“Britain Heads for Paganism”

WE ALL recognize the importance the political conventions of this summer will exert on the American way of life during the next four years. And since it is generally conceded that America now holds a dominant position in world affairs, what is done in this country by the government will have a profound influence the world over. And the reverse of this is also true. Although the United States has become the most powerful nation in a chaotic world, it is well to remember that the disintegrating influences at work elsewhere might easily have a bearing on what occurs in this fair land.

We are a part, for example, of what is alleged to be a Christian world; but what is happening to our Christian world, here at home, and elsewhere? Reporting a Church Assembly held recently in Westminster, London, the public press displayed this heading: “Britain Heads for Paganism.” This, it was said, was a warning which had come from church leaders. Then, in a further explanation, the press declared:

“Church leaders and laity yesterday took stock of post-war Britain, and decided that it is heading for totalitarianism, paganism, open hostility to the Christian message, and widespread moral collapse.”

At that Church Assembly, Dr. E.G. Selwyn, Dean of Winchester since 1931, said:

“We are living today in an age when our own State is increasingly totalitarian. It is laying its hands on one part of life after another and is even invading the sanctuary itself. These totalitarian traits, and the determination to lay hands on everything in business life and to squeeze out the spiritual side of life, will go on. I believe it is the church’s duty to be what it was in Europe during the war, that is, a great resistance movement.”

From a continuation of the report we learn that in the opinion of those gathered at this Church Assembly, nine-tenths of the people of Great Britain are now unbelievers, and largely pagan in outlook; also, that there is a complete and widespread moral collapse due to lack of faith.

Another British paper reports the view of Bishop D.H. Crick, of Chester, England, in which he lays much of the blame for the economic crisis of Britain and the world to spiritual decline. We quote the bishop as follows:

“The magnitude of the crisis far transcends any differences of political outlook or economic theories and practice. It appears to me deplorable that at a time like this so many responsible speakers should engage in trying to apportion blame for the present situation on other people rather than attempting to solve the problems. If left unsolved, these may well reduce our influence in giving leadership to the nations of the world and may result in a catastrophic lowering of the standard of living for every person.”

The bishop further said that there was still a chance—maybe the last chance—to realize that the crisis is a spiritual one. But he said that there are few signs that people in this or any other country were setting their hearts toward the achievement of a religious revival, of a deliberate return to God, without which the peace and concord for which the world longs will not be obtained.

While on the subject of religion in Great Britain, and what British church dignitaries think of it, we quote part of an address given in Royal Albert Hall, London, by Dr. C.F. Garbett, Archbishop of York. The London Evening Express, in reporting the Archbishop’s speech, had this to say by way of introduction:

“It is but a sad reflex of the frustration and pessimism that assail most people today to hear it solemnly stated at a church mass meeting that England is no longer a Christian country.”

Then followed the Archbishop’s remarks:

“We have no longer confidence. We know that instead of Utopia we may have a world in ruins, destroyed by the atomic bombs.”

The Evening Express, commenting further on the lecture, said:

“To the Christian way of thinking, it is strange that so many people should fail to relate the present dire plight of the world with the decline in religion; to appreciate, in fact, that the sense of despair they experience is nothing but sickness of soul, due to failure to grasp the fundamental facts and realities of life. So far as Britain is concerned we may console ourselves by saying that it is apathy rather than irreligion that is the cause. The results, however, are no less evil.”

Archbishop Garbett also said that in the past most of his fellow countrymen had a few elementary certainties, but that now these foundations have gone. To most people God is a mere name, the Judgment a fairy tale, and the life after death mere wishful thinking.

So it would seem that the religious outlook in Great Britain is none too bright. But can it be said that the situation is any better in other parts of the world? We doubt it. Certainly it is not in Russia. And when millions even in Italy vote what is essentially an atheist ticket, the outlook is not too promising there. And in no country in the world is church membership, including all denominations, keeping pace with increasing populations. It is a fact that the professed Christian church represents what is continually becoming a smaller minority. But that is not the whole story of declining churchianity. Higher criticism, modernism, worldliness, and love of pleasure are making such inroads into the churches that they are fast becoming simply social institutions, almost devoid of vital Christian belief.

The Apostle Paul said that this would be one of the signs of the “last days,” that is, that the people would become “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” (II Tim. 3:1,4) Jesus, speaking prophetically of this same period in world history, raised the question as to whether or not there would be any faith left in the earth. Jesus explained that this would be an indication of the time of his second visit to earth, when he would come to establish the long-promised kingdom of God.—Luke 17:20; 18:8

So, after all, the situation is not without hope. The British Bishop of Chester said that perhaps the world is having its last chance, which is quite true. But what he overlooked are the many promises of the Bible assuring us that when man fails in the use of this last chance, Christ will take over and give the people a real chance. Man has done the best he could, perhaps, but he has failed all along the line; and now the recognition of that failure is gradually dawning upon him. This in itself is a good thing, for it means that when the time comes he will be ready to accept the remedy for the world’s madness which divine wisdom will provide, and that remedy will be the kingdom of Christ.

But there is another point which it is well to remember in this connection, namely, that the great church-state systems of Europe which claimed to be the kingdom of Christ were sailing under false colors. The greatest proof of this is that they are falling apart, and their influence over the affairs of the nations rapidly waning. In August, delegates to a world council of churches will assemble in Holland with the objective of promoting unity among the many denominations of the professed Christian churches. Will those delegates be frank enough to admit the truth concerning the failure of denominationalism to convert the world; and will it dawn upon them that this failure is an evidence that God’s blessing has not been upon their efforts? If they will do this they will be starting on the road to real progress.

It would be well today if churchmen the world over would inquire concerning the reasons for the failure to obtain their objective of world conversion. Why are the people of Great Britain and the rest of the world turning away from the churches and becoming unbelievers? There are, of course, many reasons. One of them undoubtedly is the fact that they cannot harmonize Dark-age tradition with the character of a God they would like to worship.

Take, for example, the teaching of hell-fire and damnation. The enlightened public cannot be blamed for turning away from such a revolting theory as that. Every educated clergyman in the world knows that it is not taught in the Bible, but they allow it to remain in the creeds of the churches.

In Europe, the public are coming to realize more and more that much of the oppression they have endured is chargeable to the church. They are learning about the atrocities of the past, committed in the name of Christianity, but to the disgrace of the true cause of Christ. This is another contributing factor to the widespread desertion of the church in the old world. It is our conviction that churchianity will never be able to set itself straight in the eyes of an increasingly enlightened world until it faces these facts, and purifies its beliefs and practices.

However, the situation is not hopeless, for, after all, God has it well in hand. No doubt the chief reason the churches have not been able to convert the world and bring in an order of peace and good will among men by their own efforts is that this was not God’s plan. The Bible declares that except God “build the house, they labor in vain that build it”; and God hasn’t been building the “house” of world conversion, nor the house of church-state unionism. (Psalm 127:1) Nor has he looked with favor upon the practice of frightening people into the churches by the threat of hell-fire. “Their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men,” declare the Scriptures (Isa. 29:13), and the precepts of men are certain to fail.

God has been building his own house; that is to say, he has been preparing to establish a genuine kingdom over the affairs of men. Jesus will be the King in that kingdom. And during the long centuries since his first advent his true followers have been in training to share his kingdom rule. One by one they have proved their worthiness of this high position of honor, and then have fallen asleep in death. But they are awakened in the “first resurrection” to live and reign with Christ a thousand years. It will be through the administration of that kingdom that the whole world will learn to know God, and they will rejoice in his love—a love which, through the redemptive work of Christ, made provision for them to live everlastingly in a global paradise. Yes, the world’s hopes for the future are as bright as the promises of God!

Vatican Bans Worship with Protestants

THOSE who are hoping that the time may come when religious differences among men will be forgotten have been cheered from time to time to note the growing disposition for Catholics and Protestants, and sometimes Jews also, to worship together, and for leaders in these groups to appear on the same platform together. Now this must stop, or so the Vatican has declared. On this point a press report states:

“The Vatican Congregation of the Holy Office issued a formal warning in Latin ordering Catholics to discontinue holding common worship services with non-Catholics and to stop taking part in public meetings where conflicting Christian religious views are exchanged with the aim of reaching a common accord. The Holy Office said that Catholic bishops throughout the world must see to it that their flocks obey those orders to the letter. It said that the order applies to laymen as well as to priests.”

In connection with this announcement it has been officially explained that the Catholic Church is the only true church, therefore Catholics cannot meet on a common footing with other denominations in an attempt to reach a basis on which all Christian sects can agree. The Vatican’s position is that reunion of Christianity can be achieved only by return of other Christian sects to the Catholic fold.

We should not blame the Catholic Church for being consistent in its viewpoint. But if she were the one and only true church, and the only way of salvation would be to join her ranks, then the millions of Protestants and others would be heretics. But thank God for his plan of salvation through Christ and the establishment of his kingdom—a plan which will cause the knowledge of God’s love and glory to fill the whole earth. When that plan is put into operation no one will be confused concerning the right way. This is the only thing that will demonstrate that the God of the universe is able to accomplish his purpose of enlightening and blessing his creatures.

Freedom for Catholic Religion

DESPITE the fact that Governor Dewey has been nominated for President on the Republican ticket, the problems of the world are far from solved. The “four freedoms” of the Atlantic Charter announced by the conservative Churchill and the liberal Roosevelt are not yet operative. Very few, comparatively, of earth’s billions are free from want, and none are free from fear. There is freedom of the press in some countries, and freedom of religion in America and a few other places.

And speaking of freedom of religion, a very interesting item has reached us recently from Rome in the form of a statement published in the Jesuits’ semi-monthly paper. Reference is made to this item in Time magazine, as follows:

“Is religious tolerance simply a matter of, fair play? United States Protestants who think so often boil with indignation at the Roman Catholic Church, which accepts the advantages of tolerance in non-Catholic countries, but sternly discourages other faiths in areas where Catholics are in the majority.”

Excerpts from the Jesuit article have been published in The Christian Century, of which the following is a part:

“The Roman Catholic Church, convinced, through its divine prerogatives, of being the only true church, must demand the right to freedom for herself alone, because such a right can only be possessed by truth, never by error. … Consequently, in a state where a majority of the people are Catholic, the church will require that legal existence be denied to error. … In some countries Catholics will be obliged to ask full religious freedom for all, resigned at being forced to cohabitate where they alone should rightfully be allowed to live. The Catholic Church cannot blush for her own want of tolerance, as she asserts it in principle and applies it in practice.”

Actually this is nothing new on the part of the Catholic Church. Many Protestants have realized it right along. This intolerance of the Catholic Church toward other faiths has made it most difficult for Protestants in South America, as can be attested by American missionary societies. It has always been the policy of the Catholic Church in Italy and other European Catholic Countries. When Poland, for example, became a Republic following the first World War, the government officially granted freedom of religion; but it was in name only, for Protestant groups were able to operate there only under great difficulty, frequently in the face of mob violence which broke up their meetings and often endangered the lives of the workers.

But the stand here taken by the Catholic Church is at any rate consistent! She maintains that she is the one and only true church. This means that in her eyes adherents of all other faiths are heretics. Heretics, according to the church, are to be severely punished after death by God, so why should the church tolerate a situation which in the very nature of things could only result in producing more heretics? It all adds up to a reasonable conclusion, if we start where the Catholic Church starts, and that is with the claim that the church is God’s mouthpiece, and that all Protestants are in error.

Rather than condemn the Catholics for being consistent in their beliefs, if we cannot agree with their views we should do all we can to convince them that they are wrong. Thank God we are free to do this here in the United States. Probably most Protestants would be better off religiously if they had a firmer conviction that what they believe is the truth. The trouble with most Protestants is that they are so uncertain of every theological viewpoint that it appears to make little difference what one believes. So if it doesn’t matter, why should not all have an equal opportunity to air their views? We may hate to admit it, but the strongest advocates of religious liberty are often those who have very few, if any, definite beliefs of their own. They simply want to make sure that they will always be able to air their unbelief’s.

It would be a very dark and uncertain outlook for the world were it not for the definite promises of God that through the kingdom of Christ the one and only true worship of God is yet to be established world wide. The Prophet Zephaniah (3:9) writes concerning this that God will turn to the people a pure message, and as a result they will all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. No one will then be concerned about freedom of religion, for all having voluntarily consented to worship the true God in the same way, there will be no disagreement. All people will rejoice in their vision of the glory of God.

A Real Recovery Plan

THE big news of America during June and July was the political conventions, held this year in Philadelphia. The man of the hour selected by the Republicans, and who, according to them, is sure to be our next President, is New York State’s Governor Dewey; and he in turn indicated Governor Warren as his choice for the Vice-Presidency. In all probability the Democrats will select President Truman, who to them is also undoubtedly a man of destiny, the man best qualified to run the affairs of the national government during the forthcoming term.

But while these conventions were going on, something else was occurring which will have more to do with shaping the course of the nation and of the world in years to come than any political convention could possibly have; and that is a further development and use of television. The convention highlighted this fact, for while it was not the first time television was employed at political conventions, it was certainly used with more telling effect than when it made its convention debut in 1940, when Wendell Willkie was nominated by the GOP.

This year the proceedings were more elaborate; and because of the large number of potential televisionaries—ten million, they claim—a great deal of attention was given to the appearance of those who entered the spotlight. It is reported, for example, that there were such instructions as, “Take the toothpick out of your mouth,” “Keep your clothes neat,” and “Don’t take off your shoes.” Since the broadcasting of convention speeches which began in 1924, keynoters have had to give consideration to the quality of their voice; but now, with television added, they will have to consider their double chins and their wilted collars—at least, so says The New York Times. Incidentally, The New York Times doubts if the broadcasting and televising of convention proceedings will make much difference in the attitude of the people, or that the general public will be given any better understanding of what occurs at these conclaves than they formerly were able to grasp from reading the newspaper accounts of them. But perhaps a newspaper could not be expected to take any other view.

Simultaneously with the Republican Convention in Philadelphia, twelve thousand physicians gathered in convention at Chicago. It was the annual meeting of the American Medical Association, and it lasted for five days. At this convention, also, television was used, a striking novelty indeed for a medical convention. Faculty members of Northwestern University’s Medical School performed a number of operations which were televised for the benefit of thousands of physicians who could not be in Chicago. They saw Dr. Harvey Allen do some intricate skin grafting; the demonstration of a suction type of artificial limb; the birth of a baby by Caesarean operation; the surgical repair of nerve injuries, and other procedures to repair the deranged human machine. Every day there was a televised operation of some sort.

So, while the Republicans in Philadelphia :began what they hope will turn out to be a successful operation on the political economy and governmental policies of the country, physicians in Chicago endeavored to pool their findings on how best to operate on and otherwise care for the machine which is the human body; and both were televised.

In both cases we have an example of limited human wisdom endeavoring to deal with the problems of a fallen and dying race. Some may take the Creator into consideration in their attempt to solve these problems, but in most cases he is ignored. Yet how reassuring it is to realize that while man for the most part forgets or ignores God, he has not forgotten us, that he made a plan for solving both the governmental and physical problems of the human race, and that this plan is developing in all its wonderful details, and exactly on schedule time.

That plan calls for the setting up of a government—a worldwide government, a government which will extend its sphere of influence to embrace all nations. That government will give peace to the people, and economic security. Under its administration the nations of the earth will carry out a genuine and complete disarmament program, beating their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruninghooks; and they will learn war no more.

Not only will that government sponsor a European recovery plan, but a worldwide project of restoration. It is described by the Apostle Peter as the “restitution of all things,” and he declares that it was foretold by the mouth of all God’s holy prophets since the world began. This program of restitution, or restoration, will include the recovery of perfect health for all who obey the laws of that new government. The Prophet Isaiah foretold concerning it that the inhabitants of that day “shall not say, I am sick.”—Isa. 33:24

This new government will be the kingdom, of Christ, and concerning it the Apostle Paul writes that it will reign until all enemies of God and of man are destroyed, and that ‘the last enemy to be destroyed will be death. (I Cor. 15:25,26) The wonderful plan by which these blessings will be brought to the world was not worked out at an ancient convention, but in the mind of the Creator. It is his plan, and the operation of his mighty power guarantees its success.

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