NOT the least of the monopolies for the establishment of which determined efforts are being put forth at the present time, is one which is designed to cover the field of men’s conduct in religion.
Religious monopoly is not a new thing—a creation of the nineteenth century. It is as old as the history of mankind. The first man to set one up was Cain, who killed his brother because he practiced a different religion from his own.
A religious monopoly is the worst of all forms of monopoly, both because religion is of all the things the most essential to human welfare, and because such a monopoly not only seeks to drive all other religious out of the field, but to force everybody to take religion from it as well.
It declares not only that nobody shall practice a religion contradictory to itself, but that everybody must have religion—of the kind which it supplies—whether the individual wants it or not.
The religion which is aiming at a monopoly to-day, in this and other “Christian” lands, has for its distinguishing feature the observance of the first day of the week.
It demands that all men, of whatever race or belief, shall incorporate this distinguishing feature into their conduct, thus becoming in a true sense its adherents.
This monopoly has behind it a gigantic force of church workers and religious societies. It has already received the support of Congress, the courts, and the State legislatures.
But there is one other religion in the field which will not yield to this monopoly; and that religion is Christianity. The distinguishing feature of Christianity is faith in the Word of God; hence, it is in contrast with the religion of the monopoly, since the Word of God does not command the observance of the first day of the week.
A clash between the two religions is inevitable, for Christianity will not yield her ground or turn aside from her appointed course. All false religions can compromise upon some essential feature common to all; but Christianity cannot compromise with anything.
A religious monopoly which was prophesied for the closing period of earthly history is described in the latter half of the thirteenth chapter of Revelation. There a [643] power is spoken of which should perform miracles in the endeavor to cause the people to “worship the image of the beast,” and it is said of it that “he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive the mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
The Sabbath is declared in the Scriptures to be the sign of the true God—he who has creative power. Its observance constitutes a mark upon those who are his people. See Ezekiel 20:12, 20. The Sabbath of the Lord is the seventh day of the week.
On the other hand is the Sunday, which is claimed by the papacy as the sign of her spiritual power, and the observance of which properly constitutes a mark of adherence to her. In proportion as the clash between Christianity and the would-be religious monopoly becomes more fierce, these opposing marks will acquire the prominence in the field of controversy. They will become the standards, as it were, at the head of the conflicting forces.
Every opposer of monopolies should understand that opposing the worst of all monopolies he is called to take his stand on the side of Christianity. Christianity has no monopoly. Its whole aim is to bestow freedom, to exalt the race, as individuals, to the plane of that independence of thought and action which is consistent with the highest human welfare.