How an invention of the fifteenth century opened up an era of enlightenment which gradually is demolishing all the strongholds of darkness

The Power of Words

EVERYTHING which exists in the whole vast universe of God originated with a thought. In this material world in which we humans live and move and have our being, thoughts are transmitted largely by words. The measure in which one man’s thoughts can reach out and influence others depends upon the extent to which words adequate to describe those thoughts can be transmitted to the minds of his fellow men. This is why the invention of the first printing press by Gutenberg in the fifteenth century marked the beginning of such an important era in human experience. The printing press, since then, has made possible an almost unlimited conveying of thought, not only from individual to individual, but from nation to nation and from generation to generation.

There are archeological evidences that the art of writing was known before the flood. Away back in that antediluvian world men learned how to record their thoughts in a way that could be understood by others; but the process was tedious and laborious. The cuneiform style of writing was in general use at that time, and the words were etched upon clay tablets, and then baked in ovens or in the sun to give them a degree of permanency. But the method was so slow that the recordings were largely merely of a statistical nature and sometimes brief family histories. Many of these ancient tablets have been unearthed and their inscriptions deciphered, and while the information thus gained of conditions which existed before the flood is interesting, it is not of a nature to change the course of the world today.

The art of writing improved somewhat after the flood, but clay and stone tablets were used for centuries thereafter. There came the parchment rolls, with varying degrees of quality, improving in durability. And finally paper appeared. But during this entire period there was no better way of recording thoughts than the hand method, with all of its limitations. Few were able to write, and the masses could not read what was written. Even in the case of the Israelites, provision was made for the Law to be read to them on certain stated occasions. This was undoubtedly because the rank and file of the ancient Israelites were illiterate.

The philosophers of Greece had no adequate way of disseminating their theories. Probably the general public today know more about Platonic philosophy than did the Greeks themselves at the time of Plato, for the simple reason that the art of printing has made those views available, to all and sundry. The Bible itself was very limited in circulation. Copies of the Scriptures in manuscript form were scarce in the early church. Each new copy that was made required much time, and was costly.

But the advent of the printing press began to change this whole scene. Strangely enough, the first book to be printed was the Bible. Some of the astute, far-seeing people of Gutenberg’s day were quick to realize what the printing press would ultimately mean to a world society, which was particularly true respecting some of the religious leaders of that time. We should remember that this was in the days of the chained Bible, when the common people were not permitted to read or possess the sacred Scriptures. There is a legend to the effect that Gutenberg’s helper was dubbed the “printer’s devil,” and that this is the origin of the title which is now applied to apprentice printers.

Only those who maintain a strangle hold on others through ignorance need fear the wide dissemination of knowledge, for knowledge is the key to true liberty. It breaks the shackles of superstition and prejudice, of whatever nature they may be; and the printing press has certainly contributed mightily to the increase of knowledge.

It is a far cry from Gutenberg’s crude contraption to the modern four-color rotary press, but all through the years of this development the art of printing has flooded the world with knowledge. It has built our public libraries, established our newspapers and magazines, and implemented our public schools and colleges. Printing, now augmented by the radio, is smashing our time-worn creeds of the Dark Ages, creeds which dishonor God and turn men away from him in unbelief.

Printing, for example, has made possible the wide use of Hebrew and Greek concordances of the Bible. From these we learn that the Bible does not teach the gruesome doctrine of eternal torture for the wicked. With the removal of this superstition we are able to comprehend more fully what the Bible means when it tells us that God is love. Without printing, the Christian world would still be supposing that the Bible teaches hellfire and damnation,

The Bible has been well styled “the torch of civilization,” and the printing press has sent the Bible into all lands, translated into practically every known language of the earth. In contrast with the era of the first printing press, when practically no one possessed a Bible, and none but the high prelates of the church were permitted to read it, now there is scarcely a home in the entire civilized world that does not contain this divinely inspired Book.

Hand in hand with the phenomenal circulation of the Bible, made possible by the printing press, there came also a general diffusion of knowledge along all other lines; national, political, and industrial. This knowledge has awakened the world to a sense of its needs, and has begotten in the hearts of the common people everywhere a desire for liberty which cannot be denied. One of our statesmen has well said that knowledge has started the masses on the march to freedom; and the invention of the printing press was the first drumbeat to inspire this march.

The increase of knowledge made possible through printing is cumulative, in that the learning and experience of one generation is recorded and widely disseminated for the benefit of the next. With the printing of books came records of the thoughts and discoveries of thinkers and observers which, without this invention, would never have been known to their successors. With books came a more general education, and finally common schools.

As knowledge becomes more widespread, and books more common, the generation possessing these has a decided advantage over previous generations. It means a large increase in the number of thinkers, and each successive generation has, through books made possible by printing, the combined knowledge and experience of the past in addition to its own. Education and a desire to achieve distinction, aided by the record and descriptions of inventions, have stimulated and brightened man’s perceptive powers.

But with all the advantages that have come to the human race through the advent of printing, the hearts of men have not been mellowed. Selfishness still rides the saddle of human thought and conduct, and in many instances the knowledge that some possess more of this world’s goods than others has increased selfishness, and promoted strife and ill will. Indeed, the prophet indicated that this would be the case, for the increase of knowledge is prophetically associated with a “time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.”—Daniel 12:1-4

Viewed prophetically, the advent of printing is thus seen to be one of the highlights to signal an incoming new day. From this standpoint it should not be viewed as a natural development in human progress, but as one of the providences of God designed to accomplish certain features of his plan in the due time which he had arranged. If it were possible for an individual who lived in Jesus’ day, or even a mere hundred years ago, to be awakened from the sleep of death now and to be shown the world as it is at the present time, he would certainly insist that he was surrounded with miracles; and much of this change has been brought about either directly or indirectly through the advent of printing.

Every condition in the world today that has come about as a direct result of the increase of knowledge can quite properly be looked upon as miraculous. These conditions have not been produced by the wisdom of man, nor can human wisdom fathom their meaning nor approximate their outcome. Powers and influences have been at work in the world, and are still at work, which go beyond natural comprehension.

Jesus, in explaining the result of his return and second presence, said that it would be as the “brightshining” which would come out of the east, and manifest itself even to the west—in other words, a worldwide diffusion of knowledge. It is the impact of knowledge, symbolized by Jesus as the brightshining of his presence, that is causing the deterioration of the present evil world in preparation for the establishment of Christ’s kingdom and the manifestation of the increasing brightshining of the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings.

Practically all action on the part of intelligent creatures is induced by information received. Knowledge is not miraculously impressed upon the minds of the masses by divine power without the process of reasoning. No, words and languages are the vehicles which God uses for transmitting thoughts, and it was the advent of printing which paved the way for the wide diffusion of knowledge necessary to cause humanity to rise up and destroy civilization.

When at the Tower of Babel God confounded the language of the people he effectually blocked progress in knowledge. Modern printing and the translation of accumulated thoughts from one language to another have largely overcome the handicap of diversified languages, so that today the world is flooded with ideas representing the sum total of knowledge gained throughout all the ages. It is this diffusion of symbolic light, commingled with a great deal of misinformation, that is producing the action which portends the destruction of the world.

And this is understandable. As superstition is exposed, the first desire is to destroy the systems which have fostered it. As the information concerning better conditions in one part of the world is communicated to less fortunate people elsewhere on the earth, it causes them to struggle for better conditions in their own country. As human selfishness attempts to raise barriers to the legitimate improvement of world conditions, the increasing knowledge of the new day induces the oppressed more and more strenuously to demand their “rights.”

Thus the increasing light of the new day, in addition to dispelling the ignorance of the past, and because thus far it is unaccompanied by love, is gradually turning every man’s hand against his neighbor. The final result of this is, as is already manifested in the world, a “time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.”

But such is only the necessary preparatory work for the new kingdom, a clearing of the way for the real time of blessing soon to follow. The general chaos we see all about us is but the confusion which has resulted from the turning on of the light of the Master’s presence. The poor, benighted people, steeped in selfishness, and seeking largely their own interests, see the light, and are hurrying hither and thither to secure treasures it reveals to them, but they do not realize the real significance of what is taking place.

But thank God, we can see what it means! We know that the King of Glory has come, and that the shadows of the dark night are being scattered, and the institutions of darkness are doomed to destruction. So far as the world of mankind is concerned, for the most part only that portion of light has yet been revealed which is necessary to bring about the destruction of the present order. With this completed, and the kingdom of Christ in its restorative aspects fully established, “the brightshining of his presence” will increase in brilliancy, and through the proper kingdom channels will ultimately cause the knowledge of the glory of God to fill the whole earth as the waters cover the sea.

The scientists hope so—but why not try love?

Will Fear Save the World?

SCIENTISTS as a rule are practical people who deal with facts. This has been demonstrated by a program of education recommended by the Committee of Atomic Scientists which has its headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey. It is a six-point program, and various affiliated groups will work with the committee to bring these points to the attention of the American people. This is a realistic approach to the threat of destruction by atomic bombs; a threat which the scientists are convinced is a real one, unless something can be done to educate the masses, and presumably, cause them to force their governments to co-operate with, rather than to make war against, one another. The six points concerning which the atomic scientists want the public to become fully conscious are as follows:

1. Atomic bombs can now be made cheaply and in large numbers; and they will become more destructive.

2. There is no military defense against atomic bombs, and none is to be expected.

3. Other nations can rediscover our secret processes by themselves.

4. Preparedness against atomic war is futile, and if attempted, will ruin the structure of our social order.

5. If war breaks out, atomic bombs will be used, and they will surely destroy our civilization.

6. There is no solution to this problem except international control of atomic energy, and ultimately the elimination of war.

Truly these six points of authentic information are startling, and it is well that the public give them serious consideration. The Big Four foreign ministers, their colleagues in the United Nations Security Council, and the General Assembly, are surely acquainted with these facts. But the scientists believe the safety of the world depends upon the public in general becoming conscious of the dread threat to civilization posed by the atomic bomb.

Undoubtedly the approach of the scientists to this baffling problem is more practical than is that of the politicians and world statesmen. To know the facts involved in any situation is always advisable; and the more there are who know the facts, the better it is. However, the program of education suggested by the scientists to solve the problem of atomic bombs does not strike at the real roots of the trouble. It offers no suggestion that men and women of all nations be taught the advantages of good will and mutual interest, so that they will have no desire to kill one another in order to have their own way.

The six points of the scientists’ educational program are merely an appeal to the instinct of fear. The hope is that if people become frightened enough of what will happen in the event of war, they will do something to prevent war, but the history of the human race does not bear out this hope. It is true, of course, that in many instances wars have been promoted by rulers who knew that it would be their subjects rather than themselves who would have to suffer and die; but this has not always been the case. In medieval times duels were fought with the definite knowledge that one or the other of the contending parties would meet certain death; but this knowledge did not prevent their taking chances with death in order to win advantages for themselves which otherwise would not have been theirs.

The same principle holds true with nations. The selfish human heart cannot be softened and sweetened by fear, nor will fear of the horrors of atomic warfare serve to keep the peace of the world. And atomic warfare, if and when it comes, will indeed be horrible. Let us note again the six fear-instilling points set forth by the scientists.

First, atomic bombs can be made cheaply and in large quantities, and they will become more destructive. When the first atomic bomb was exploded over Hiroshima, we were told that they were exorbitantly expensive to manufacture, hence would probably never come into common use as weapons of warfare, especially by the smaller nations. Now the scientists tell us that this is no longer the case—they can be made cheaply, and in large quantities, and will he more destructive than the one which destroyed Hiroshima. This information is certainly not very quieting.

There is no military defense against atomic bombs they say, and none is expected. In other words, all nations are living in glass houses, which afford no protection, and nothing can be done about it. Apparently no money need be wasted on air raid shelters in preparation for the next war.

For awhile Americans felt secure behind a supposed curtain of secrecy. We thought that the English-speaking world alone knew how to make atomic bombs, and by this knowledge would make the rest of the world behave itself. Now the scientists have taken away that sense of security. Other nations will also learn how to make these devilish instruments of destruction, they tell us.

Furthermore, the scientists warn, if we attempt a program of preparedness against atomic war, the whole structure of our social order will be ruined. Certainly this doesn’t sound very reassuring.

The public has been partially lulled into indifference by the claim that if another war does come, atomic bombs will not be used. But this is only wishful thinking, the scientists tell us. In the event of another war, they say, atomic bombs will be used and they will destroy our civilization. About the only consolation we can get out of this is that a civilization which would permit the use of atomic bombs deserves to be destroyed.

These five points add up to the sixth, which is that the only thing that will save the race is the end of war itself. And this, as a matter of fact, is to be the solution. This solution will come before the human race destroys itself, but not in time to save civilization, according to the preview of “last-days” events given us in the Bible. Jesus, the Founder of Christianity, foretold the present distress of nations and great fear of the people. He said that unless these days be shortened, no flesh would survive the ravages of human selfishness; but he assured us that his kingdom would take over in the affairs of men before the human race had reached such a fatal pass.

This, then, is the hope of the world today. War will cease under the administration of Christ’s kingdom, not because the human race is frightened by its awfulness, but because the divine Ruler in that new world government will use coercive measures to prevent it; and in addition, will institute a program of education to teach the people the better way of good will and love,

If the Committee of Atomic Scientists would adopt this as the seventh point in their program of education, and if all media for the dissemination of knowledge were used freely and the people could be convinced that the real way to peace is the Lord’s way, which is the way of love, leading to genuine disarmament, then none would need to fear the atomic bomb. Such a peace will come when the human race reaches its extremity and Christ takes over the rulership of the nations.

A Veteran’s Advice

Love Thy Neighbor

IN A LETTER written recently by a disabled veteran who is still confined in a, government hospital, we have an excellent expression of an ideology which would solve the world’s problems. We quote:

“My name is John Crown. My physical wounds are very small in comparison with my spiritual wounds. I have come back from death to a world which I no longer care for. I, who have been engaged in the great struggle to save the world from tyranny, and having seen my comrades die for this cause, can now find no peace in the world or in my country.

“Having lived close to death for two years, the reasons why there is no peace seem infinitesimally flimsy. Russia wants the Dardanelles, Yugoslavia wants Trieste, the Moslems want India, labor wants more wages, capital wants more profit, Smith wants to pass the car in front of him, and Junior wants more spending money. To these I say, Is it necessary to kill and cripple human beings for such petty gains?

“All the troubles of the world originate in the common man. The selfish and greedy ways of nations are just the ways of each individual man multiplied a hundredfold. When the morals of the common man drop, so do the morals of the nations and the world.

“As long as our individual morals remain at a low ebb, so will be the world. Until each of us stops ‘hogging the road’ with his car, stops fighting over the seat on the bus, stops arguing over who will cut the grass, there will be no peace in the world. If man wishes peace again, he must return to the great commandment, ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself.’”

Well said, but we are afraid that the gentlemen now in assembly on Long Island for the purpose of establishing peace in the world will hardly follow this advice. Of course, it is not entirely in keeping with the facts to suggest that the world “return” to the great commandment, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”; for that commandment never has been observed by the world. It is for this reason that the world has almost continuously been blighted by war.

It is true though, as Mr. Crown’s letter so clearly sets forth, that the common man is largely responsible for the conditions which exist. The common man Adam initiated the program of selfishness when he disobeyed divine law and started the human race on the downhill road into sin, selfishness, and death. The law of self-preservation has governed the people ever since. Finally this policy is threatening to destroy the human race entirely.

But the Creator, who is the Author of the law of love, will not permit selfishness to go its full length. The nations are to be taught to love their neighbors as themselves; not by regulations set up on the Flushing Meadows, but through the kingdom of Christ. It is one of the highlights betokening the dawn of earth’s new day when Christ will, be King that the people are beginning in a small way to recognize the vital need of a remedy for earth’s ills which its own political doctors cannot provide. And when the authority of Christ’s kingdom is established, no selfish interests will have veto power over it.

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