Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-05-07

! called upon in the name of religion,
| as were these pious women. II is
| worth while to note the character of
! persons who were the agents in car
| ryins out the jealous rage of these
Jews. Their appeal was not to the
ungodly. or 10 those who We're indit-
icrcnt. but to people of known piety
and whose sincerity added to their in
flucnce and gave prestige to the cam
paign against the missionaries. De
Nout and honorable" could not be
anything else but complimentary
terms, vet in later years how much
persecution, how much bloodshcd,
blackcnod the history of the church
on account Of the opposition of de-
Vout and honorable people to the
progress of real religion. 1t is Il
great thing to be devout and honor
able, but one may possess both these
virtues and yet become instruments
of the devil, provided that they are so
fastened in the beliefs and traditions
or their ancestors. or so blinded by
racial and sectarlan prejudice that
they cannot bear the light of the
truth when il rebukes their time
honored errors. The greatest persecu-
lions the world has witnessed for the
sake of religion have not been insti-
gated and carried on 10y those who
about it, but they have been the vim
dictiNo protest of highly religious peo-
pie who were scandalized that any
body should presume to greach a gos-
pei that did not tally with the creed
they held themselves. II all comes
from the mistake that any man
should get to thinking that he knows
II all, that the full revelation of Gods
methods and purposes is his mental
possession, and that any man who
prcsumes to see things differently or
offer new light on the gospel is n
hereto and an enemy OF the true
faith. 1t comes from forgetting the
wise words of Gamaliel who warned
against the possibility of fighting
against God in seeking to confine all
religious views to the narrow ruts of
accepted belief and practice. His ar
sument was that false religions would
die of themselves If let alone, but that
persecution only served to arouse and
spread the beliefs il sought to crush
The lesson is an important one with
us today, for we are face to face with
many strange doctrines. all claiming
the same divine authority and priv
ilcge as the truth faith. 1t is wisest to
let them alone for God will see to il
that the false shall perish and the
true prevail. AS individuals. however,
we are compelled TO make "A choice. |
The time when We should place i'm
plicit confidence in the religious
teachings OF any human being is past,
for we have the full revelation of
Gods teachings at our command just
as completely as II We had seen and
talked with Jesus himself We can
search the scriptures, prayerfully and
with an honest desire to learn the
truth, but not TO prove our own
theories. In them we will find an
answer to every problem OF life. an
inspiration for every JOY and a con-
ISOLATION for every sorrow. We do not
need TO 20 astrav IL We study Gods |
word and keep close to God in spirit
ual communion. But whatever con- |
clusion at which we may arrive, let us
beware of making the mistake OF
these good women OF Antioch and be- |
coming the instruments of the evil |
one in prosecuting others for their re-
lGtous views
binding Our Eyes
II there is any particular signifi- |
canoe in the fact that these protcs- |
tants were women, IL must be because |
woman as a rule is more steadfast |
and unyielding in her convictions than |
man, and because she is less charit- |
able towards what she considers
breaches of right and violations OF
accepted tradition. This is both her
strength and her weakness. Armed