Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-02-20
Sabbath DeSecrat1On---A Serious
Matter Demanding Serious Attention

I bath. II He who ordained the sabbath
loves the poor" il must follow that he
who subverts the sabbath hates IN,
poor.
He who subverts the Sabbath does
not love any class Of men. rich or poor
as much as he loves his own profan,
>elf-indulSence. The institution of tn,
Sacred day is an invaluable and iudis
rcusable boon to men Of all classes Il
is one or the strongest supports to -oul
utilization.
Ralph Waldo Emerson was not 4 IA
matte. and he said: The sunday is tn,
core Of our civilization, dedicated Il
thought and reverence"
If IL is important to have Christianity
promoted and perpetuated i'm America
/ II is important TO preserve the Chris
tian Sabbath. Religion can not long eN'
ist i'm the absence Of day for worship
and rest.
Speaking 10 this point the editor Of ,
powerful paper. Published i'm New York
said a few days ago:
American Christians would do
well to ponder long the state
ment of Noltaire: There is no hope
Of destroying the Christian religion
50 long as the Christian Sabbath is -
acknowledged and kept by men as
envy OF Christ could revisit these
glimpses of the moon, he would lay
down his weapons, convinced that
Sabbath dissertation was making
such prOEress in undermining
Christianity that there was no need
for his satirical pen land blasphc-
mouse tongue,
There are portions Of this city, and
doubtless of other large cities. where IL
would be more correct to speak of Sun
day as the movies day, rather than the
Lords, The comparatively small num-
Der OF church-goers must often step
from the blocked sidewalk into the gut
tiers TO avoid the throngs waiting their
turn to enter the lighthouses. Reluc-
tant as modern Christians are to be iden-
titled with the discredited blue laws OF
another period. they cannot see the Sab
bath exploited by the amusement-sell-
ers without a vigorous protest. The
Lords Day Alliance, which is we'll or
gained and wisely led, offers VIVA,
might he called professional aid TO the
churches in fighting those who would
encroach upon the proper use of the
day. II deserves loyal support
''But this is not a matter in which
the individual can buy of his conscience
with a check, leaving Seine paid agent
TO do what is his own clear duty. 1t is
the business of each Christian citizen to
think through the problem of his own
life and the life of his community, as
related TO the teachings of Scripture re-
garding the sacred observance of one
day in seven, and upon the basis of a
sober judgment, thus conscientiously
formed, to give the force of his per-
sonal example and influence to remem-
boring the sabbath day TO keep it holy"
Heretofore the Sabbath has been gen
orally honored and observed in the
south. and this fact has been TO the
credit and safety of our section. But
recently encroachments have begun to
be made which discredit and damage
US.
These encroachments should be re-
sisted vigorously and speedily before
they become irresistible; for let US be
we'll assured that once we have lost the
Sabbath we can never recover it. Nor
can we work any other great reform
whatsoever, when we have lost the Sab
bath; for the churches will be emptied
Of worshipers and the preachers will
lack hearers, though their appeals for
reform be never so strong and never
so eloquent.
The temperance reformation, which is
now sweeping over the land, began in
the churches. and. without the general
observance of the Sabbath il would
have been impossibleA So the temper
ance cause and every other great moral
issue is dependent for permanent prog
ress and final triumph upon the preser-
walton of the holy day of rest and wor-
ship.
In the south we have conditions and
RESPONSIBILITIES peculiar to our section
We have the race issue always with
us. and that will be complicated soon
with other issues from which we have
been heretofore exempt The issue be-
tween capital and labor is becoming
more and more acute. Foreign immi-
grafton is flowing into the south. With
the close of the war we will see ar
influx Of foreigners into the south be-
yond what most people now expect, anq
a majority of these immigrants vii
come from continental Europe, where
the Sabbath has been substituted WITH
that miserable institution called tine
continental Sabbath"
/ With all these complications, we will
need a potential religious influence Il
! safeguard society. Can we reasonably
expect such an influence to prevail
i among us if the Sabbath is over
thrown?
This Sabbath question is most Sc
rious matter and deserves the mos
serious consideration. We can not AT
ford TO slumber longer over the matter
IL involves the very life of religion