New-York tribune., 1922-03-25
Defiance
National Peril.
Says Harding: @: 9:
Appeals TO Church to Figh,
Spirit of Moral Laxity.
in Address Given Before
Bible Glass al Capital
Calls for Simpler Life
One Statute Broken Weakens
All and Breeds Contempt
for Government. He Saws

at this time than to put forth its ut
,aost influence in behalf of crank and
willing obedience to the law of the
and" President Harding declared to-
night in an address before the Bible
class Of Calvary Baptist Church News
paper correspondents We're not admit
ted to the church. but the Presidents
address was made public from the
White House.
Without giving too much weight to
alsrmist expressions, the President
said, I'VE must nevertheless recognize
that there is d very apparent tendency
to lighter and more frivolous view OF
the citizens relations to both the State
and the Church" If people who are
known leaders. he added, become
known for their defiance of some law.
they need not be astonished if their
example is followed by others.
At another point Mir. Harding dis
cussed "thc loose talk nowadays about
he cause Of the spiritual demoraliza-
:ion of the community" and declared
that IT could not De laid entirely to the
war
Deplores Intolerance
In his experiences of a wear in the
White House, he said, there has come
to me no other such unwelcome i'm
preston as the manifest religious in
tolerance which exists now amonp
many of our citizens"
II hold it to be menace to the very
Liberties we boast and CHERISH" ne as
serted.
Declaring his belief in the part which
religious reverence has played in
American achievement, the President
added
IF ! were to utter prayer for this
Republic tonight it would be to recon
secrate us in religious devotion and
make us abidingly God-fearing, God
loving people"
There is no relationship here be-
tween Church and State the President
said. Religious liberty has its unal-
terable peace. along with civil and hui
man liberty, in the very foundation of
the Republic Therein is shown the
far-seeng vision of the immortal
founders, and we are a better people
and a better Republic because there is
that freedom.
81 fear it is forgotten sometimes.
In tae experiences Of year in the
Presidency there has come to ne no
other such unwelcome impression as
the manifest religious intolerance
which exists among many Of our citi-
1eus. | hold it to be a menace to the
very liberties we boast and cherish.
Reverence Must ABIDE
In spite Of our complete divorce
meat of Church and State, quite in
harmony with our religious freedom,
there is an important relationship be
tween Church and nation, because no
nation can prosper, no nation can sur
vive, if it ever forgets Almighty God
have believed that religious reverence
has played n very influential and help
+Ut part in the matchless American
achievement, and | wish II eVer to abide.
It do not fail to recall that the re-
ligjous life makes for the simple life,
and it would be Hike a divine benedjC-
tion to restore the simpler life in this
republic.
There is good deal of loose talk
nowadays about the cause of the spirit
ual Generalization of the community
which 1t has Become popular to at
tribute to the abnormal conditions that
were incident to the war. BIT, in fact,
the war is not wholly to blame. Be
fore the war started or was dreamed
Of we were already realizing the tend
ency toward a certain moral l2Xity, a
shifting of standards, weakening of
the sterner tibers. | think we should
do we'll to recognize that intellectual
and moral evolution Of the community.
1t would be a grevious error to allow
ourselves to feel too confident that this
Is only temporary and passing aspect.
Must Be Supreme
"Take for example the matter of re-
gard for the law. Without giving too
much weight to alarmst expressions,
we must nevertheless recognize that
there is a very apparent tendency to
lighter and a more frivolous view
of the citizens relations to both the
State and the Church. We can hardly
hope for a restoration of the old ideals
IN religion and in moral conduct, so
long as this tendency to disregard
the law shall continue. 1t is absolutely
essential to the maintenance of Sc
cure society and to the attainment of
q proper moral plane, that the law
should be recognized as sacred and su-
preme. 1t should have at it's back, and
enlisted in its support, every element
Of the community that realizes the
desirablity of sound, secure and stable
Institutions. Disregard of one statute
inevitably must breed lack of respect
for the law in general. This tendency
is obvious and ought to give the deep
est concern to people who have seen, in
flow from the breakdown of respect
for the social fundamentals.
"Whatever breeds disrespect for the
law Of the land in any particular de-
partment of our community relations
is force tending to the general
breakdown of the social organization.
If people who are known as leaders,
as directing Influences, as thoroughly
respected and respectable members Of
society, shall in their respective com
munities become known for their de-
tonce of some part of the code of
law, then they need not be astonished
II presently they find that their exam
pie is followed by others, with the re-
suit that presently the law in genera!
comes to be looked upon as a set of
lrksome and unreasonable restraints
upon the liberty of the individual.
Our only safety will be in
lnculcating an attitude of respect for
the law, as on the whole the best ex-
preston that has been given to the
social aspiration and moral purpose of
the community.
Says Church Must Lead
Unless we can accomplish this in
the domain of either ship and thereby
sustain enforcement we may we'll feei