The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-03-03
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RUSSIAN MADNESS
BISMARCK

r,. BISMARCK, N. q
The world stands aghast in the fac.
OF RuSsia's mad attempt to rid her.
self Of religion. Your issue Of Feb. ,:
carries an article entitled Russia In.
Ivltes Dislike" and the issue of the
9Th an editorial entitled Russia In.
vites Religious Rebuke." Both al
these splendid articles voice the zen.
timent of true Americanism. but
neither one of them call attention to
the real principles which lie at the bot
tom OF the present horrible situation.
InlS cause should be understood bv
all who truly love and wish to perpe-
tuate U noble American institutions.
There are powerful organizations at
work within and without the church
which are heading in the direction of
similar situations to those that now
exist in Russia and have existed in
every nation throughout history in
which religious persecution has pre-
vailed. II there is q single exception
would like to have my attention
called to it.
i. The wicked thing I am driving at
Is the unholy alliance of church and
state. When pagen religions con
trolled the state the Jews, and later
the Christians, suffered death and at
times almost complete determination
at its hands. When Christianity
spread it gradually became corrupted
by q pagan philosophy and in this
state gained control of the state d,,r-
ing the fourth century. From that
on dissenters suffered at the hands
OF whichever party happened to be in
control. Witness the bloody conflict
between Arianism and the orthodox
church during that period! During
the Protestant Reformation we had a
similar situation and history shows |
that a Protestant can be as bloody as
any other faith when he Operates
on the s~tate-church principle. The !
fault does not lie with the people. it
lies with the principle. Our pilgrim
fathers were good people but they
burned people at the stake and could
not tolerate a baptist Roger Williams |
VINO a to flee to the savage Indians
Tor protection. Williams later said
That he would rather live among
christian savages than among savage
christians. The Jews crucified the
Christ thinking that they were pleas
ing God by so doing. Our only safety
Is to keep the powers of the state in
IT'S secular channel where it was d.
vlnely ordained to operate.
Russia has for centuries been con-
rolled by a corrupt stale church. 7
am Russian born and know whereof
speak. An independent observer
reach no other conclusion if he
'oes no farther than to study the fruit
IS 1t now operates in Russia. It is
fact that every assassin of
,ur three American presidents and
n who attempted to slay Roose-
'elt were either the direct product or
strongly influenced by the ~state-
:hurch principle. The whole brood of
destructive radicals that we are con-
ending with in America today are of
ne same school. What we are Wit
1esslng in Russia today is an extreme
.eactlon such as also prevailed in
ran during the reign of terro when
ms enlightened nation publicly de-
'iared there Is no God, confiscated
properties and changed
he week to 10 days and abolished the
marriage institution naming it the
of adultery.
The fathers of or country saw thesn
ockS upon which other nations had !
and have wisely provided in !
constitution for a complete sep |
ration Of Church and State. Let us :
esist every effort, however cleverly :
elled, to violate this divince principle
expressed by the Master when He
aid. Render therefor unto Ceaser :,
the state) the things which are Cea- y
and unto God Cor the church, /,
re things that are Gods. When :
1ese principles r observed all. be- :,
evers or unbelievers. enjoy equal a
rejection and no intestine strife will q
use IN which force will be involved. .
Ine church has the promise of a y
vine power with which to bring men a
n foot Of the cross. This power n
greater than any human power can h
'ssibly be. and when manifested in p
le past whole nations were shook bv "
The philosophy Of history teaches Sc
at when the church turns from this W
'wer to the secular arm of the state OF
r her support. corruption results
ID runs the risk of a complete dis Ct
luton. As Christian citizens We It
Il distinguish between things relie- Ct
Is n things civil. We will dis in
arage all efforts to s~ecularize re- ec
ION by law, but will work whole II
artedly for all measures that i'm fr
we, purify and strengthen our civil TO
This. I believe. is Christian pu
nericanism. ca
LIBERATUs. ),
- pl
ON DESTRUCTIVE CATS ur
All