Show RELIGION IN POLITICS 08 A gratt many professional politicians seem to have strong prejudice against the influence of religion in politics this may be accounted for by tworea two reasons one is that they are generally despiser despi sers of religion in any form and the other that they want to do all the bossing themselves that the masses of voters are largely controlled by leading or pushing spirits in the different parties no truthful person will attempt to deny conventions formulate platforms and arrange tickets and conventions themselves are manipulated by prominent voli poll ti clans while their business and principles and candidates are usually settled aled upon in private caucus by the bosses and their immediate associates this thesis is considered regular and all right A congressman a public officeholder a lawyer a soldier a sailor a merchant a mechanic a man in almost any VOca vocation tift may figure in politics and exercise in an influence upon the people but bat a minister Is to the professional politician like a red rag to a bull and a mormon elder no matter what maybe may be his regular business for all mormon preachers have some secular occupy j tion is of all citizens apparently the most obnoxious as a moulder of public opinion to the men who want to regulate public affairs now we take the ground around that religion ought to exercise a powerful influence in political eal leal matters there is no need here tt th discuss the non I 1 I 1 of church and sense about a union state there is no such thing in this nation and cannot be in the very nature of things but bat the relation of religion to politics to is a different thins thing Rell gloa is a poor washy and sickly sentimental abstraction it if it does not sets acts and aad lives in public and in private true religion comprehends not only mans duty to god but his duty to his neighbor indeed one duty comprehends the other it is not a mere matter of faith in certain theories it involves right light doing as well as right believing it comprehends a mans whole powers as an individual a member ot of a family part of 0 society a citizen of a country a living integer in the sum of f humanity A preacher of religion then is necessarily a teacher of morality of social 0 obligations b es I 1 avons of political ti iles ty by the very natu nature re of his calling tie he sh should exercise an influence in these directions As a citizen too he has as much right as another to political opinions and aad the expression thereof and to the advocacy of such men and measures as his judgment decides are for the public good the attempt to exclude preachers from politics is as great an extreme in s reverse direction as was the old time domination of the priest over the layman no eccles last has the right to lord it over the consciences ot of men nor to compel them to accept any theory or vote for any policy or any person on the other hand the secularist has not the right to curtail the civil rights of ministers nor to thrust religion butof out of politics coercion is equally equall wrong on either side it is as MUCK much an infringement on the liberty of the individual to deny a preacher his bis political rights and pr e 0 as it is forham to use any ioileff kind ind 0 of force 0 ace upon a voter or an officeholder but it very often happens that the loudest for unlimited freedom is the first to impose limits upon the freedom of others whose views and influence run counter to his own it depends a g great rest deal to a part izan upon whether the religious minister favors his bis party or the opposition it if his bis politics are in accord his influence is proper if not down with the political sl preacher politics must be kept out of the pulpit the mormon religion as it is called does not attempt to coerce mankind in anything it teaches true liberty its ita influence is in favor of freedom it ib makes no claim to a right to dominate in politics the po power of its ita priesthood is to be exercised by persuasion by enlightenment by reasoning by showing a more excellent way if any man holding authority therein seeks to exercise in unrighteous righteous dominion to foist his bis friends upon an unwilling people to force any private or personal measure upon others to interfere with the free agency of any human being to threaten to terrorize or to infringe upon any civil or political right he be does that which is not out only out of harmony with the spirit t of of bifi i calling but buc is positively forb forbidden d e by y the commandments and revelations on which his creed is founded the very essence of mor inon ism is the freedom of the creature and his direct responsibility to the creator one reason for the objection raised political ike preaching aching is the notion a great many people entertain that religion I 1 relates to another world and has no application to this the mistake is extreme and radical the very reason why religion is to affect the future is because it affects the present it prepares for heaven by operating on earth if it is not practical here it will have no bearing upon the hereafter singing praying devotion ceremonies ordinances benedictions are simply aids to the impression upon the minds of the worshippers wor shippers of the practical lessons of religion which are to direct peoples people a lives and acts and influence them to present deeds for individual righteousness and the common good of mankind every virtue every duty and every response res ability are included in real religion and their inculcation is one of the functions of the religious teacher but bat whether as a citizen on the platform or a preacher in the pulpit a mormon elder has the right under the constitution and the institutions of this free republic to advocate such principles and such men to represent them as in his judgment will be tor for the best interests of the people who listen to him and for the welfare of our common country and the people have just as much right to listen to his arguments ask his bis advice and follow his counsel as if he be were a godless worldly wire pu pulling n politician i working for place p pelf el party or power or were a pers person 0 n in an any trade or profession apart fro from M religion or its Muen influences ces liberty in some florae peoples minds consists in in freedom to think and act as they decide they are the most intolerant of intolerant a they are fitting companions lor for the shout ere era for independence who think nobody independent who follows any one but bur them union they denounce as bondage bendage it if it is not union with their measures and everybody is a slave that will not dance to their piping ip ing 0 or r jump to the crack of their air W whip T the latter day saints should profit by the lessons they have learned their strength is in their union their weakness is in following bad advice or in neglecting good counsel they are oot not required to yield to compulsion nor forced to attend to any duty but neglect of responsibilities and a disregard of sound teachings are a virtual betrayal of their cause for such a course counts for the opposition and is just what their enemies most desire political duty is important duty and no one should be deter deterred zed from its performance by the jibes or sophistry or misrepresentations of the op posers of religion la in politics les |