The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-02-15

of God. BY me kings rule and law |
givers decree just things Amer !
canization" is the educational watch |
word of the day in our country. If
it include the program outlined above, |
it will represent the aspirations of |
America and the spirit of our presi |
dent, and serve the cause Of demOc- |
racy throughout the world
Religion.
But to education must be added re- /
ligion, or rather education must be |
permeated with religion, if the rule |
of the people would be stable as we'll
as free. The idea that the teaching
of morality apart from religion will
develop the virtue needed in a democ-
racy is a popular error-an error
against which Washington warned us
in his farewell address. Let us in !
dulge with caution" said the Father
of our country, 'the supposition that
morality can be maintained without
religion. Reason and experience both
forbid us to expect that national NOR
ious principle The great danger to
democracy lies in the tendency to dis
regard authOrity-the very element
that gives unity and stability to de-
mocracy morality" may point out
the utility of hardening to the voice
of. authority and the temporal evils
disobedience to it's commands will
bring on individuals and nations, but
| these considerations are only a rope
| of sand to hold in check the passions
| of men in the hour of stress and VIC
lent temptation. Religion with it's
! divine teachings and it's eternal sane
tons is the only power in the world
| that can control, or ever has effective
| ly controlled, the rising tide of pride
l and lust and selfishnesS and injustice.
Religion tells man that authority is
divine, that rulers and legislators are
| indeed human, but that in their Of
] fetal capacity they are superior to
| the multitude and their mandates and
| DEGREES, when just, derive their pow
er from the eternal law Of God. To
| observe the law. of the land, there
ifore, is to obey, not man but God. Re-
| ligion appeals to the conscience, the
| echo of Gods voice in the heart of
man, clearly intimating the grave sin
and the eternal punishment of dis
obedience to the civil authorities. LET
every soul be subject to higher pow
| ers; for there is no power but from
/ God; and those that are, are ordained
| of God. Therefore he that resisteth
| the power, resisteth the ordinance Of
God And they that resist, purchase
| to themselves damnation. . Where
fore, be subject Of necessity, not only
for wrath but also for conscience
sake" Religion is, then, the firmest
prop of authority, and religious edu-
| cation the greatest pillar of democ
racy. 1t is because the Catholic
Church believes and teaches these
things that under her benign sway
the intelligence and virtue needed for
the safe rule of the people will in
crease and prevail.
If these truths are not known and
lived up to by the newly liberated
pSOPiSo, cSuu especially Wy -uS, tiCll
saviors and leaders, the tyranny of
the militarists, which we have
crushed, will be succeeded by the
more terrible tyranny of the mob,
and democracy will degenerate into
anarchy and Bolshevisim.
Counsel of President.
That ourselves and the people we
have freed may be spared so dire a
fate, let us harken to the counsel of
our president. First of all, let us
"seek the divine guidance in the per
Torrance of our new duties, remem-
bering that "unless the Lord build the
house, they labor in vain that build
/ it; unless the Lord guard the city,
he watcheth in vain that guardeth
/ it, It is because many of the gov
ernments of the world ignored God
and violated His holy law and put
their trust in their own wisdom and
strength that Providence permitted
the awful confusion of the last four
years. Il will destroy the wisdom Of
the wise and the prudence of the pru-
dent I will reject"
i Secondly, let us "seek divine mercy
and forgiveness for our errors of act
or purpose mindful of the words of
Holy Writ that "sin maketh nations
miserable" and that ''the nation and