The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1924-02-08
WHY Joined THE KU KIUx klAn
Branch.
(Ternessee Fiery Crosse

NY father was reared IN the Seced-
er church. It is a branch of the Pres
byterian. family Of ,.ehurehes---Ie-eacs
opposed secret orders:cI grew up and
probably absorbed that disposition
though I never heard it discussed.
I wanted to join the Masons but
waited twenty years before putting in
my application. / suspect the reason
was the influence Of my fathers I'M
spoken views.
Hence had a struggle to join any
secret order, Mason or what not. But
/ am student of history-this said
modesty. / studied in the university
where I remained a total of seven
years, something of history and have
kept it up somewhat. It's lessons are
clear, if you give them time to sink
in.
The Renaissance, which began in
Italy in the Middle ages was at first
endorsed by the popes. They helped
to forward the movement and gave
aid in collecting old manuscripts,
survivals Of the B. C. period. But
when a man from Germany, named
Reuchhn came over into Italy and
carried back into Germany the seeds
of the revival of learning, which is
called the Renaissance, and there gave
it scriptural turn, then the popes
saw that revival Of scripture study
would challenge their authority as
Gods alone spokesman in the world of
religion, and they accordingly re-
pudiated the new learning and made
war in the printing press, which is
the back bone of Professionalism.
/ have no great criticism on the
Papal church for its union of church
and state in the dark ages. It was a
ground hog care. "Root hog or die"
That was the situation. Indeed I will
concede that under the then present
condition, it was humaniy speaking,
necessary.
/ can only say, may we as Protes-
tant people never find ourselves a
small oasis of religion in world
desert of heathenism. You do not
know what you would do.
Did not the Protestant system in
the late war gear up to beat Ger
many? Certainly. But after the
"war" was over, We did not continue
along that line, but quietly went back
to our knitting. True our gearing
up was not the demand of the state
to use its energies to make good any
ecclesiastical program and was not
union of church and state at all in
the real meaning of the terms.
To be liberal, had the popes after
quitely gone back to church matters,
we would have no great quarrel with
them. But they inheriting the throne
of the Caesars, proceeded to demand
all power both ecclesiastical and
secular and yet, killing those who
oppose them, and claim the state is
but the servant Of the church, and the
sword, the pope's means of exter-
minating heresy, a hereto being any
and all who oppose the Roman sys-
tenn.
Is sheriff Ncoid-blooded monster
because he hangs man. No, He
is my agent, and is no more guilty
of murder in the hanging, than am
IN voting for him as sheriff knowing
that duty inheres in the office. But
the man who opposes capital punish
ment on any and all grounds, would
consistently pronounce him a monster.
1t is therefore a question of view
point.
Is the Jesuit order composed of
monsters because they as the agency
of the Roman system endorse q war
of determination on all heretics? By
no means along all ordinary lines, a
Jesuit may be a most elegant gentle
man. But he believes in the sword
as a means Of propogating religion,
and do not. HE that sword" said
he who spake as never man spoke.
It is question Of viewpoint, and
as / do not propose to have my head
cut off because am Presbyterian,
l propose to clip the wings Of those
who would clip my head if they could.
Why has Protestant Europe expell-
ed the Jesuit order, entirely or in part,
thirty-nine different times? the
matter is food for thought.
Why has intellectual and spiritual
rot been the rule in every nation con-
trolled by Rome? Why has illiteracy
and illegitamacy been so prevalent Z?
The Protestant reformation in Eu-
rope gave birth to the political revolu-
ton, now known in the world as
Democracy. Get down your Myers
History, the kind taught In the public
schools. It's second main division in
the Table of contents is '"The Modern
Age" That in turn has two sub
divisions. One is the aforesaid Reli-
gious reformation, the other, a .conse-
quent of the former is the advent of
Democracy. The very fact of Modern
Democracy, with its collaries, such as
a public school system, ETC., can not
be explained by assuming them as re-
suits Of the said revival of religion,
attandant on the fact Of printing
press.
The point is, q real revival Of re-