Article February 8, 1919 Issue

Signs of the Times

with contributions from C. S. Nelson

[Advertisement in Cleveland (Ohio) News]

First Church of Christ, Scientist, Lakewood, Ohio, as a law-abiding organization, has complied with the order of the health authority closing the churches and debarring Sunday schools, to prevent the spread of the "flu germ." But it has been under protest as unnecessary, ineffectual, unjustly discriminating, and an invasion of the rights of personal and religious liberty guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.

The first objection is sustained by the testimony of many physicians. In Chicago, at a round table discussion by public health officials of this country and Canada, the closing of schools was a topic. Later, Dr. H. W. Hill, president of the Minnesota State Public Health Department, who acted as chairman, made the statement, "The consensus of opinion I have met with here and elsewhere is that the advisability of closing the schools for the influenza does not exist." In Chicago the churches were open, the health commissioner, Dr. John D. Robertson, holding that the effect of the services was helpful to fight the influenza.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Signs of the Times

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access