Omaha daily bee., 1918-10-08
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Keep the Churches Open.

Omaha, oct. ITO the Editor Of
The Bee: Under general an
nouncement, and because Of the
spirit of loyalty that is rife In our
breasts, the order that came from
our city health officer, DR.. +, I.
Manning, all, or nearly all, public
places, including the churches Of all
denominations, were closed on Sun
day, October 8. / believe in doing
all in our power lies to cooperate
with any authority, civic or other
wise, for the benefit of public veal to
suppress anything that tends to de-
stroy the health Of any city or state.
| never was a Kicker" and l am
not one, and don't intend to be.
After answering the numberless
wire calls as to whether there would
be any service in the Mt. Moraih
Baptist church on Sunday, l went
Saturday night and posted notice to
the effect that there would be no
services all day in that church, thus
demonstrating my Willingness to
help the city authorities. Yet in my
own mind ! don't think that the or
der to close the churches was one
that should come in the mind Of
DR.. Manning. / think that he made
a mistake in this.
The church is unlike all other In
situations, II they can be rightfully
called institutions, or unlike all
other public meeting places. The
order of closing puts the churches
on an equal level with all the other
public places. The church is sep
arate from the state and conducted
by separate people under Gods
direction by His agents. This be-
ing so, to close the church should
be advisory and not mandatory.
The church is the home of Gods
redeemed host, and in closing the
church you practically close God out
OF the community. Rev. DR.. Still
well, in speaking to bunch of men
on the lawn of the First Baptist
church yesterday morning, said that
religion is the big thing that is need
ed; in other words, God Germany
is in mess" today because it closed
God out of its thought and life and
got dream from the devil that it
could conquer the world, and has
pulled US all in the mess" to prove
to it that God is not in it, on it's side.
There might be germs of the Span
ish "tu' that are contagious if car
ried to public places, and in the end
prove fatal; but the Ventilations of
churches are quite unlike the Venti-
latiOns OF theaters and moving pic
ture places. And again, l believe in
medical skill to apply agencies to
combat germs. contagious germs,
but, above that. / believe that God
has got mightier agencies to protect
HIS people who present themselves
at the shrine of service, even though
someone unknowingly might enter
the building. DR.. Manning has left
out GODS assistance in this action.
This is gross mistake.
God saved His own from the ter
ror of the lion; God saved His own
from the burning fire; God saved His
own from the prison CELL God saved
His own from the cruel and angry
sea; God saved His own from pesti-
lence; God saved His own in the
midst of drouth, when the church
got together in prayer, and God
saved His own and the community
from the Spanish "fue." Should
this epidemic continue for some
time, wiping out the very vital of our
city, the church would be the only
resort to which all would look for
divine assistance. This has been
done times without number in this
very land and country; then, If the
churches are closed, what next?
Closing the church is an act which
bespeaks the fact that God is for
gotten and He has nothing to do
with it, and it all lies in the power
and hand Of medical skill. In clos
ing the churches special opportun-
ity to revitalize a deep faith in God,
to help us fight the "fiu" and the