The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1921-01-29

necessary. Then why thought ne
cessary for sunday3 For no other
reason, II would appear. than to pro-
tect day which the majority re-
gard as holy. But bolstering OF some
particular theological dogma. and
protecting the religious prejudices OF
citizens Is not the business OF con.
gress.
We believe In sabbath-keeping and
that IL Is the legitimate work OF
ministers and all the religious ele-
ment OF the nation to bring all the
moral persuasion possible upon
young and old. believers and unbe.
levers, to keep holy the day OF rest
which they believe to be divinely ap-
pointed. But moral suasion is the
only weapon OF force the church can
legitlmately use. All are not ecen
agreed as to which day Is the Sab
bath. and we are opposed to the ma
taSheA ttb VI
religion. and deciding a religious
controversy. and establishing n pre-
cedent which. IL followed to its
legitimate end, will lead our fair
land into a career of intolerance and
fan into flame the smouldering en-
bers OF religious oppression. The
keeping OF a Sabbath Is a religious
duty. and like all religious duties Is
rendered, not to the state. but to God.
Its observance is therefore not def
Unable by congress. Should congress
pass a law enforcing the religious
dogma Of a Sabbath. this will not be
the end. Other religious legislation
will follow, and where the end would
be no human foresight can foretell.
Think OF the hopeless sea OF uncer-
tainty. unseemly wrangling. and be-
wildering perplexity. which will be
thrown upon congress and courts In
their vain efforts to define acts OF
necessity and charity, decide how
every business of every kind shall
be conducted. and Just how every
man under all the varied circum-
stances of life. deprived by law OF
the right to follow his own consci-
ence. shall keep the day of rest which
congress has decided is holy.
Further. the Sabbath command
ment is only one OF the precepts OF |
the Bible. For example, the word de-
clares that the truth of our income |
shall be holy unto the lord. This is
as plain as the Sabbath precept. Then
there is the Lords supper. Shall
this be enforced by national legisla-
tion? II not, why not? And what
about the Lords prayer? II is surely
a good thing to pray. Shall we
have a law enforcing this prayer at
the end Of policeman's baton7 Then
there Is baptism, an institution OF
the church established by the Lord
Shall congress make law
this holy ordinance7 True.
all are not agreed as to the mode OF
baptism, but II Is as much the pro-
vince Of congress to define the mode
Of baptism as which day is the
Sabbath and the manner of its OBJ
servance. To enforce any OF these
sacred institutions by law would
destroy the very purpose for which
they were divinely instituted, and
would tend to inculcate Journalism
and hypocrisy rather than real
The same is true OF
5abbath-keeping under duress OF
,ivil law.
The gospel Of the son OF God. and
he constitution OF the great Ameri-
IAN republic recognize no power but
hat of persuasion for the enforce
nent of religious observances, SO
hat the divinely ordained princi-
lie Of civil government and the free
lom guaranteed by the fundamental
aw of the land may remain unim-
'aired, for the nation, District of
and state. We, therefore,
s Christians and loyal citizens pro-
est against all enforced Sabbath OBJ
ervance, whether 1t be the seventh
ay which we ourselves observe. or {
ome other day.