Iron County register., 1922-05-11
Liberty Endangered by Sectarian Legisla-
ton.
From aLiberty,o adventist.

/ 49, ~-A1SAN <AAfSheiOls +
Every man is safe in indulging his
own thoughts; it is only when be
essays to express them to others that
Lis troubles begin. Hence freedom
of thought, in any valuable sense, in
eIudes freedom of speech. Some have
preferred, like Socrates, to face death
rather than conceal their thoughts
| We are SO accustomed to freedom OF
1 speech that we look upon it as mat
] ter of course, and forget the long and
bitter struggle of the centuries out OF
which the liberty which we now en-
Joy has emerged. In this stupendous
conflict we recognize the dominant
Christian church of medieval times as
the foremost antagonist, not only OF
science, Of reason, and of investiga-
ton, but of the right of men to ex-
press their thoughts upon religious
beliefs and dogmas, or upon anything
else tending to contradict or call in
/ question a premise held by the domi-
nant religious organization.
/ Throughout the ages, the most bit
ter and relentless prosecutions, trail
ed by the innocent blood of millions,
have been the policy of the church
4 toward the brave and courageous
thinkers of the world, wherever and
whenever 1t had the political power
4 so to do; and we see no reason to
think it would be any different today
should the church secure the power
to make its anathemas effectual.
Abundant warrant for this may be
seen in the drastic provisions of pro-
posed religious enactments, and in
the resolutions of church councils and
assemblies on the subject.
/ A brief history of this conflict in the
past will form 9 safe guido to what
we may expect to happen, should we
yield to the demands Of the zealots of
today. Human nature never changes.
Passing over, for the lack of space,
the prosecutions in ancient Greece Of
all who dared to question the popular,
though absurd, beliefs of mythology,
and later the perseautions of Christ
ians by pagans and the counter-per
secutions of pagans by the Christians
when they gained political power un- !
der Constantine, and coming to still
later times, we find human nature
/ still the same.
During the first two centuries in
which they had been forbidden sect,
the Christians had claimed federation
on the just ground that religious be-
lief is a voluntary matter which can
not be forced But no sooner had
i their faith become the dominant creed,
i with the power of the state behind it,
than they abandoned this view and
embarked in the hopeless enterprise
of bringing about a complete uni
formity in mems opinions in matters
OF religion, and they thereupon began
a policy OF coercion to enforce the
doctrine that salvation is to be found
exclusively in the dominant Christian
church. The profound conviction
that those who did not believe in its
doctrines would be damned eternally,
and that God punishes theological err
ror as ii it were the most neinous OF
crimes, led naturally to persecution.
4 It was thought duty to impose upon
men the only true doctrine; hence
heretics were more than ordinary y
| criminals, and the pains man could
| infiict on them were nothing to the
tortures awaiting them in hell TO
rid the earth of such men, no matter
how virtuous, was q plain duty. Pagan
i virtues were vices in the eyes OF
Christians.
4 St. Augustine, the greatest Of the
! church Fathers, formulated the princi-
/ pie Of persecution for the guidance OF
future generations, and his teachings
J have been zealously followed ever
since by both Catholics and Protest
ants. Heresy was the foulest Of all
, crimes, and to prevail against it was
II. q victory over the legions Of hell;
hence came the torture Of the Inquisi-
! tion. Even men Of kindly temper
and the pnrest zeal for morality, were
absolutely devoid OF mercy where
heresy was suspected.
u The firm belief In witchcraft, magic
and demons was inherited from an
j tiquity, but il became far more lurit
J, IN modern times. Both the theor,
and the persecution we're supposed tt
be supported BY the Holy Scriptures
! aud particularly BY the text, "Thol
d shalt not suffer witch 10 live.'' /
was upon this text that Pope limo
! cent III issued d bull, in which be AZ
. serted that plaques and storms ar