Evening star., 1924-09-07
Suggests Baptizing Children
At Altar of True Patriotism

membership. We can't join and al
| the same time hold fast to the faith
| transmitted to us by the fathers.
4 X y
The great charter of our liberties,
the Declaration Of Independence was
largely written by Thomas Jefferson,
who in his day was called an agnos-
tic, but who, If he were living now,
would probably be denominated a
| modernist. He was an Episcopal ves-
| tryman, yet he eliminated from the
four gospels all the miracles recount
ed In them and put them together
chronologically. He was perhaps the
| father Of modern religious doubters.
The document was signed by. among
others, James Witherspoon, Presbyte-
| rian. president Of Nassau Hall, now
Princeton University. 1t was also
signed by Charles Carroll Of Carroll
ton, the leading Roman Catholic lay
man Of his day.
Religious views had no place in the
civil outlook of the fathers Of the re-
public. They knew that nothing would
destroy the republic quicker than the
| injection into the government they were
founding Of religious or racial preju-
dices. They knew that the Roman en-
pire fourished because it had sense
enough to demand only civil obedience
from It's provinces. That empire cared
| nothing about the religious views of
| those 1t conquered. Gallo, upon hear
ing the defense of the Apostle Paul, de-
clared that he cared for none Of these
| things. The founders of the republic
| knew that John Calvin burned Servetus
at the stake because church and state
were united in Geneva. Servetus was
more of a traitor to the state than a
| hereto to the church. So they sep
arated church and state in our govern
ment, and 1t is the business Of good
citizens to keep them separate.
X X X
Even those countries in which church
and state are united have found it nee
essary in order to promote peace to put
into practical operation the separation
principle of the American Constitution.
The acute sensibility Of man in regard
to his faith has brought changes To
illustrate: The British government in
the Sos OF the last century issued new
rifles to the Indian troops. 1t was nee
| essary to bite the cartridges These
| were coated with a grease Of some
kind. This led the troops to believe
that their religion was being deliberate
ly insulted by the British government
To prevent a mutiny, Great Britain
found 1t necessary not only to let the
| tridges, but to affirm the doctrine OF
| religious liberty. This was done in the
| following proclamation of Queen Vic
toria to the princes, chiefs and people
Of India published November /, 1851:
Firmly relying ourselves on the
truth OF Christianity, and acknowledge
ing with gratitude the solace Of Re-
ligion, We dsclaim alike the Right
and the Desire to Impose our Con-
victions On any of Our Subjects. We
declare it to be Our Royal Will and
Pleasure that none be in any wise
favoured. none molested or disquieted
by reason Of their Religious Faith or
Observances but that all shall alike
enjoy the equal and impartial pro-
lection Of the law; and We do strictly
charge and enjoin all those who may
be in authority under us, that they
abstain from all interference with the
Religious Belief or Worship of any of
Our Subjects, on pain of Our highest
displeasure.
And it is Our farther will that, 30
far as may be. Our Subjects, Of what
ever Race or Greed. be freely and i'm
partially admitted to Offices in Our
| service, the Duties of which they may
be qualified by their education, ability
and integrity, duly to discharge"
We Americans can well read a lesson
| in history. Let us get back to the
Constitution and vote for or against
| men as We believe them competent to
hold office, not on account of either race
or religion.
Copyright, 1924, by 21st Century Pross.)