Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-15
Shall We Haze Sunday ShoivS
To the Editor of the Telegraph:

| 10 tHe EuhOr OF the IeleSrapn.
| A cry for this and more has gone
forth in bill introduced into the
State Senate. Just about the same
time paper in a neighboring state
prints ringing editorial entitled,
Our Sunday Shows" They have
been trying the scheme out and the
editorial calls on the ministry to
get out in the open. roll up their
sleeves, and cry aloud"
What is the matter with /our
the leadership which the ministry
OF 100 years ago exercised? We
believe that in the necessary en-
phasis that has been laid upon the
separation of church and state We
have been very largely led by the
| arch deceiver of mankind to imagine
that we must separate religion from
politics, and that out of this has
sprung the shrinking OF the min
| istry from playing the true mans
part in the political world giving
advantage to the enemy. In other
: words, the Prince of this world"
has led us to act as though we must
practically shut God out of political
affairs. II God is God We dare do
this only at our peril. He is the
most real parsonage in the world
and His law the only unerring law;
and it is binding on every man
whether he acknowledges his re-
sponsibility to obey or not.
The cry for Sunday shows of any
sort is never backed up by any ref
erence to Gods claim upon His own
day. but only for the qualification of
selfish appetites and desires of a
purely bodily. or mental character,
as If that was all there is of Man.
The needs of the REAL man are
never referred to.
Arguing for the bill referred to,
the Public Ledger insidiously says,
This bill goes no farther than the
legislation of harmless and educa-
tional entertainments music lee
lures, etc.-on Sundays" OF course
it does not say that thing that
may be harmless" and even "edu-
cationaY' at one time may not be
harmless on another. We know
this we'll when it comes to the body.
Warm rolls are beneficial under
health conditions, but have been
known to kill sick man.
Since the Creator set the Sabbath
apart at creation as His. own in a
peculiar sense, and at the giving of
the Law on Sinai thundered RE
member the Sabbath day to keep
| it holy" 1t is what He has to say
about it that must concern both the
private citizen and the law-maker,
| and not public opinion or public
clamor even. Public opinion is a
dangerous thing unless moulded by
His righteous law, as witness Aaron
and the golden calf. Our country
will never be safe for Democracy
until we recognize that Almighty
God is the very first person to be
consulted in all legislation and that
the political party that will not give
Him proper recognition is not
party to be trusted with the reins
of government.
! In view of f-what God has done in
the Great War just coming to a
close, it is incumbent upon the Min
istry of the King of kings to sound
the trumpet calling men to this DO
sition. We must not blind our eyes
! to the fact that it was this drifting
away from God, trampling His day
underfoot in ''the Continental Sun
| day." and letting the will of man
governmentally: supplant the will
| of God, that brought the recent
catastrophe upon Germany and
through her upon the whole world
and us in IL We must not blind our
eyes to the fact that, as a nation.
we have been drifting fast in the
same direction. If we continue to
drift" II will be only matter of
/ time until we drift upon the break
/ ers. Further encroachment upon
I this Day should be resisted both
as a patriotic and a Christian duty.
Sincerely yours.
| B. E. p. PRUGH,