A World Council of Churches

ONE hundred and fifty Protestant church groups, or “communions,” sent delegates to the “Amsterdam Assembly” where it was hoped much would be accomplished toward consolidating Protestantism in a united front against the many forces which today are causing the disintegration of a so-called Christian civilization. Most concrete of the accomplishments of this group of delegates was the adoption of a resolution declaring that now there exists a “World Council of Churches.” But this should not be construed as meaning that the churches represented had united, or that anything definite will result from the adoption of this name. On this point the Christian Century observes:

“There is now a World Council of Churches, formed by 150 communions who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, and dedicated to a co-operative effort to save a world that is on the road to destruction! What part the World Council will play in the fateful years ahead, no human mind can confidently predict. But it is something to be able to say that, in this hour when the world seems on the point of disintegrating in chaos and destruction, the Christian churches have found a way to take a long step toward a new integration.”

As for the accomplishment of the Amsterdam Assembly other than the official adoption of a name, the religious section of Time magazine presents a fairly accurate summary as follows:

“This greatest church meeting since the Reformation could not even agree on a definition of the word ‘church.’ The watching Protestant world had hoped, in its dim and sentimental way, for something better. It had perhaps even hoped for another Pentecost. At Pentecost, there were tongues of fire from heaven, and human beings like ready lamps, waiting to be lit. At Amsterdam, there were committees, agenda, resolutions, debates, and trilingual earphones. The men of Amsterdam did not expect and did not receive flames from heaven. They had not met to be inspired but to ‘get something done.’ They were moved, not by tongues of fire, but by reasonable anxiety, cautious good will, Protestant practicality.

“The world wanted to be saved—but, like the rich young man, it wanted to save its possessions too. In their informed, more professional way, the delegates at Amsterdam represented that ambiguous desire.”

Truly enough, as reported by Time, the delegates at Amsterdam were moved by “reasonable anxiety,” that is, they felt that the emergency of a collapsing world was forcing them to do something which otherwise they might not be particularly interested in doing. If the world was to be saved by Protestants churches, they must all work together toward that common end. But one of the questions raised at the conference by Bishop J.W.C. Wand of London was whether or not the people of the world really wanted to be saved by the churches. He said that the people of Britain showed a wholly indifferent attitude “that we have to overcome if we are going to do anything about the disorder of society.”

Secretary Samuel McCray Cavert, one of the representatives of the Federal Council of Churches in America, spoke of what he described as the “disturbing discrepancy” between the numerical strength of the Protestant churches of America and the weak influence they exert in American life. Pastor Martin Niemoller, the famous Lutheran clergyman of Germany, said that Christendom is in the same confused state as the rest of the world. Reinhold Niebuhr expressed his apprehensions, saying, “One has the uneasy feeling that … there is so little health in the whole of our modern civilization that one cannot find the island of order from which to proceed against disorder.”

The delegates at Amsterdam, although doing little in the way of forming a united front against world chaos, did do a fairly good job of diagnosing the patient they would like to cure. In a report issued under the heading, “The Church and the Disorder of Society,” the conference said:

“The world today is experiencing a social crisis of unparalleled proportions. … Christians should ask why Communism in its modern totalitarian form makes so strong an appeal to great masses of people in many parts of the world. They should recognize the work of God in the revolt of multitudes against injustice that gives Communism much of its strength. They should seek to recapture for the church the original Christian solidarity with the world’s distressed people. …

“The proclamation of racial equality by Communists and their support of the cause of colonial peoples make a strong appeal to the populations of Asia and Africa, and to racial minorities elsewhere.

“Communist ideology puts the emphasis upon economic justice and promises that freedom will come automatically after the completion of the revolution. Capitalism puts the emphasis upon freedom and promises that justice will follow as a byproduct of free enterprise. That, too, is an ideology which has been proved false. It is the responsibility of Christians to seek new creative solutions which never allow either justice or freedom to destroy the other.”

We heartily agree with that part of the conference report which declares that Christians “should recognize the work of God in the revolt of multitudes against injustice which gives Communism much of its strength,” but we do not agree that it is “the responsibility of Christians to seek new creative solutions” for the dilemma into which the world has been plunged by the divinely inspired revolt of the masses against injustice. Rather, just as God has brought about the revolt, he also has furnished the solution, and that solution is the establishment of Christ’s kingdom—not by the Amsterdam Assembly, nor by any future such assembly, either of the Protestant or Catholic world, but by the returned Christ, who will have associated with him his glorified church, raised from the dead in the first resurrection to live and reign with him a thousand years.

Some may ask how God has brought about the worldwide revolt against injustice. It has been done largely through what the Prophet Daniel foretold as a great “increase of knowledge” which would come in the “time of the end.” The way was prepared for this increase of knowledge by the invention of the printing press. This led to other inventions for transmitting the thoughts of men until today the whole world is alerted by the almost instantaneous transmission of news, propaganda, and instruction going to and fro throughout the whole earth. Jesus foretold this also, and described it as the bright shining of his presence.

According to the report of Time, Mr. Charles P. Taft, president of the Federal Council of Churches in America, tried to have the report modified in order that it might not seem so much like an attack on capitalism, but succeeded only to a small degree. In the opinion of observers the slightness of the change revealed the conviction of the Amsterdam delegates that the war had turned much of the world toward the left and that if the churches are to spread their influence effectively they must, in appearance at least, give a glance in that direction.

“How long will the World Council abide? Will it ever turn the churches into The Church? Can it meet the challenge of a secular century?” These questions, voiced by Time, are in the minds of millions. Apparently the Amsterdam Assembly did not provide too much ground for hope. In addition to the controversy over the meaning of the word “church,” the delegates also expressed widely divergent opinions over what constitutes the work of the church. Some saw the church as an institution of lobbyists whose business it is to bring in the kingdom of God by high-pressuring civil governments into enacting just and righteous laws. Others claimed that such is not the church’s business at all. Among these latter were Karl Barth, who said:

“We ought to give up every thought that the care of the world is our care. … This is the final root and ground of all human disorder; the dreadful, godless, ridiculous opinion that man is the Atlas who is destined to bear the dome of heaven on his shoulders. … We are not the ones to change this evil world into a good one, God has not resigned his Lordship over it into our hands. … By God’s design is not meant something like a Christian Marshall plan. … All that is required of us is that in the midst of the political and social disorder of the world we should be his witnesses, as disciples and servants of Jesus.”

This statement is in full accord with the Scriptures, and the facts of history bear convincing testimony that, all would-be Christian efforts to regulate the world’s affairs have miserably failed. Zealous, but misguided churchmen of Europe thought they had the world under control when they succeeded in having the church join hands with civil governments in forming the church-state unions of Europe, but the persecutions and unholy wars which followed in the wake of this masterstroke of unchristian policy proved the ungodliness of those arrangements. The Founding Fathers of America were glad to get away from the evils of Europe which resulted from the unscriptural efforts of zealous religionists who thought that God wanted them to do more about the sins of the world than merely to bear witness to the truth of the Gospel. As Mr. Barth so truthfully said, “This is the final root and ground of all human disorder.”

The Amsterdam Assembly did its best to weld the conflicting sentiments of its delegates into a unified directive for the inspiration and guidance of church people in general. And, considering the circumstances, they did rather a good job at this. We quote:

“Our coming together to form a World Council will be in vain unless Christians and Christian congregations everywhere commit themselves to the Lord of the Church in a new effort to seek together, where they live, to be his witnesses and servants among their neighbors. …

“It is not in man’s power to banish sin and death from the earth, to create the unity of the Holy Catholic Church, to conquer the hosts of Satan. But it is within the power of God. He has given us at Easter the certainty that his purpose will be accomplished. But by our acts of obedience and faith we can on earth set up signs which point to the coming victory. … Let us give ourselves to those tasks which lie to our hands and to set up signs that men can see.”

This is good advice. Certainly it is the business of the Christian to point men and women to the promises of God by which he assures us of his purpose to establish a worldwide government that will give peace and joy and life to all people. “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this,” declares the prophet. (Isa. 9:7) And as the manifesto of the Amsterdam Assembly declares, God “has given us at Easter the certainty that his purpose will be accomplished.”

Yes, the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and his high exaltation to the right hand of the throne of God, gives abundant evidence that divine power is quite able to accomplish every design of the Creator, that the word which goeth forth from his mouth will not return unto him void, but will accomplish that which he pleases and prosper in the thing whereto he sent it. This means that had it been the divine purpose to save the world from sin and death during this age it would have been accomplished. We cannot blame the chaos of the world on the failure of God to carry out his designs toward the human race.

Nor, should we conclude that God is not interested in the people, for he is. During all the ages of the past God has been preparing for the blessing of all mankind. During the present age his work has been the calling from the world, of those willing to suffer and to die with Jesus, in order that they might live and reign with him. This class, small in number though it has been, constitutes the true church of Christ. Just as divine power raised Jesus; from the dead at the beginning of the age, so divine power raises; these from the dead at the end of the age. Then, together with the risen Christ, they will exercise spiritual rulership over the earth for a thousand years.

This will be the Millennium of the Scriptures, or that age in the plan of God when sin and death will be destroyed, and when universal and lasting peace will be established among all nations. During that thousand years divine power will further operate to raise all the dead to life—not to take them to heaven, but to restore them to human perfection here on earth. Thus will be fulfilled God’s promise to the patriarch Abraham, made four thousand years ago, a promise by which he assures us of his purpose to bless all the families of the earth. Thus the people of the earth will be saved and blessed, but the present, humanly constituted world order will perish—not even the Amsterdam Assembly will be able to save it—and in its place, God’s new order will be established, even the kingdom of Christ.

Appealing to the World

ON OCTOBER 1 the Episcopal Church of America began an ambitious effort to reach what Bishop De Wolfe referred to as the 70 million pagans who live in this country. He said, “We have missionary work to do right here.” The church is conducting its missionary effort by means of a half-hour weekly broadcast over more than 400 radio stations. It is not the conventional type of religious broadcast—in fact, it is not religious at all—because, explain the sponsors, “the people we want to reach would be scared away by religion. The programs themselves make no mention of religion, but are simply plays such as, “The Corn Is Green,” “The Barretts of Wimpole Street,” and “Little Women.” At the close of each play the announcer will gently suggest to the audience that the problems of life such as those highlighted in the plays can be more easily solved through the help of the church. In this way, Bishop De Wolfe declares, the church can help the pagans of America “build spiritual foundations.”

In keeping with this there comes a report from Omaha, Nebraska, telling of a lecture delivered there by the Reverend William H. Alexander, pastor of the First Christian Church of Oklahoma City, in which he expressed his belief “in the spiritual values of free and happy recreation.” In keeping with this, it seems that the Reverend Alexander conducts a Youth Center in Oklahoma City, under the auspices of his church, where they have bowling alleys, pool and ping-pong tables, and a lounge where young people can dance. This, of course, is nothing new, for it is the vogue among many of the denominational churches throughout the country. However, the publicity given to such items as this and the one pertaining to the venture of the Episcopal church into the field of radio dramatics in order to make religion attractive for unbelievers, constitutes an important signpost in the fulfillment of biblical prophecy pertaining to our day.

The Apostle Paul foretold that in the “last days” perilous times would come; and that in these perilous times men would become “lovers of pleasures 1nore than lovers of God.” He said also that while a “form of godliness” would be maintained, its power would be denied. Surely it is a denial of the power of godliness when the great church systems of our day find it necessary to substitute amusement and worldly pleasure for the power of the Gospel in order to wield any influence among the people.

We are not implying that clean, wholesome radio plays are sinful or wrong; nor do we say that the youth of the land should be denied the pleasure they derive from bowling, playing pool, billiards, and ping-pong. Also it is an advantage when these wholesome recreations can be enjoyed under the supervision of a church. However, it is difficult to understand just how radio dramatics and recreation of various kinds can help to build religious and spiritual foundations in the lives of unbelievers, whether they be young or old.

If these efforts to reach and hold the people were designated moral uplift campaigns, they probably would accomplish just as much good, and at the same time the people who are benefited by them would not be misled into supposing that simply because they play ping-pong in a church basement, or listen to a church-sponsored drama over the radio and enjoy it, it makes them Christians. Christianity is more, much more, than morality. The United States would be a much better place in which to live if all of its people adhered strictly to the moral code upheld in church-sponsored recreation centers, but this would not make them Christians.

A Christian, strictly speaking, is one who follows in the footsteps of Jesus, and Jesus’ footsteps followed the way of self-sacrificing service for others, which ultimately resulted in his death. The New Testament reveals clearly the course to be followed by all true Christians. Like Jesus, they too are to serve others with their whole heart. They are invited to lay down their all in the divine service, as Jesus did. Furthermore, they are told how to do this—that it is to be done in bearing witness to the truth of the Gospel. They are forewarned, nevertheless, that the world will either be antagonistic to their message, or else coldly indifferent, with the result that even at this end of the age, after nearly two thousand years of such faithful service, the world would still be in unbelief.

Those who are now endeavoring to make Christians by appealing to the people through worldly methods and pursuits have apparently lost sight of these plain teachings of the Word of God. Or perhaps they have never clearly understood them. Perhaps they are laboring under the misapprehension that the Christian’s work now is to convert the world, and that those who are not converted in this life will be lost forever. Anyone holding this erroneous view would naturally be inclined to resort to almost any method in order to “win the world for Jesus.” And they should not be blamed for this, except in the sense that they should study the Bible more carefully in order to discover just what it is that God wants them to do.

Some may ask, How, then, will the world be converted? The Bible answers that the time for the conversion of the world is during the thousand-year reign of Christ. The work of the true church during the present age has been merely that of bearing witness to the Gospel of Christ in order that a few—Jesus referred to them as a “little flock” (Luke 12:32)—might be reached and prepared to live and reign with Christ for the future conversion and blessing of the world of mankind. Those who understand the divine plan, while not for a moment allowing their zeal for preaching the Gospel to abate, are not frantically concerned over the fact that very few respond to the message; for they know that in God’s long range plan, his Word will not return unto him void, but will accomplish that which he pleases, and will prosper in the things whereto he sent it.—Isaiah 55:11

Problems of the Scientists

AT A recent centennial meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science—an organization founded in Philadelphia in 1848—the general slogan was, “One world for scientists.” When this society was formed, the atom was considered to be unsplitable, and the continent of Europe was thought of as a remote part of the world far across a windswept sea; and Asia was of even less concern to the people of America as a part of the world which had to be reckoned with in any serious manner.

This meeting, which celebrated the one hundredth year of the association’s existence, was in many respects an uneasy one. Within the century, science had made wonderful progress—along some lines, perhaps too much. It had brought Europe, with its living room problems and its cross-currents of hatreds and national jealousies too close for comfort. And in those same years science had developed increasingly efficient and deadly implements of war which can be used by others as well as the United States, including atomic bombs. The scientists were painfully conscious of the fact that in the event of another war even America might be destroyed despite the great oceans which lie east and west of these shores.

And the scientists had no assurance that another war would not come, for they realized too well that with all their marvelous discoveries and achievements they had done nothing to convert the selfish hearts of men and women into hearts of love and good will, that all they had done was to implement human selfishness with more efficient methods of destruction. They were doubly impressed with the fact that science had not changed fallen human nature; for even while they were holding their centennial celebration many found themselves under public criticism because a government investigating agency suspected some of divulging scientific secrets to Russian Communists.

The world has been waiting for the scientists to find a way, through the use of atomic energy, to banish disease and poverty from the earth, but they indicated they were not sure that they could preserve even their own way of research necessary to make further discoveries in the face of being made the goats of conflicting political parties within the government. In view of the circumstances, it seemed difficult throughout the sessions to keep politics separated from science.

But the scientists did get down to the consideration of some real problems. Atomic energy came in for some discussion. Eugene Wigner, prominently connected with the original atomic bomb project and now a physics professor in Princeton University, spoke fairly seriously about a space ship being propelled beyond gravitational reach by atomic fuel. A great deal of consideration was given to that age-old pile of atomic energy, the sun. Farrington Daniels, now a chemistry professor at the University of Wisconsin, made some very interesting comparisons between the pent-up energy of a manmade atomic bomb and the energy that plant and animal life are deriving from the sun every minute of the day.

In the realm of heating, another scientist, Maria Telkes, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, reported progress on a different method of storing up sunshine. She plans to spend the winter in a five-room house now being constructed at Dover, Massachusetts, which will be equipped with a novel solar heat unit instead of a coal or oil burning furnace. The installation will cost about $3,000, but it has not yet proved its usefulness. However, the scientists were interested in it, hoping that it might help to solve the future problem of heating homes by the rapidly diminishing organically formed fuels.

The scientists are usually practical people, hence gave serious attention to a speech by Fairfield Osborn, head of the New York Zoo, who warned that too many two-legged animals were seeking forage on this planet’s 4,000,000,000 acres of arable land. Machines and medicines, he explained, had permitted the earth’s population to jump in three centuries from 400,000,000 to more than 2,000,000,000, and that suddenly we are commencing to realize that perhaps the earth is becoming overcrowded. Others were not quite so pessimistic, but agreed, nevertheless, that a limit of the earth’s capacity was in sight, even if the chemists did find a short cut in providing food through the use of atomic energy and by converting sunshine into edible calories. A reporter observed, with a degree of sarcasm, that none of the scientists suggested the use of rockets for transferring the overflowing population of earth to other planets.

An erroneous conception of Christianity has contemplated something akin to this in the unscriptural theory that the destiny of every human creature is that of being transferred at death to some other place of abode, a place visualized by the poet as a “beautiful isle of somewhere.” This is not the teaching of the Bible. Despite the present fears of scientists concerning the over-population of the earth, it is God’s plan even to restore the dead and give them an opportunity to live on the earth forever.

But here’s what the scientists don’t know—they don’t know that man’s ability to procreate his own species was given to him by the Creator for a limited time, and that the limit was until the earth was adequately populated. “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth,” was the command given by God to our first parents. (Gen. 1:28, Leeser) Now that the quota of a filled earth is nearly reached, it means—and is one of the proofs—that drastic changes are due in the experiences of the human race, changes which will be wrought and made manifest through the setting up of Christ’s kingdom. That divine rulership will solve the population problem, as well as all the other problems which now are bringing such fear and distress upon the peoples of the earth.

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