The Ocala banner., 1922-07-14
"A MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON
The Constitution Is Called

tor Of the Christian Statesman makes
vicious attack upon the guarantees
of human rights as set forth in our
Federal Constitution. Because the
Constitution prohibits Congress from
enacting laws which would compel
every secularist and unbeiiever to
conform to the usages, customs, and
observances of the Christian religion
under penalty, he claims that oul
Constitution as it was framed by the
founders Of this Republic is ''s. most
dangerous weapon"
The editor of the Christian States
man prcpounds the following:
How to take a most dangerous
weapon cut of the hands of secular
ist: Amend the highest written law
of the land, our Federal Constitution,
SC that it shall plainly proclaim the
will Of the Lord of nations as the
rule Of our national life and the
standard Of our national conduct in
dealing with our problems-internal
and external. national and interna-
tional. AS that Constitution now
stands, the secularist is perpetually
quoting it on his side, loudly pro-
claiming that there is in it nothing
that warrants tho Christian usages,
and as loudly and persistently deman
ding that all these and their like shall
go cut of the latter that it may be
brought into perfect harmony with
the former. Our answer should be,
Never. But We will instead change
the written document that it may be
in perfect harmony with the unwrit
ten, and so furnish an updeniably
legal basis for all We have that IS
Christian in our national life and
character and also for more of its
kind that is still needed"
This proves concluslvely that the
| National Reform Association and toe
Christian Statesman are avowed enc
mics of true Americanism and foes
to the Constitution of the United
States. In the past the Christian
Statesman has accused US of being
disloyal to the United States and to
the kingdom of God, because we op-
posed their compulsory Sunday OBJ
servance bills before Congress; and
now the Christian Statesman attacks
the Constitution itself, declaring its
guaranty of liberty "a most danger
Gus weapon"
These self-styled reformers want
the Constitution to proclaim the will
cf the Lord" But by "the will of the
Lord" they mean the will of the Ma
tional Reformers. They claim that
they are Gods representatives on
earth, acting in His stead. They claim
that they are the chosen ones to make
the will Of the Lord known to the
nation as the rule cf conduct for its
national life, to be- enforced as the
want all the usages of the Christian
religion established by civil statute.
They want an out-and-Out legal rel
gion enforced by the authority and
power CT the civil magistrate. These
men would substitute the policeman 5
club for the preaching of the cross
of Christ.
The facts of the case are these,
when their logic is reduced to its
final analysis: If the Constitution
We're changed to suit their ideals,
every guaranty of civil and religious
liberty would be expunged from cur
| Magma Charta, and it would not be
long until the sword of the National
the streams of America would flow
crimson with the blood of martyrs
as did those in Europe under the old
regime of church and state union.
What does the Christian Statesman
mean when it says that all Christian
usages should be placed upon san
undeniably legal basis" in the funda-
mental law of the land? Does the
| National Reformer believe that al
Christian customs should be legalizcd
and enforced upon the unbeliever as
we'll as the believer, under the pen
atty of law? If so, then the National
Reformer is un-American, anti-Chris-
| tian, and anti-democratic. He is un-
American, because such a conception
of civil government is in direct con-
flict with every ideal entertained by
the founders Of the great American
Republic touching civil and religious
liberty. He is anti-Christian, because
Christ never appealed to the civil
government for aid to advance His
CAUSE, Tie Dun VI HAL QIGW ulStluCL
separating line between the proper
functions of the state and the speci-
fic functions Of the church, and said
His kingdom was not of this world.
The National Reformer is anti-demo-
cratic because he does not believe
in the rule of the people, but wants
his own religious ideas incorporated
into law and made as Interchangeable
as 1.-The law of the Medes and Per-
slams, which altereth not" He wants
the Christian usages" enforced by
law and placed upon "an undeniably
legal basis" In this way by legalizing
religion, says the Christian States
man, the National Reformers believe
in the effort to "Christianfze the
nation" and to rid it of its 'sins."
If it is as easy as this to get rid of
sin, why did. not the Roman Empire
get rid of it's sins when it legaliZeG
the Christian religion and enforced
its tenets as interpreted by the es-
tablished church upon all its citizens
by the sword? The only remedy for
sin is the blood of Christ. Civil law
and force have never converted or
transformed a soul, and never will.