The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY AUGUST 22, 1887. RELIGION AND POLITICS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2680, 22 August 1887, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY AUGUST 22, 1887. RELIGION AND POLITICS.

.-,..,■». .'... — . We hold "that; theology, and politics are ..altogether- .different sciences; whether this.should be so. or not, we do not pretend to.,say f '.T)ut"that cizilised society regard^'-,tlijsm;:|3 .separate is self evident, v.; r'flisfery) proves that many men wholiave.been indifferent theologians have.made excellent rulers and statesmen; and that others, perfect in theology, have been indifferent jeitemers;' Experience also has. •shewn that'many of those who hold "'advancedbpinions," are yet worthy citizens. If then a ruler, or politician

or private; citizen is just, capable, or law-abiding, we' maintain no one has. the nght to enquire whether such' men' believe, hi this or that dogma. Moreover > we' deem, and • all rightthinking men deem, that any attempt to disparage a man by taunting him with 'his religious beliefs degrades those who uso such taunts, far more ■than the object of their narrow perse-, cution. The whole tendency of the age. is., tpwai'ds .thorough religious toleration; 'and some of the grandest victories .''of the century- have beon those, Wlhch' ■'• relieved our Roman Catholic, Jewish, and even infidel .brethren from harsh rollgidus disabili■■ties,:: - But just as strongly, as we-"assert, that a man's'•'•religion or want of: it should not be employed as a weapon to stir up prejudioe.againßt him, do we also affirm that it,is: disgraceful for anyone to make religion a lever, by whioh to attain political. ends; and when the person so using religion does not believe in the religion lie so basely prostitutes no words permissible to do'oent 'journalism adequately describe .the, depravity of-.his conduct.' Religion or rather theibaso counterfeit of it, is at the present moment being employed, an-this Colony rnerely to attain politi:calpiaceaiidpower,and.we consider that.all. those who see.in .their jfaith something more than a. mere name; alfljljose who regard religion as a j£eMy:saoredthing should protest in 'unmistakeable language against the foulinslilt-.which is being offered.to thorn by the- prostration of all they ''dfi'em ; venßrable.. Wecpnfess—believingjis we do• that; -tlie.- secular press; should 1 bbtahV from - religioiis con-: trOyersy—that, we should -not' perhaps: have dealt with.' this repulsive ■ subject had not reHgious.predjuicebeehah'oady and .. most unworthily ; introduced, in the-Wairarapa, in the present' electoral contest. Even now,:. Trie make no attempt, as others have done, to disparage or defame any person on account of their religious opinions, We simply offer our emphatic protest against such persons "practising

piety,'' as a moans of attaining powGiv Nor'de'weti'dvTpropose.to enter^ jnto any religious controversy,; but'. ilmpy ti),exposea : gross act pr hypocrisy, which must be equally! patent -.anuV ■distasteful'to men' of every religious denomination. For the' past • four., months thero has been--published' in Wellington; a..smart:' religious paper Ayhich-li'as' been notorious' oiily ; for; very.yinu'ent.ahd ■disgraceful attacks 'icippn:-tbe : faitli' : bf- bai/KomaK^^OatljoHo : been purchased'or subsidised by the iGoM'jimen^e.notice, that -though - only a'few weeks in existence it has several Government advertisements—and articles' from the; pens of 'Sir Eobert-.Stput and Mr Ballance •have appeared in its columns/ .These ;two gentlemen have 'as much nght to own 'anyone-else, though there j may'be a grave question of. the propriety of inserting Government notices however, Sir.Roberfc Stout Is a.pronounced Agnostic, and Mr Ballance as prominent an Atheist, '.itmight naturally* have been 'supposed :that the religious element would-have been,'eliminated.' p: Nothing' ot the, kind.has-.been done; The first, page ■d the issue before us contains ■ adver- ■ jjiisefflents, on the second we find the following bible text:- •'■ ', .;.': v ,1 am- tho root and offspring of .'Jesse, and the bi'ight and. morning star;. Jtrid : the spirit and'.tbe'bride say come. ■ And let him : that heav'eth say Come. And whosoever will, let himtako the water of life freely. Bov. 22ch v. 16.17.

Immediately beneath this is the leading article, entitled: " The- Tory Bloodhounds on Sir Robert Stout,'' Pushed back on the 4th. page _ is', the "religion" which is of the : most, .pro'nounced type,- The leading article with the above gentle title is written, it is asserted,, by a well-known minister, and all we can say is-that the article is a disgrace to whoever wrote it, but doubly disgrace-ful-if written by the person who edits }he religious matter contained in the paper, and whose profession is that of peace and charity towards all mankind, The article, referred to is a virulent, vulgar, and witless attack upon the three Wellington papers and upon Mr George Fisher. Hore are a few samples of the expressions used. Referring to the Cigarettes. .in the' Evening Press, we have;—. ■

This scaro-prowing is sometimes- very offeotivo, but there is..occasionally a danger of dead cats and rotten 'eggs being thrown at tho scarcorows. '-.....: ' . .TJifl Times, we afo told: •. - •■ Docs tho puzzling and confounding business and also M heavy slogging, tho your'o-.a-liar-sir-and-you-know-it-work. . . *...';■,- Gabriel : John lies all abroavd. on somp sub-' jeots till ho gets it 'Believed;;. : The Post; we are- informed by this Minister of the Prince of-Peace:— •'■ " Does tho work of-tho.sniyeliing sn'eak,"

;. After reviling MWEsftoyforihaving mitten a letterubo'uti.feßobert'Stout",we make tho.astounding discovery that ■for, the purposes of- this election odinpaigh\.Agnostic, Sir ißobert,.'ex-editor of that dofimct infidel paper, the. Echo, desires-.to assume the fole.ipf;-a Qlniis•tian, tho'.',' Christian'' ,'editor, r: wlio writes in the. first person') iip'ostro-phizirig'MrFisher,-says;;—: '■ r.'" ■>

-V'Excuse my Vfirituting. io "aclyiae such-a'-| master, but don't shock tho pablic. -It' is.. a-'| queer auirflaltliat likes, virtue in father people,:' and if'a. renegade radical sooffa: at virtue;:.: espeoialijT Ghmstun' vidiue, it is kpt'-tol-.beobmfl angry." ~-.'"., ■. ,' :jSir Robert •"Stmjt'S'"virtues'' are therefore,' Chrietian -'virtues'.'There are some three columns of sirailar witless .vulgarities, ■'■ And .this: is wli'at religion and a Minister of religion have come to! Religion—after being dragged through the mire of two pages of' election- recriminations and abuse-stuck away on the fourth page, iu.ordor that the .religious subscribers may be retained andeajoled into the belief that two freethinkers like Mossrs Stout and Ballance hold their religious and political opinions, A M inister of religion so lost to all sense of his sacred profession, that he can assist two unscrupulous politicals to hoodwink the people ; and so oblivious to the teach-. ings of his master that he can comingle texts of scripture with scum-. lous language, and the pure teachings of Christianity, with sentiment's and language more appropriate to the bagnio or gutter I ' •