | At a church convention held in Carthage i in 401, the bishops passed a resoltion to send up petition to the Emperor, pray l ing that the public shows might be trans 1 ferred from the Christian Sunday and 1 from feast days to some other days of the week The reason given in support of i this petition was, The people congregated
 more to the circus than to the church. ? 1 Pastor R. I. I<eate said in part: ITO | admit the right of civil government to { egislate in matters of religion is justify i ing the prosecutions of the dark ages. The inarisition Is the logical outcome of
 tlis principle" ea@