Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-27
COULD WE ENDURE A
CHRISTLESS WORLD?

back more than ever disposed to disre-
regard the observance of the Sabbath.
1t is to be feared that the 'Continen-
tai Sabbath will be imported into our
country, and if sucn should be the case,
it will curse us as it has blighted the
religious life of the Sabbathless nations
of the European continent. No greater
injury could be done to the cause of re
ligion among us; for let US be well as
sured that the very life of religion is
involved in the preservation of the Sab
bath.
When the question of the Sabbath IS
under consideration a certain type OF
man always rises to remark that the
Christian Sabbath and the Jewish Sab
bath are very different institutions.
others quickly remind us that we do not
wish to return to the Puritan Sabbath.
All such talk is worse than useless.
The matter of the worth of the Sab
bath has nothing to do with the dis
tinction between the Jewish Saba tn
| and the Christian Sabbath and still less
with any discussion of the Puritan Sab
bath. These things are wholly 1rrel-
evant to the real issue The question OF
supreme importance, and from the con-
sideration of whfoh no side issues
should divert our attention. is, How
can religion be preserved without day
! of rest and Worship"
Continental Europe has tried the ex-
pertinent of Sabbathless Christianity.
and the experiment has ended in noto-
rious failure. The wisest and best
Christian leaders in those Sabbathless
nations deplore in those Sabbathless ma
| lions .deplore their lack of real Chris
tiarrity. Can we afford to adopt that
which has confessedly failed.
For more than a century the most re-
ligious nations have been the English
speaking peoples. and their governm ents
have been the most stable. They have
also best observed the sacred day of
rest and worship. 1t is not an acct
dent, nor a meaningless coincidence.
that the most prosperous and powerful
nations are those which best observe the
Sabbath. The map of Sabbath observ-
ance is the map of safest governments
The Sabbathless nations of Europe
! through their religious represe natives
now travelling throughout our country
to make appeals for their diSquieted and
deselated lands, cry to our people for
i religious help as we'll as for material
assistance. They tell us that they are
| bankrupt rehgiouSly."
We must heed their piteous appeal
| for moral. aid, as we are responding to
| the demands of their physical deStitu-
| ton. Hence we must practice the con-
servation OF our religious resources in
order to meet the needs of their dis
| tressing bankruptcy.
That we may supply them with food
| for their bodies we observe ''meatless
| days" and wheatless days" and in this
we do we'll. But IL Is equally important
| that we conserve our moral and spiritu-
al resources to the end of meeting of
| their religious necessities.
| To squander material resources and
waste food in this hour of crisis in the
history of the world Is nothing less than
treason to the human race. Can 1t be
less criminal to squander religious re-
| sources?
| We have not too much religion in the
| United States and If we throw away
our Christian Sabbath we shall have a
great deal less Can we afford to lose
| such a precious institution? Can we
without grave sin subvert this flrmeSt
foundation upon which religion must
stand and without which Christianity
must perish from us?
II was Voltaire. the French infidel,
who said that Christianity could never
, be destroyed until the Christian Sab
| bath was overthrown. and the converse
also is true, namely, that when the Sab
bath is overthrown Christianity will
perish. Are we prepared to weaken
| Christianity in the United States at
such time as this awful hour. in the
history of the world? Can we face
without a shudder Christless world?
| And a sabbathless world will soon be
Christless world