| News and Views | November 1941 |
Religion and the War
THE ARTICLE, “Held in Derision,” which appeared in last month’s News and Views, called attention to the increasing confusion among the nations as one after another of the efforts to establish peace are failing. Developments among the nations since then have emphasized this increasing chaos, and particularly is this true with respect to the position of religion in the reeling world of today. This particular phase of world confusion has been given special point by the President’s announcement pertaining to religious liberty in Soviet Russia.
The President’s press conference remarks on this point have served to bring out into the open the pent-up feelings of many ardent religionists, both Catholic and Protestant, who have been given increasing cause to wonder just what the position of Churchianity would be, if and when the time comes for the world’s belligerents to gather around a conference table to arrange terms of peace. It was difficult for many to understand how assistance to Soviet Russia could help the cause of Democracy and liberty; for everybody knows that Russia has not been a Democracy, and that the people of Russia are not free. But when the suggestion came that helping Russia was helping to win religious freedom for the world, the limit of political expediency seemed to be reached, and this latest effort to instill a spirit of belligerency in a more or less apathetic public further contributed to the steadily rising mass of incongruities.
Consequently there has arisen a storm of protest from the people, and especially from high dignitaries in the church. These protests have come from Catholics and Protestants, clergy and laity; and they have been substantiated by statistical proof of the utter ruthlessness with which the Soviet Government of Russia has made war against Churchianity, both within Russia, and within the Russian occupied Baltic States, since those States were seized by Russia a little over a year ago. In the light of these facts, there seems little doubt about the real attitude of Soviet Russia toward religion. In spite of this, however, high-ranking Protestants, not a few, have urged co-operation with the Soviets.
However, our interest, as students of the Bible, isn’t whether or not the Democracies will find Russia an asset to their war aims of establishing the Four Freedoms. Our interest, rather, is in learning God’s plan as to the outcome of this and all other issues now so prominently in the minds of the people the world over. The world’s statesmen all recognize the crying need for a new order to follow the failure of this present old one, but the Bible tells us that the framework of the new order has already been decided upon by God, and that the next thousand years of human experience is to be under the direction of the “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”
Just so it will be with respect to religion in the new order. Irrespective of what the attitude of Soviet Russia may be towards religion; irrespective of the hopes or fears of Catholics and Protestants, or of the Pope, or of the Archbishop of Canterbury, or of the President of these United States, true religion will not be destroyed from the earth; for, in God’s new order, the knowledge of His glory will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea. Furthermore, the prophet declares that God will “turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.”—Zeph. 3:9
The reason why the Soviet Government is opposed to religion is very enlightening when considered in the light of true Christianity. The claim is that religion is an opiate for the people. Perhaps not all have taken the trouble to analyze just what this means. In brief it is this: that according to the church, God wants the poor people, the under-privileged, to be satisfied with their lot, for this is His will for them. Religion, the Soviets claim, lulls the common people to sleep with the philosophy that they should submit to capitalistic oppression now, because the scales of justice will be balanced for them when they die and go to heaven.
It isn’t difficult to understand why Catholicism—and Protestantism, too, for that matter—is opposed to a viewpoint of this kind. However, God, through the Apostle Paul, does instruct the true followers of the Master to be “subject to the powers that be,” and to be “content” with such things as they have. He does encourage them to give no anxious thought about earthly riches, but rather to lay up treasure in heaven. He does make it plain that they “that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare.” What the Bible does not teach is that the leaders of the church should use these instructions as a means of keeping the people of the world satisfied with ignorance and poverty.
True Christians are followers in the footsteps of the Master. They are promised that if they suffer and die with Him, they will live and reign with Him when His Kingdom is established in the earth. They are invited to sacrifice everything, not because it is God’s will for all the people to be poor, and only as few leaders in the church to he rich. They are invited to take this course of sacrifice because they are called out from the world to be associated with the Messiah in the future Kingdom work of restoring life and happiness to all mankind. It has been the misuse of these instructions to the followers of the Master that has given the Soviets what they consider a just grievance against all religion.
Catholicism and Protestantism alike apparently have been blind to the real Christian hope as revealed in the divine plan for human salvation. They know something of what the Scriptures say about Christ’s Kingdom, and then they claim to be that Kingdom. Not having power in themselves to reign, they have united with the State, and so the church-state systems of Europe have functioned as the Kingdom of Christ. This means that all the oppression and persecution—including the “Holy (?) Inquisition”—for which Europe has been noted throughout the centuries, has been practiced in the name of religion, and by the claimed authority of Christ. It is against this distorted viewpoint and practice of religion that the Soviet Government has declared itself. It is this that has caused the Soviets to be anti-God and anti-religious.
The ideology of Nazism and Fascism, while similar to that of Communism in many respects,—especially in the fact that it is totalitarian—yet in the matter of religion there is a difference. These ideologies are not anti-religious, but include religion—not the Christian religion, but the religion of the supremacy of the State, and the worship of the head of the State. That is to say, these ideologies cannot accept any higher authority in the realm than that of the State, which means that the consciences of the people must bend to the wishes of the State.
In this respect Nazi and Fascist totalitarianism represent a revival of the ancient pagan viewpoint that existed before Papacy became dominant in the Roman Empire. In that ancient setup the Caesars assumed the title Pontifex Maximus, which means chief religious ruler. Under that arrangement there was some degree of religious liberty in that the people were free to serve their various gods up to a point, and that point was that they must recognize Caesar as the supreme god over all gods.
This religious viewpoint of the Nazis has been given point recently by President Roosevelt’s disclosure of Hitler’s plan to abolish all existing religions and put in their place an International Nazi Church. This will be a church, said the President, “which will be served by operators sent out by the Nazi government. In the place of the Bible ‘Mein Kampf’ will be imposed and enforced as holy writ. And in the place of the cross of Christ will be put two symbols—the swastika and naked sword.” Mr. Roosevelt explains that in order to establish this new religion Hitler will “abolish all existing religions—Protestant, Catholic, Mohammedan, Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish alike. The property of all churches will be seized by the Reich.”
The President pointed out that the establishment of this International Nazi Church depended upon Hitler winning the war, and naturally, this was emphasized as one very good reason why the Democracies should not permit Hitler to win the war. From our standpoint Hitler’s ability to destroy existing religions depends entirely upon whether God permits him to do it. As was stated in these columns a month ago, God is working out His own designs in connection with the destiny of the nations, and what selfish men may do, or plan to do, cannot interfere with the divine plan. Perhaps Hitler’s ambition in this connection will serve as one of the means by which the “heavens” of the present evil world will be destroyed.
So today the German people are being propagandized into believing that Hitler—the head of the German State—is their real god and savior. The meaning of the word totalitarian is that of total government, which indicates that it cannot share authority, even if it be in the name of religion these total governments may exclude god, as do the Soviets, or they may, in their ideology, include religion, but if so, the state must be god, no other authority being permitted.
As the days go by the outlook, from the standpoint of worldly wisdom, becomes more and more confusing, and especially so for the churches. Whether they aid the Russians, or aid the Axis powers, they are helping to support influences not for their best interests. But they do try to find an excuse to help, as is shown in an article appearing in the October 18th issue of America, a Jesuit weekly. In this article the Right. Reverend Fulton J. Sheen, a leading Catholic Church theologian, and student of Communism, suggests that it might be possible and proper to give aid to Russia if it can be done without giving aid to Communism. He points out in this connection that it has always been the policy of the Catholic Church to pray for Italy and Germany, while at the same time being opposed to Nazism and Fascism. Thus the article in this Jesuit weekly shows clearly that the Roman Catholic Church is opposed to all three of these “isms,” and the reason clearly is that there is no place in any of them for the claimed authority of the church.
No wonder church leaders as well as political leaders are at their “wits end” to know where best to exert their influence in the present struggle of the nations. But as the inconsistency of outstanding leaders becomes more and more apparent, the tendency is to break down the confidence of the people in all existing institutions. For example, one well-known columnist represented a United States emissary appearing before Comrade Stalin with a crucifix in one hand and a bag of lend-lease gold in the other in an endeavor to persuade him that he should establish real religious liberty in Russia. This is but a sample of the sarcasm and criticism heaped upon democratic statesmen for their attempt to picture the Soviets as a much better group religiously than they really are.
But while no one has been deceived as to the true religious attitude of the totalitarian governments of Europe, yet the publicity that has been given to the subject has not, by any means, increased the respect of the public for the Churchianity of today. It has rather tended to help break down confidence in both statesmen and religionists. Apart from the glorious outcome of the divine purpose as outlined in the prophecies of the Bible, this surely would be a calamity; and those who do not know of the divine plan are truly distressed at what, to them, seems to be a failure of the cause of Christ.
However, as students of the prophecies, we can see that the universal worship of the true God is to take the place of the confused and contradictory worship of the many and varied creedal gods of Churchianity. Therefore we can look upon what is happening in the world today, and not be distressed by it. If we worship a God who is worthy of our worship, certainly we must ascribe to Him the power to look after His affairs among men. Thus, to whatever extent He permits the organized systems that have worshiped in His name to be destroyed, it must he because they have not been entirely satisfactory to Him, and because He has something far superior and vastly more desirable to take their place.
Certainly the record of Churchianity leaves much to be desired, even by its most ardent advocates. Who among all the churches of today would not wish that no sectarian divisions existed? Who among the Catholics, for example, would not wish that there had been nothing in their organization against which the Protestants could properly protest? Who among the Protestants would not wish that the “mother church” had always been such that there would have been no cause for the Protestant movement? Who among the Protestants would not wish that all Protestants could agree, so that Protestantism itself would not need to be divided?
Think of the Fundamentalists today who are mourning because of the growing influence of Higher Criticism and Evolution in our schools and colleges, with the consequent waning of faith on the part of the younger generation. Indeed, it is this growing lack of faith in religion that helps to make possible the growth of Communism and other “isms” in America. For this reason, the argument that Communism is against religion does not seriously frighten the youth of this generation, their attitude for the most part being, What difference does it make?
Thus, no matter from what standpoint we view the Churchianity that has formed one of the bulwarks of an order of things that all admit is now passing, we find contradictions and confusion, waning faith and disintegration. Yes, we find conditions that all deplore, but which no one can remedy. It doesn’t help for any of us to blame the other fellow for these conditions. Even if we assume that everyone concerned has done the best he could, Churchianity has not been able to lead humanity into a world of peace and happiness. Human selfishness has caught up with itself, and, implemented with modern instruments of destruction, is destroying the best in the way of civilization that imperfect human beings have been able to establish. With this destruction, contradictory religion also comes under the hammer, God permitting it because the time is near when, through the Messianic Kingdom reign, true religion is to be established world-wide.
To worship the Creator is inherent in the human make-up. It is not, as the Soviets claim, superstition. Through the blinding and misleading influences of Satan, the god of this world, this true spirit of worship and reverence has been debased so that frequently it isn’t much more than superstition. But all superstitions that have been attached to the true worship of God will quickly be dispelled under the enlightening influences of the Messianic Kingdom. And when that occurs, the people, with one accord, will exclaim, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, … we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”—Isa. 25:9
Meanwhile the Democracies are doing the best they can to maintain the right of the individual to worship God in his own way. With truth obscure, freedom of the individual to worship as his conscience dictates is the best that can be offered under existing conditions. Today freedom of religion means the privilege to worship God in our own way. There will be freedom of religion in the Messianic Kingdom, but not this kind of freedom. Then the people will have freedom to worship only in the one way, and that will be the true way. They shall worship the true God, their Creator, and from Him will flow out blessings of joy and everlasting life.
Under present conditions, freedom to worship and serve God in one’s own way is a great blessing. No one, either the head of a state, or the head of a church, has the ability, nor does he have the divine authority, to establish a rule of faith and practice for others. We may all, as Christians, do what we can to help each other understand the will of God, but no imperfect human being is authorized to tell others what they must believe, and how they must worship. An attempt to do this is to assume an authority that has never been given to fallen man.
Because this fact was lost sight of during the darker past, religious freedom was taken away from the peoples of Europe in the name of religion, and many cruelties were practiced upon those who did not, for conscience sake, step in line with the state church. From this standpoint, many parts of Europe have merely passed from one form of slavery to another. But God is against slavery in all its hideous forms, and through the Messianic Kingdom agencies, will free the people from all the sinful practices of the past.
Satan himself, is the greatest of all taskmasters. He is the great oppressor who has enslaved the world of mankind under his rulership of selfishness, disease and death. But Satan will be bound during the Messianic order, and, for a thousand years, the work will go on of removing the shackles of bondage by which he has held the people under his rule. Even the shackles of disease and death will be destroyed. With this liberating work complete, and the law of God written in the hearts of the people, and a knowledge of His glory filling their minds, all will rejoice to give honor to Him that “sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”—Rev. 5:3
That will be religious freedom indeed—not a freedom that leads to chaos of worship, but to a unity and oneness of thought and purpose, and a oneness of rejoicing in the rich blessings provided by the true God, the Creator.