ARE the majority of the adult citizens of this country Christians? The total church membership is only about 20,000,000 out of a population of 70,000,000 people. And even admitting that a majority of the people are nominal Christians, can it be reasonably claimed that real Christian are in the majority? Certainly no such claim could be admitted.
The religious people of the country, therefore, ought to realize that any attempt to control this Government in the interests of religion, must be dangerous to themselves. For this is a government “of the people, by the people;” and while a majority of the people no doubt have a respect for religion in its present status, an attempt to compel the unchristian majority to conform to religious customs and views held to by the minority, cannot but arouse bitter opposition; and in the storm thus raised their own religious temples may be beaten down upon their heads. They may then learn to appreciate better than they do now that provision of the Constitution which says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”