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

with a more robust and unQuestioning
faith than man. she 1t is who has Of
ten accomplished wonders in the
realm of religion. She it is who has
kept alive and burning the Goals up.
on the altar when the masculine SCI
Lad lapsed into coldness and indif
ference. She it is who for years in
this country kept the activities of the
church in operation while men were
too busy to think about matters of re-
lleion. She II was who kept the pews
filled while men stayed away. and
managed to pay the preacher and keep
up the expenses Of the church while
men complained at the financial de-
mands of Gods work. We owe a
great deal to the women. She it was
who set her face s,eadfastly against
pubic iniQuity and kept up an agita-
ton until the mer out of very shame
were moved to come TO her assist
ance. She had clearer and a
stronger faith than man and permit
ted fewer doubts. But with all this
1t has been the women who had tho
least tolerance for differences of opin.
ion and the least charity for tho
weaknesses of human nature. She it i.
who has shut her eyes to the iniquity
of forcing her beliefs upon unwillinj.
people, whether it be as of old time
with the alternative of the rack anG
the stake, or as of later years by leg
lslatiNe enactment. The very unyieid
ing strength of her convictions has
cften made 1t easy for the forces %
evil to use her power for the harras.
sing of the children of God. Thus il
was that the devil chose the "devoui
and honorable" women of Antioch to
do battle with the chosen emissaries
eff God.
The Test of tnWorthincss.
Paul did not denounce the Jews of
Antioch as unworthy of everlasting
lite until they had first set themselves
against the preaching OF the gospel.
We can imagine after that first ser
mon that these Jews argued among
themselves about the merits of this
strange doctrine they had heard, but
few were impressed with sufficient
seriousness TO make 4 definite deci-
sion. 1t was not the essentially re-
!iglous feature which attracted the at
tention of the majority but the fact
that II offered an equal chance TO both
jew and Gentle, which was a propo-
sition that ran counter to the teach |
lngs of generations of their national |
leaders and to n tradition so firmly |
Embedded that it appeared to them to |
be an essential part of their religion |
The idea of insisting that Gods mer. |
cies could be extended to all humanity |
on the same plane as to the chill |
dren of Abraham seemed to them !
the most intolerable of heresy. II |
was not their religious convictions |
hat were violated although they |
thought ii vas. but II was their in
tense religious and racial prejudice |
that was CHALLENGED by the preaching |
of Paul. AS before urged. it IS not |
safe for any of us to conclude that we |
have the last word of Gods reyela- |
lion to the human soul There are |
depths and heights to the divine pro-
Comprehended We are all able to |
profit by the experience Of another, |
bnd we are none Of us qualified to |
pass judgment upon the conscience OF |
another. Time and again in history
has u portion Of Gods people broke
loose from the restrictions Of church |
arrogance and bigotry, but time and |
D gain have the persccuted become the !
Prosecutors and tho liberators be-
Tome the jailers. This is not Gods
way, but - human pride setting it
self up in the name of religion. Mar
lin Luther broke the bonds of papacy,
but Protestant England drove The dis
scnters forth to seek liberty on a new
continent. These same dissenters in |
turn perScc utcd the baptists in their |
midst. and So the serpent of intoler.
ance and hiSotry has appeared and re-
appeared among those who claimed