Arizona republican., 1922-06-20
COOPERATION, NOT INTOLERANCE

Circumstances have recently, or within a year.
produced in this community, as in many others IN
this country, condition of religious intolerance,
ridiculous in itself in this day and age but serious
in its resuts--in its retardns effect in any commu-
nifty in which it may develop.
II doesn't matter much where it started; who
was to blame but all Of US to blame If we allow
ourselves to be affected by it, and deserve our
own contempt if we allow ourselves to be thrown
into Lliputian medi@vaIism Just the progress
of the world was brought to halt by the religious
intolerance of the Middle Ages, will the progress
of any community be halted if it permits reversion
to intolerance and bsotry.
Our first duty is TO government; we mean
by that first duty is to our neishbors and our
selves who constitute the government. Under it we
pledge one another equal opportunity and equal pro-
lection in the enjoyment of all rights among which
is the enjoyment of religion. No man can foreiby
interfere with religion that we need not be
alarmed disturbed by what we may foolishly be-
eve to be an encroachment upon rights.
Our jealouses with regard to religious rights
and privileges are largely inherited from benshted
period of the world when defended their religion
by physical force when they imposed it upon others
by physical force. Then there religious wars;
most wars were fought, at least, in the name OF
religion. But it has been some centuries now since
religion was precipitatns remote cause
of war.
In more recent periods, though, in this country
we think more than in any other-stranee as It may
seem, communities have been divided by religious
differences-sma towns and school districts have
become scenes of conflict. There have been little
outbreakng flames which have arrested for the mo-
nnnt local progress and have been followed by feuds
which have persisted for varying lengths of time.
Perhaps never great part of any of these dis
turbed communities has been directly involved in one
of these outbreaks-ony small factions but inevi-
taby the effect has been disastrously felt by the
whole community. These things, though, are happily
taking place at longer and longer intervals, thanks
to the influence of great minded religious leaders,
who have taught that best serve God by
service another; that loyalty to the state
is the highest manifestation of loyalty to Him.
In these great teachers every religious denomna-
ton has been represented by such Phillips
Brooks, Rabbi Hirsch, Archbishop Ireland, DR.. Gun
sauIus, Dr.. storrs, and long list of others whose
sermons and writings have been inspiring alike to
Protestant, Catholic and Jew, and each of whom
might have sraced the pulpit Of any of the Others
The tolerance they taught was the of true
reIieion-service and not form.
This western country has been developed by
the vigorous and whole hearted operation of Prot
estant, Catholic and Jew working together for the
common welfare. Let US continue our development
in this fine spirit.
Broad minded and tolerant and women
interested in service and good citizenship, and
mans religion is of much less interest to them than
the good quality of his citizenship.
What this country seems to need is revival
of the real pioneer spirit of helpful neishborliness
and not that of bieotry and ntoIerant religious
belief.