Our Attitude in Regard to Politics
To the Teachers and Managers of our Schools,
—Those who have charge of our institutions and our schools should
guard themselves diligently, lest by their words and sentiments they
lead the students into false paths. Those who teach the Bible in our
churches and our schools are not at liberty to unite in making apparent
their prejudices for or against political men or measures, because by
so doing they stir up the minds of others, leading each to advocate his
favorite theory. There are among those professing to believe present
truth, some who will thus be stirred up to express their sentiments and
political preferences, so that division will be brought into the church.
The Lord would have His people bury political questions. On these
themes silence is eloquence. Christ calls upon His followers to come
into unity on the pure gospel principles which are plainly revealed
in the word of God. We cannot with safety vote for political parties;
for we do not know whom we are voting for. We cannot with safety
take part in any political scheme. We cannot labor to please men
who will use their influence to repress religious liberty, and to set in
operation oppressive measures to lead or compel their fellow-men to
keep Sunday as the Sabbath. The first day of the week is not a day to
be reverenced. It is a spurious sabbath, and the members of the Lord’s
family cannot participate with the men who exalt this day, and violate
the law of God by trampling upon His Sabbath. The people of God
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are not to vote to place such men in office; for when they do this, they
are partakers with them of the sins which they commit while in office.
We are not to compromise principle by yielding to the opinions
and prejudices which we may have encouraged before we united with
God’s commandment-keeping people. We have enlisted in the army of
the Lord, and we are not to fight on the enemy’s side, but on the side
of Christ, where we can be a united whole, in sentiment, in action, in
spirit, in fellowship. Those who are Christians indeed will be branches
of the true vine, and will bear the same fruit as the vine. They will
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