Alaska, 1914
Enforcement of the Sunday closing law is not being taken amiably by the people of Nome, according to the newspapers published there. Of course, the law is being obeyed, but its enforcement has occasioned much resentment on the part of the people, who have been making numerous protests, and plans even have been made for securing the removal of the officials who were responsible for the enforcement of the law.
It has often been asserted that the best way to get rid of a bad law is to enforce it, but here in Alaska where people have little power in the making of their laws, this rule will not hold good.
It would seem that the matter of closing stores and saloons on Sunday should be determined by the people of each community and there is a serious question if any such law, except where morals are involved, would be declared constitutional.
If a thing is immoral and wrong on a Sunday it would seem to be so on every other day of the week, and it does not seem that there is much justice in a law that interferes with a person's religious observance, at least the Constitution of the United States so asserts.
If any man's business or work interferes with another's religious observances, it can be seen wherein a law might be made to prevent it, but the mere closing of stores and preventing men from working on Sundays is interfering with individual freedom unnecessarily.
Taking it strictly from a religious view, Sunday closing is class legislation, for there are many classes of good people who do not observe Sunday as a day of rest, unless forced by law to do so. Among these are the Jews, the Seventh Day Adventists, the agnostics and people of many religious faiths other than that of Christianity.
The injustice of laws like the Sunday closing law, from a religious view, would be forced upon people if, for instance, the Christians should be forced to observe the Jewish sabbath. We cannot truthfully say that we are in a country of full religious liberty as long as people's liberties on Sunday are interfered with.
—The Alaska Citizen, Fairbanks, March 30, 1914.
Showing posts with label liberty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label liberty. Show all posts
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Rev. Samuel Fallows: "Odin Fell Before Jehovah"
1918
From a sermon by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Samuel Fallows, D.D., of the Reformed Episcopal church, delivered in Chicago, November 24.
We come to the closing of the war and the beginning of the conferences on peace with devout Thanksgiving to God for the multitude of His mercies toward us. We have now to reaffirm the great truth that "He hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth."
One nation had forgotten its lineage and its obligations to other nations. Nay, its ruthless rulers had forsworn the God and Father of all mankind, and worshipped the pagan tribal god Odin.
In that greatest of all wars Odin was pitted against Jehovah. All the basest passions of barbaric men were let loose. All the resources of science were used to blast and blind and destroy.
Jehovah triumphed. Our glorious, victorious boys are coming home crowned with immortal honor. The recreant foes are begging for bread. We will give it, but for repentant rebels. Its strength must be used to help pay the immense debt it owes to the countries it has ravished and ravaged.
—Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, Fort Wayne, IN, Dec. 2, 1918, p. 4.
Thanksgiving Day Prayer by British
The Rt. Rev. Samuel Fallows Offers Thanks for Victorious Peace
CHICAGO, Nov. 28. — The Rt. Rev. Samuel Fallows, Episcopal bishop today offered the following Thanksgiving day prayer, recommending its general use.
"O God the ruler of the nations, we devoutly thank Thee for the splendid victory Thou hast given us who have been contending for the right over the arch enemies of mankind.
"The peoples who sat in darkness have seen a great light, the light of liberty. Songs of unutterable joy have broken from their lips. Tears of gladness have bedewed their cheeks. The prisoners have leaped exultantly from their chains.
"Despotic rulers are fleeing in hottest haste. The reign of the Lord's anointed has begun.
"Confusion may exist before the foundations of justice and righteousness are fully established. But Thou who didst crown our arms with triumph will ever rule for lasting good.
"Give us the grace to re-arrange speedily for the best all our industrial and economic affairs. Unite more closely together all our varied nationalities at home and our faithful allies abroad.
"Bring into one great unity of brotherhood all diversified believers of every faith and creed. And as our brave boys come back we thank Thee that we can so joyously sing:
"Let all the nations know to earth's remotest bounds,
"The year of jubilee has come, return ye glorious heroes home.
"And to Thee be all the praise for ever. Amen."
—Sandusky Star Journal, Sandusky, OH, Nov. 28, 1918, p. 6.
From a sermon by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Samuel Fallows, D.D., of the Reformed Episcopal church, delivered in Chicago, November 24.
We come to the closing of the war and the beginning of the conferences on peace with devout Thanksgiving to God for the multitude of His mercies toward us. We have now to reaffirm the great truth that "He hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth."
One nation had forgotten its lineage and its obligations to other nations. Nay, its ruthless rulers had forsworn the God and Father of all mankind, and worshipped the pagan tribal god Odin.
In that greatest of all wars Odin was pitted against Jehovah. All the basest passions of barbaric men were let loose. All the resources of science were used to blast and blind and destroy.
Jehovah triumphed. Our glorious, victorious boys are coming home crowned with immortal honor. The recreant foes are begging for bread. We will give it, but for repentant rebels. Its strength must be used to help pay the immense debt it owes to the countries it has ravished and ravaged.
—Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, Fort Wayne, IN, Dec. 2, 1918, p. 4.
Thanksgiving Day Prayer by British
The Rt. Rev. Samuel Fallows Offers Thanks for Victorious Peace
CHICAGO, Nov. 28. — The Rt. Rev. Samuel Fallows, Episcopal bishop today offered the following Thanksgiving day prayer, recommending its general use.
"O God the ruler of the nations, we devoutly thank Thee for the splendid victory Thou hast given us who have been contending for the right over the arch enemies of mankind.
"The peoples who sat in darkness have seen a great light, the light of liberty. Songs of unutterable joy have broken from their lips. Tears of gladness have bedewed their cheeks. The prisoners have leaped exultantly from their chains.
"Despotic rulers are fleeing in hottest haste. The reign of the Lord's anointed has begun.
"Confusion may exist before the foundations of justice and righteousness are fully established. But Thou who didst crown our arms with triumph will ever rule for lasting good.
"Give us the grace to re-arrange speedily for the best all our industrial and economic affairs. Unite more closely together all our varied nationalities at home and our faithful allies abroad.
"Bring into one great unity of brotherhood all diversified believers of every faith and creed. And as our brave boys come back we thank Thee that we can so joyously sing:
"Let all the nations know to earth's remotest bounds,
"The year of jubilee has come, return ye glorious heroes home.
"And to Thee be all the praise for ever. Amen."
—Sandusky Star Journal, Sandusky, OH, Nov. 28, 1918, p. 6.
July 4 — Christ Gives the True Liberty of Soul
1886
By Rev. D. J. Baldwin
A Sabbath school lesson for the 4th of July comes before us. Can the teachers and scholars turn aside from the noise and confusion of celebrations and give a quiet hour to Bible study?
We stop right at the beginning of this lesson to consider the source of all our liberty, and why we have such a marked day while other nations do not thus celebrate one. Most certainly special blessings have fallen to us and the gifts of God have been abundant. "Thou last not dealt so with any people." Christ came to give liberty to the captives, and here he has most wonderfully shown the power of his spirit in making men free.
We all like to celebrate the blessings of civil liberties and the glory of our republic; but where would be found the glory of our national life if Christ had not opened blind eyes, and turned into the hearts of men the love of God? No true and lasting liberty ever come to men apart from the teachings of Christ and the power of his truth. Christian nations can alone be free nations; and the glory of the cross can alone give us true civil liberty. It is the power of Christ's spirit that has opened the eyes of the blind, and we owe all of our progress in national glory to him. Let us acknowledge this fact.
There will be an unusual amount of rejoicing and thanksgiving this year. Notwithstanding all that has come up on the nation in the way of trouble or disaster, still there has been wonderful progress seen in all that pertains to true life. We are advancing year by year and no one can fail to see this who reads or notices the changes that are taking place on all sides of us.
We have not yet attained into full liberty, but we have in our churches and Sunday schools laid the foundations of such liberty, and a new generation is coming on to declare the work of God and make strong the defenses of the Christian church.
How many blind eyes has Christ opened the last year? How many souls have been made free from the guilt and power of sin? There are actual results enough of the work of Christ among men to cause every one to praise God for his goodness. We are coming out into the liberty of the sons of God. We are learning to love light and truth and the souls of our fellow men. This is one of the facts that we come forward to celebrate; and one of the causes of rejoicing that touches every loyal heart in this nation to-day.
The shadows of spiritual darkness may be over us but the light is breaking. The morning of a better day has dawned; and let all true patriots praise God for it. There is liberty of soul and peace of conscience for every believer in Christ. We do not deny that much sin and spiritual darkness still reigns among the people. When Christ was on the earth he never opened all of the blind eyes. Thousands went down under his touch who never saw the light of day. He could not change the laws of life and death at once, but he could give his grace and love for all men and this should bring in the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world, in God's own time.
Christ is present among men to-day, and every miracle of the past is a sign, and a glorious one, of the power of his Gospel. If Christ was anxious to have a man born blind see the glory of God in the natural world, how much more must he desire that the soul should see the glory of God in the spiritual realm!
Hence he says no one sins because he is born blind, but because he refuses to be made whole. There is too much love in Christ to allow him to leave us in our blindness. He will flash out the rays of light and truth upon our hearts, and every year shall show how much he has done for those who are walking in darkness and the shadows of death.
Even now, as we go over the old songs of a liberty loving people, and hear again the stories of a nation's salvation, we do not forget who opened the eyes of one born blind and laid the true foundation of all our blessings in church and state.
In the midst of our enthusiasm and love of country let us go back and give the Savior of lost men his right and true place in our hearts, and acknowledge him as the only true light that shines into the hearts of men.
—The Kellogg Enterprise, Kellogg, Iowa, July 2, 1886.
By Rev. D. J. Baldwin
A Sabbath school lesson for the 4th of July comes before us. Can the teachers and scholars turn aside from the noise and confusion of celebrations and give a quiet hour to Bible study?
We stop right at the beginning of this lesson to consider the source of all our liberty, and why we have such a marked day while other nations do not thus celebrate one. Most certainly special blessings have fallen to us and the gifts of God have been abundant. "Thou last not dealt so with any people." Christ came to give liberty to the captives, and here he has most wonderfully shown the power of his spirit in making men free.
We all like to celebrate the blessings of civil liberties and the glory of our republic; but where would be found the glory of our national life if Christ had not opened blind eyes, and turned into the hearts of men the love of God? No true and lasting liberty ever come to men apart from the teachings of Christ and the power of his truth. Christian nations can alone be free nations; and the glory of the cross can alone give us true civil liberty. It is the power of Christ's spirit that has opened the eyes of the blind, and we owe all of our progress in national glory to him. Let us acknowledge this fact.
There will be an unusual amount of rejoicing and thanksgiving this year. Notwithstanding all that has come up on the nation in the way of trouble or disaster, still there has been wonderful progress seen in all that pertains to true life. We are advancing year by year and no one can fail to see this who reads or notices the changes that are taking place on all sides of us.
We have not yet attained into full liberty, but we have in our churches and Sunday schools laid the foundations of such liberty, and a new generation is coming on to declare the work of God and make strong the defenses of the Christian church.
How many blind eyes has Christ opened the last year? How many souls have been made free from the guilt and power of sin? There are actual results enough of the work of Christ among men to cause every one to praise God for his goodness. We are coming out into the liberty of the sons of God. We are learning to love light and truth and the souls of our fellow men. This is one of the facts that we come forward to celebrate; and one of the causes of rejoicing that touches every loyal heart in this nation to-day.
The shadows of spiritual darkness may be over us but the light is breaking. The morning of a better day has dawned; and let all true patriots praise God for it. There is liberty of soul and peace of conscience for every believer in Christ. We do not deny that much sin and spiritual darkness still reigns among the people. When Christ was on the earth he never opened all of the blind eyes. Thousands went down under his touch who never saw the light of day. He could not change the laws of life and death at once, but he could give his grace and love for all men and this should bring in the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world, in God's own time.
Christ is present among men to-day, and every miracle of the past is a sign, and a glorious one, of the power of his Gospel. If Christ was anxious to have a man born blind see the glory of God in the natural world, how much more must he desire that the soul should see the glory of God in the spiritual realm!
Hence he says no one sins because he is born blind, but because he refuses to be made whole. There is too much love in Christ to allow him to leave us in our blindness. He will flash out the rays of light and truth upon our hearts, and every year shall show how much he has done for those who are walking in darkness and the shadows of death.
Even now, as we go over the old songs of a liberty loving people, and hear again the stories of a nation's salvation, we do not forget who opened the eyes of one born blind and laid the true foundation of all our blessings in church and state.
In the midst of our enthusiasm and love of country let us go back and give the Savior of lost men his right and true place in our hearts, and acknowledge him as the only true light that shines into the hearts of men.
—The Kellogg Enterprise, Kellogg, Iowa, July 2, 1886.
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