# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Februar 1906_S86
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

86 Kirchlich⸗Zeitgeschichtliches.

Die Geheimnisse det Logen. Die Legislatur von New York hat im
vorigen Jahre folgendes Gesetz angenommen: Any person who willfully,
by aid of any false token or writing, or other false pretense or statement,
or without the authority of the grand lodge of the order, obtains the
signature of any person to any written application, or any money or
property for any alleged or pretended degree, secret work or secrets of,
or membership in, any secret fraternal society having a grand lodge in this
state, or in any subordinate lodge or body thereof, is subject to a penalty
of imprisonment of not more than three years or by a fine to an amount
not exceeding the value of the money or property so obtained, or by both.“
Hierzu bemerkt der Caristian Advocate: Independent of the utility 0f
the law, it reveals the fact that people of common sense and observation
have long since known, that it is impossible to make and maintain an
absolutely secret soeiety. Unless the so-called work of any society has
been changed within six months, it is possible to get every ceremonial
they have, and with substantial accuracy the language used.“ F. B.

Initiationen der geheimen Gesellschaften. Die von den Tageszeitungen
berichtete Einführung eines Studenten in eine der geheimen Gesellschaften
des Kenyon⸗College, welche damit endete, daß der Student von der Eisen⸗
bahn überfahren wurde, veranlaßt den Independent zu folgender Aussprache:
„We are aware that these boys were only following ignorantly and stupidly
the example of older men; perhaps of their fathers, who are members of
secret societies Wwhich compel candidates for initiation to 'ride the goat,
or which toss them in blankets, and do other silly and sometimes dangerous
things in the way of ridiculous or perilous practical jokes, to get amuse-
ment out of the fright or surprise of their victims. There is no apology
for this nonsense. Men who respect themselves should not submit to such
initiations. When they find what is required they should withdraw, and
declare they will not be members of such a society.“ Die Loge zerstört
aber durch ihre Initiationen nicht bloß das Ehrgefühl, sondern auch durch
ihre Eide und Versprechen das Gewissen und durch ihre Rituale und Gottes⸗
dienste Religion und Christentum. F. B.

Die Lebensversicherungs⸗Skandale veranlassen den Lutheran zu fol⸗
genden Bemerkungen: What surprises us in this matter is that there has
been no widespread attack on the prineiple of life insurance. It is well
known that there are clerics, and some of them are or were among our ovn
ranks, who denounce life insurance as an evidence of lack of faith in
Providence, and nothing but gambling on one's ovn life. One could not
satisfy these crities that it is merely an investment on the one hand, as
much so as depositing money in a savings bank, and on the other a com-
bination of men willing to share the financial burdens incident to death
as men bear one another's burdens in a sick benefit society.“ Glaubt der
Lutheran wirklich, daß, wenn z. B. Leute ihr Leben bis zur Höhe von §50,000
oder 8500,000 versichern, es sich um weiter nichts handelt als sharing the
gnancial burdens incident to death as men bear one another's burdens in
a sick benefit society“? F. B.

II. Ausland.

In seiner Eröffnungsansprache bei der lutherischen Konferenz in Freien⸗
walde sagte P. Gensichen: „Jst es doch eine der brennendsten kirchlichen
Fragen der Gegenwart: was haben wir zu tun, um das Bekenntnis unsers