IFUjHi
? SEPTEMBER 27, 1928
Letters To the Editor J
PREACHERS IN POLITICS i
Editor Watauga Democrat:
I am enclosing a clipping from >
the Biblical Recorder, written by 1>r.
E. Y. Mulliiis, which I would like
you to publish in your paper.
Respectfully,
SIRS. J. L.'TATUM.
Todd, N. C.
%
(Enclosure)
(Tn the following, Doctor Mullins
is not discussing the present political
situation, except as it involves the
duty and responsibility of preachers
as citizens. As many have criticized
preachers for the part they have
taken in the present campaign we
think they are entitled to a word of
defense, and there is no man in the
south better fitted to discuss this
subject than Dr. JIullins. He is a
great preacher himself and has been
head of our tine "School of the
Prophets," at Louisville, for more
than a uuarter of a centurv. For
V Urn reason we are publishing hisj
* article.?Editor Recorder).
The politicians arc- invading the
ministry and preaching to the!
preachers. Politics is invading re-;
ligion anil telling preachers and
churches what their duty is. Nonall
that preachers ask or claim for
themselves arc the elementary and!
basic lights of other American citi-1
zens, and these rights belong to
rabbis and priests, as Well as other;
ministers. I
The concern of the politicians for|
the ministrv- ?' the church is pa- ]
tfcotic. Their conception of thai
function of the ministry is a curious
creation of the political mind.
These p. caching politicians, who!
are preaching the doctrine that
preachers have no business with politics,
have a number of tremendous
changes to bring about, if they arcto
make good their contention
First, a. change in the Declaration
oi Independence and constitution of;
the United States. The Declaration]
should have read thus: "We hold
these truths to he self-evident, that
all men are created eciu.ai?-except
preachers; that they are endowed
bv the Creator with certain inalienable
rights?all except preachers;
that among these are life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness?for all exY
cept preachers; that governments
V-' derive their just powers from the
/ consent of the governed?except
from preachers when they are
among the governed." So much
for the Declaration.
The fourth article of the Articles
of Confederation should have
read: "The free inhabitants of each
of these states, paupers, vagabonds,
fugitives from justice and Drenchers
excepted, shall be entitled to all
privileges and immunities of free
citizens in the several states,"
Several vita! changes are necessary
also in the constitution of 1787,
thus: "We, the peopla of the United
States, except preachers, do ordain
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I MILLER
and establish this constitution." '' [
J- Article Iv. should be made toi
read: "Tlie citizens of each state,
except preachers, shall be entitled to!
alt privileges and immunities of citi-'
zens."
The first amendment should ' hc;
chanced at several .points and read:;
"Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion1
or prohibiting the free exercise!
thereof, or abridging the freedom of,
speech, except the speech of preaeh-!
ers; or of ' the press, except when!
preachers write for the press; or the
right pi the people to assemble and!
petition the government for a redress
of grievances, exc-"* assemblies
called by religious leaders, say
in Asheville, N. C.. during a presidential
campaign."
In addition to the politicians
themselves, some preachers end religious
people seem to have accepted
the rebuke of the preaching
politicians and are urging that the
preachers keep silent ou politics,!
and confine themselves to the;
"simple gospel." They are ic. worse
/.nr.fliat 11 el i.. T>It a 1_
vuiuui.1. mm i.iitrii xxvieB tnan ine.
politicians are with the constitution.
For example, if faith and works go;
together, they mast change their]
Bihies and pray that "Thy kingdom
may come. Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven, except the'
sphere of politics and government.":
So, also, they must change Paul's)
prayer for them in Colossians. and;
make it read, "that ye may be
fruitful in every'good work, except
in the good work of a free citizen."
The "simple gospel" is very comprehensive.
but it will have to be
modified according to the current
theory and preachers will have toj
preach in the interest of every kind)
of righteousness except civic and!
political righteousness.
The Apostle tells us the young)
preacher Timothy that he much)
oreach and what the simple gospei
is to do: It is tc "equip a man for
good work of every kind." But the
new theory must add "except the
kind that has to do with civic political
conditions." (2 Tim. 3:1'7.)
; 1. Our great need is a better
civic conscience, but only politicians
arc fitted to train that conscience?
I :iot preachers.
I 2. Another great-need is that re-i
! iigiori should make contact with life!
| ?but religions leaders must seal'
| their '.ins about life and live in thej
ciouas oi Mysticism.
3. Everybody should vote ?but!
when a preacher votes. he should!
never tell hovr or why he votes ex-j
cept to his wife?and ever, this)
! might get him in hot water.
I 4. Freedom of speech is an inalienable
.American right and privilege?for
women, negroes, naturalized
and unnaturalized foreigners,
socialists, anarchists, bfllshevisi?.
morons and idiots, but not for
preachers.
5. Open and candid discussion
I of ail public, questions is a;i Ameri;
can necessity?ail may participate
: except infants iri arms and preachj
ers.
6. Law enforcement is possible
%
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gh quality of materials and workship,
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! a Whippet Four or a Whippet Six
tn consider the price?and you
kooxv why all Willys-Ovcrland's
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'hippt
MORETZ MOTO]
BOONE, N. c.
2*/ sSggBKMM'lr i %. r. ffg?r
THE WATAUGA DEMOCRAT?E
only by sustaining: public opinion?
but preachers must not contribute
any of their ideas to the formation
of public opinion.
V. All ciass distinctions are contrary
to the spirit and genius of
onr American institutions?except
when preachers are put in the class
of ineligibles and incompetents in
civic and political discussion3.
Lawyers, doctors and other
professional men carry along their
civic and political rights, but when
a preacher enters the, ministry, he
renounces those rights and becomes
a civic ar.d political nonentity.
.Medical societies may work for
law of sanitation; labor societies for
a minimum wage law; automobile
societies for good roads?without
anybody being alarmed lent the government
enter a "union" with any
of these organisations. Bui, if a
group of church people favor a law
tor the general welfare, pious politicians
begin to tremble in their
boots and attempt to steady the ark
of the Lord lest there be a "union"
_f . .1 V. -V
in v.uurcn suit state.
The absurdity of the whole business
is manifest. The truth is the
preacher is exactly iike any other
citizen in rights, immunities, duties
and privileges. He should, of
course, use common sense as to how,
and when and where and to what degree
he takes part in political discussions?but
so should all others. A
preacher, of course, can make mistakes
and even play the fool in nol'tics,
as well as in religion, but,
when he enacts that role in politics,
he will never be lonely, since there
are so many olhc-s who are not
preachers who do the same thing.
He should, of course, stick to the
"simple gospel." But the simple gospel
includes every form of righteousness,
persona! and individual;
family life, business and industrial,
social and economics, civic and political.
The preacher who draws a
circle about himself, excluding any
form of righteousness, has broken
with His Bible and lost his vision of
the kingdom of God, and departed
from the simple gospel.
The preacher's active interest in
politics is usually aroused only
when some crucial and vital moral
issue is at stake, some issue civic
but non-partisan, something involving
what he believes to be a step
in human nrogiess, a phase of God!s
kingdom on earth Some of these
are inevitably political ar, well as
moral questions, for example, the
Declaration of Independence, the
American constitution; the franchise;
freedom of speech and of the
. .-o , Fur l >0" - UJ. 1LI L ('F1L , 1U ULK5L,
remonstrance and appeal; slavery;
freedom of worship and separation
of church and state; the right of
women to vote; world peace; nureotics
laws, and laws to outlaw the
saloon,
1 think that the moral judgment
of mnr. in enlightened countries
would condemn any preacher who
was without ideals or convictions on
such questions. The Bible teems with
examples oi "preachers in politics"
in their capacity of proclaimers of
' . ' .
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SIXES
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VERY THURSDAY?BOONE, N. C.
? "I in
righteousness. Nathan rebuked
King David; Elijah castigated King!
A hob and Jezebel; Azariah rchuked
King Uzziah; John the Baptist re-i
buked King Herod, and paid for itj
with his life; Paul and Peter, the
New Testament models for preach-,
I ers, in their epistles both define!
j civic duties to their followers rci
peatediy.
Note, however, that u s u a 11 y|
! preachers do not make these issues;
| partisan?they should all be re|
garden as nou-parvisan for the gen- ]
l cral welfare. Mere party-ism is. ofi
j course, out of piacc in the pulpit. 1
j Great principles stand on their own
, merits. Political parties make them
| partisan issues. Quinine is regarded'
by doctors who prescribe it as a
! non-partisan medicine, good for
Democrats and Republicans alike.
I But, if one of these parties should
I adopt an anti-quinine plank in its
I nnhlinul
, , K,HMV.uuii ?>- wuuiu rorce tnc
j doctors at cr.ce into politics, very
partisan and, I suspect, very vchem
j ant. So also preachers become at'
tive in politics only when some basi
ic, moral principles, something ncI
cessnry to human welfare is attacked
| by a political party. If a preachar
r =
mi I.I I mil IIII !
!
The Republica
meet in con
I SEP
to nominate a t
other business
The chairm
ed to call their
spective voting
at 1 o'clock p.
votes cast in tl
cutive Commit
This Septe:
J. C. RAY, Set
j
LIST
Do you need ai
Tile, Piping (j
Paint (our spe
ment; or in fact
Remerr
to ask i
I Farmers Ha
i i
\
!to'^lltra rwhscisb
j cannot expound and proclaim such f
principles -without being charged i(
j partvisra. then there is something ,,
: wrong with him. or with the people,
: or with the relations between him
| and the people. "
J 1 do not. doubt that some of the t'
j tears that are being shed over the ?
alleged delinquency of preachers in' a
I politics are genuine. But 1 am si
j fuly convinced that most of theses p
tears, are of the crocodile variety.!
They remind one of the story of *
the late Senator Vance of North e!
Carolina. He was asked if he did
not think it very bad for preachers "
to meddle in politics. With a twin- n
klc in his eye he replied: "Well, it a
all depends on which side they mod- n
die in." j y
CLUB WOMEN TO VOTE n
EACH ONES CHOICE
In an effort to make clear to the c
genera! public the status of business ti
and professional women throughout
the country in the coming political!
campaign, the National Federation t!
of Business and Professional Worn- t
en's clubs has issued a letter to ali -
ms of Watauga County ;
ivention at the courthouse ii
AT 12 O'CLOCK M.
icket for county officers ant
as may come before the coi
ten of the different Townsbi
Township Primaries to me
places on FRIDAY SEPT
m., and elect one delegate
te last election, and reorgas
tees.
mber 5, 1928.
W. H. GRAGG,
:retary
inn in *r
hi\ M
ny of the following: ,Wi'e
my kind); Farm Tools; SI
cialty) : Ranges (the Great
: just anything in the Hardw
iher we are here to serve y
r\ * /- '?~' n ft T?V T"*
AKL KKjH i . We w
is whether you buy or not.
Your friends,
rdware & Supi
ne of the Gre at Majestic R
BOONE, N. C.
,v * V jf! < ' ' iv ' jj
%Mj?z i
THREE
ederated clubs. urging members to
lentify themselves actively -with the
olitica! party of their choice.
The letter further attempts to
lake clear the fact that, contrary
1 the impressions of some members
f the executive board of the nation!
organisation, this body, in its con:itution.
is bound to a non partisan
osition in all political matters and
I) members are by no means deprivd
ot their individual rights to parcinato
as ir.riividrznU IT. rr. r.1 nnipn
'ork. All leaders io the state and
ational federations are asked to use
heir influence in uiginp, a!! ciub
(embers to exercise this ureal privege
of citizenship by voting in the
outing national election for the
tan of each member's choice.
The most effective oratory in
'hieago. it would seem, is berabasie,?Arkansas
Gazette.
As wc recall it, complaint about
he high cost of living began about
he time patches went out of style.
-Bakersfield California)!.
Eire called to
a Boone on
1 transact such
nvention,
ips are requestjet
at their reEMBER
28th,
for every 25
lize their ExeChairman.
??
Fencing. Drain
lelf Hardware;
Majestic) ; Ceare
line.
rou and
ant you
SiliSSEBBNI