Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-07-15
By Rev. ]. A. Schaad


This is shown by the Church's
relation to two great facts in human
| life-a Book and an institution, the
Bible and Sunday.
l. The Bible is at the same time
the supreme standard on Justice, lib
erty, and Brotherhood, and the history
of centuries of human struggle up
wards toward the attainment of those
ideals.
The best address ever heard on the
modern claims and ideals of Labor
was given by a man who had risen
from the ranks of unskilled labor to
a commanding position among the
the internatianl leaders of organized
labor, so that he was counselor to
the experts at the peace table at Yer
sailles. His background principles,
his concrete illustrations, and his pic
tured ideals were all darwin from the
Bible-often in its very words.
Blot out that sacred book, and it
Will not be long before economic and
industrial conditions and Citations will
revert to the jungle stage, where the
longest claw and the sharpest tooth
are the determining factors of life
and possession.
But where did the Bible come
from, and how came it to us? Every
body knows: urchmen-Hebrew,
and Christian, wrote it under divine
guidance. Churchmen preserved it
from physical destruction by its foes
adown the centuries, even at the cost
of their lives. And the Church of
today is safeguarding it from the
subtler assaults of intellectual hostil-
ity on the part OF those whose wrong
doing it condemns.
The working man has most to lose
from the elimination OF the Bible
from the practical affairs of Our mod
ern life.
In protecting the Bible, in propo-
eating its truths, and in projecting
its principles into effective relations
with our modern social, economic.
and industrial life, the Church is show
ing most marked friendship for La
Dor.
The fact that Labor seems not at
present to recognize this truth is nm
fortunate but does not change the
reality of it.
2. Sunday is at the same time La
boris greatest single blessing, and
yet the occasion for much of its hos
tility to the Church where such con-
dition exists.
Of what value is Sunday to the
welfare of Labor?
Everybody ought to know: On its
secular, economic side, the institution
of Sunday comes between the posi-.
Bile greed of employers and the well
fare of the working man and says,
stop You May not compel the work
ing man to Labor continuously. One
day in seven shall be sacred, set apart
for himself in relation to his family
his friends and his God. Yor may
not trespass upon that holy ground. "
And in so far as this day Of rest is
properly observed so far, and no far
tner, is 'he physical, domestic and So
Ga, 'ifc CT the working MAR progress
slyeiy coed.
But Nv came SUNDAY to be, arc
by whose power does i: continus to
function effectively?
Again everybody ought to know:
God ordained the Day for the good
of man. And it has been the exclusive
function of the Church all down the
centuries to perpetuate and promote
suitable Sunday observance"
The Church has done this in the
face, often, of the most violent at
tacks of selfish interests-both of
State and Society; and amid frequent
opposition from the very class of hu-
mainly who would be most benefit
ed.
The influence of the Church has
been strong enough, not only to write
Sunday into the laws of all civilized
nations, but also to secure general
obedience to it by the State in ali its
departments, by cities in all of their
public work, by industry in its major
operations, by commerce in perform
ance of its contracts, and by Society
in its program of public functions.
Sometimes the working man has
been the most fragrant violator of the
purpose of Sunday, and has cursed
the Church for trying to perpetuate
that Day-because a proper Sunday
observance seems to limit his selfish
freedom to indulge in pleasure.
Why does not Labor support the
Church in its efforts to protect Sun
day against commercial greed in such
matters as the theatre, movies, amuse-
ment resorts, etc. That would be an
act of social justice.
When Labor insists that such