For the Souls of Men

MANY months ago Msgr. Fulton J. Sheen, outstanding radio voice of the Catholic Church in America, announced in one of his broadcasts that the great conflict which is now being waged in the earth is not so much for territory or trade advantages, but for the souls of men. He had reference to the war of ideologies between the Catholic Church and communism. Since his announcement was made this struggle has become much more intense and the battle lines more definitely defined.

This fact has been highlighted recently by the announcement of the Pope that all Catholics who join the communist party or work for the communists, will be excommunicated from the church. Those who read communist literature will be denied the sacraments of the church. This message has been given world-wide publicity, and beamed by powerful radio stations even to countries back of the Iron Curtain. The arrest and conviction of Cardinal Mindszenty in Hungary, and the efforts in Czechoslovakia to establish a church in that country which would not owe allegiance to Rome, have doubtless been among the events which have caused the Pope to take this radical stand.

The question is just how much the threat of excommunication from the church will frighten those Catholics who have reached the point where they want to investigate communist doctrine or join the communist party. At a mass gathering in Rome addressed by the communist leader in Italy a shout went up “Who cares?” when the speaker referred to the excommunication order. Already the Pope has softened the decree considerably, leaving it largely to the conscience of each individual communist as to whether or not he will leave the church. Probably in most such cases communists have already decided that no human being, not even the Pope, has the power to impose such punishment upon them. We say “punishment,” for according to the understanding of Catholicism, excommunication not only bars one from the privileges of the church in this life, but leads to an eternity of torture in hell-fire in the life to come.

It was not so long ago that the Pope issued a directive to the Catholic Clergy calling upon them to revive the preaching of hell-fire as a means of keeping the flock in line with the church, and to influence others to join; and now comes the threat of excommunication, which according to Catholicism, makes the tortures of hell-fire certain for those who are not loyal to the church. It is a terrible threat to hold over the heads of people, and on behalf of those who through these years of increasing world chaos still maintain implicit faith in the Catholic Church, it should be very effective.

If the weapon of fear—the fear of punishment if not loyal—will keep people in line with an ideology or with a system, then the Catholic Church has somewhat the advantage over the communists in the world-wide conflict for the souls of men. All the communists can do is to keep its subjects in fear of the concentration camp, or of banishment to Siberia, or execution. They know that they can do nothing about punishing a person after he is dead. But not so with Catholicism, for it claims to be able to banish to a Siberia of ostracism in this life, and to an eternity of torture after death many times worse than has ever been experienced in any concentration camp.

But it still remains to be seen how effective this weapon of fear will be in maintaining control over the souls of men. For years past in large areas of Europe the youth have been educated in irreligion. They have been taught that there is no God and that the church is built upon superstition, and has as its chief aim the exploitation of the people. To these millions the strategy now being employed by the Pope will tend to convince them that what they have been taught is true. Right under the shadow of the Vatican, as we have seen, the head of the communist party in Italy struck back at the Pope, charging a return to the coercive methods of the Dark Ages, and claiming that communists would not thus be frightened.

This battle for the souls of men is in progress in all parts of the world, even here in America. It manifests itself in many and varied ways. One recent example of it in this country has been the controversy over the proposed Federal Education Bill, the purpose of which was to make grants of money to state governments to help them expand their educational programs. The controversy arose over a provision written into the bill to prohibit the use of Federal funds to assist parochial schools.

Cardinal Spellman took this up, and in a caustic statement made with the object of having this provision of the bill stricken out, referred to the Congressman who wrote it into the bill as a “new apostle of bigotry.” This touched off a real controversy in Washington and elsewhere, with the result that the bill will likely now be held back for final action until next year. The argument of those who want the provision of no funds for parochial schools to remain in the bill is that the taxpayer’s money should not be used to teach religion, claiming that this is a violation of the principle of the separation of church and state. The Catholic Church, however, insists that religion is an essential part of an educational program, else the youth of the nation will grow up into a godless generation, such as is now happening in so many parts of Europe. To the Catholic mind Federal aid to parochial schools is essential to victory in their struggle for the souls of men.

In appraising the real nature of this struggle it is well to take a look at the communist viewpoint. In their ideology they have no place for God and to them the highest tribunal of authority is the state—the communist state, of course. In the final analysis this amounts to the worship of the state and a slavish obedience thereto which reduces the individual to nothing, and makes the state everything. This is a heresy which every true believer in God will resist, as far as his own individual obedience to God is concerned.

However, in this struggle between these two great systems of totalitarian control over the consciences of men, is there no alternative for human beings but to surrender to one or the other of them? We think there is. We believe the Bible bears out the fact that it is just as wrong for an individual to surrender his liberty of thought and freedom of conscience to a humanly constituted religious organization, as it is to a state system of absolutism in government. There is only one being in the universe to whom man may properly and safely surrender his will, and that is to God. But we are not surrendering our wills to God when we accept the thesis that the will of God is subject to the interpretation of a hierarchy of fallible men.

We predict that the present world-wide struggle for the souls of men, as it is being waged on the one hand by the Vatican and on the other hand by Moscow, will leave millions of people free to think and believe as their own consciences may dictate, and that ever-increasing numbers of these will come to realize that their consciences need to be enlightened, not by the precepts of men, but by the simple and just principles of righteousness so clearly set forth in the Word of God.

And as the world comes to know the true God of the Bible better they will discover that he is not a torment deity, not a monster who has planned to torture them forever in the event they fail to obey the directives of a worldly church. They will learn also that no state hierarchy should be permitted to have jurisdiction over their consciences. They will learn, furthermore, that out of this confusion of tongues which is dividing the people and breaking down faith in the true God of the Bible will come the manifestation of the kingdom of Christ, taking control over all nations. They will learn that this kingdom has not been established by the intrigues of men, neither the professedly religious nor the avowed atheist, but by the power and authority of the God of heaven. Furthermore, they will learn by observation and experience that obedience to Christ’s kingdom will result in true and lasting peace, security and happiness—yes, even in everlasting life.

Truly we can be thankful that while men, inspired by opposing ideologies, vie with one another for control of the minds of their fellows, the Lord will soon break these shackles of superstition and unbelief, and that then all the people, in a freewill devotion of themselves to God, will call upon him and serve him with one consent.

Streams in the Desert

MR. M. SAVORNIN, a French professor of science, has declared, according to a report published in a Belgian newspaper, that there is a vast lake of water under the entire Sahara Desert. This fabulous water reserve, he. claims, is sufficient to transform the entire desert into fields and orchards of incredible fertility. Already excavations have begun in the Atlas regions of the Sahara, which have so far confirmed the assertions of the professor. At Zelphana, which is to the southwest of the Holy City of Gardahais, a river has burst forth with an output of 7,000 liters per minute (approximately 2,600 gallons) from a depth of 1,175 meters (about 3,800 feet), watering what was previously a parched region of sand and rocks.

Here is an item of news which is very significant. Much is being said these days, in both official and unofficial circles, concerning the ability of the earth to provide food enough for its constantly increasing population. We all know what artesian wells and irrigation have accomplish in large sections of our great American desert, and now there comes trickling through to us in this obscure news item from Belgium, the information that the vast Sahara Desert of Africa can one day be transformed into fruitful fields.

And the interesting part of this is that the Creator made the provision for this when the earth was formed. Through the Prophet Isaiah the Lord informs us that he created not the earth in vain, but formed it to be inhabited. (Isa. 45:18) Having formed the earth to be inhabited by man the Creator saw to it that every necessary provision was made for sustaining the human race which he created to live on it forever.

The Prophet Isaiah foretold that the time would come when the deserts of the earth will become fruitful. In poetic language he declares that they “shall blossom as the rose.” (Isa. 35) As a result of irrigation this has already come true in large areas of our American deserts. May it not be, however, that the prophet’s prediction will be fulfilled in even a more literal sense? He prophesied, for example, that streams shall break out in the desert, and may it not be that the source of these streams was provided by God when the earth was created? Then, when the time comes to meet the demands of the restored human race, these vast supplies of water, even now being discovered, will be available and will break forth to water the great desert expanses of the earth, causing them to produce abundantly for the needs of man.

“In the Time of the End”

ONE of the prophetic time measurements set forth in the Bible identifies what is described as “the time of the end” as a period beginning with the year A.D. 1799. (See “Thy Kingdom Come,” chapter II) The Prophet Daniel forecast that in the “time of the end” there would come a great increase of knowledge, and much running to and fro. (Dan. 12:4) Recently a New York City banking institution, in an advertisement relating to its establishment 150 years ago, made this statement:

“If you had predicted the telephone one hundred and fifty years ago, you would have been tried for witchcraft or called a crackpot.

“Of the 308 ‘great inventions’ listed in the World Almanac, ninety per cent were created since this bank was founded in 1799. A good many conveniences that we take for granted today were ‘dreams’ one hundred and fifty years ago.”

To many these statements reveal nothing that is not already known, but they do help to emphasize the importance of the prophetic date of 1799, because, according to the Prophet Daniel, it was to be following this date that the world would witness a great increase of knowledge. And it is well to remember that our modern way of life, with all of its marvelous conveniences, its labor saving machinery, its many methods of rapid travel, and its almost universal opportunities for education, is enjoyed by us because we are living in the “time of the end.” These present day advantages have not been of gradual development throughout the centuries, as some seem mistakenly to suppose.

Throughout all the ages from prehistoric times until a hundred and fifty years ago, little progress in knowledge was made. In fact, the world had not much more than emerged from the darkest period of all history, that nightmare of world experience which we now call the “Dark Ages,” when the prophetic “time of the end” began in 1799. And it has been during the years since that date that we have witnessed such a marvelous increase of knowledge. Truly, the words of the Lord, through Daniel the prophet, are having a wonderful fulfillment!

Many are still handicapped in their understanding of the Bible by the erroneous ideas that originated during the Dark Ages. One of those false notions is that such expressions in the prophecies as “the time of the end” are intended to denote the end of all human experience and the destruction of the planet Earth. The time of the end was thought to mean the beginning of “eternity,” and because of theological misconceptions which developed during the Dark Ages that word “eternity” carried a very sinister meaning to most people.

The truth of the matter is, however, that the prophetic “time of the end” is a transition period between a world order over which Satan has been the prince and a new world order in which Jesus will be the supreme ruler. The order of things which comes to an end is described by the Apostle Paul as “this present evil world.” (Gal. 1:4) It will be replaced by the kingdom of Christ and the prophetic “time of the end” is the period during which this change of world administration takes place.

Lutherans Have Another Way

THERE have been many reactions to the Pope’s order of excommunication from the Catholic Church of all who in any way support the cause of communism. One expression comes from Rev. Oswald Hoffman, of the New York Office of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. This is one of the largest divisions of the Lutheran Church. Rev. Hoffman said:

“The Lutheran Church is well known for its stand against communism and its atheistic teachings. There will, however, be no mass excommunications of communists from the Lutheran Church since Lutherans regard excommunication as a sacred act between the church and each individual soul.

“The Lutheran Church does not believe that the evils of communism can be overcome by the use of totalitarian methods on the part of the church. The world needs a revitalized Christianity with a conscience to see the ills of the world, and faith in Christ to overcome them. Only a mighty movement of individual Christians believing in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior can accomplish what the Pope apparently is trying to bring about through ecclesiastical edict.”

There is a lot of sound Christian truth in this statement. It would be of doubtful benefit even if communist totalitarianism could be blocked by religious totalitarianism, which would be the case if the threat of excommunication and hell-fire by ecclesiastical edict could be made wholly effective. On this point we can agree with Rev. Hoffman. But when he says that only a “mighty movement of individual Christians” can accomplish the overthrow of communism, we must disagree.

For centuries both the Catholics and the Protestants have been endeavoring by “mighty movements” to overcome the evil that is in the world but have failed. Is there any reason to believe that now, when there is more ungodliness in the world than ever before, when the forces of atheism are powerfully organized and supported by great military machines, a “mighty movement” by individual Christians will accomplish what they failed to do when the obstacles to be overcome were not nearly so formidable?

True, even now, with all the difficulties which stand in the way and with the lessons of history to tell us otherwise, a mighty movement of Christians could save the world, and would do so, if that were the divine plan. But according to the prophecies of the Bible this is not the divine plan. The divine plan is for Christ to establish his long-promised kingdom and through its authority and power rout the forces of evil. The work of God in the earth during the present age has not been to convert the world to Christianity by mighty movements of nominal religionists.

True, Jesus directed that the Gospel be preached in all the world as a witness and that disciples be made from among all nations. These will constitute the true church of Christ and following the “first resurrection,” when united with Christ in glory, they will share his rulership of a thousand years over the nations of the earth. (Rev. 2:26,27; 20:6) During that time the world will be converted—converted so thoroughly that it will no longer be necessary for one to say to his neighbor, Do you know the Lord, for all shall know him from the least even unto the greatest.—Jer. 31:34

Thank God, atheism, either as sponsored by the communists, or otherwise, is not to triumph in the earth. What we see today is merely a passing phase of man’s efforts to get along without God; but they might as well try to get along without the sun. Soon the world will learn this and will rejoice to acknowledge and serve the true God of love.

Mission to London

NOT since 1874 had the Church of England conducted a religious drive in the largest city in the world but a report in The Spectator said that recently the great city was treated “as if it were a tract of darkest Africa or a Polynesian island.” The urgency of this drive to restore London to the fold of the church was emphasized by the fact that in 1947, as stated by the Lord Mayor, only five percent of the city’s population of 8,000,000 attended church with any degree of regularity.

This drive for the conversion of London was unique, not only in the intensity with which it was conducted—15,000 clergymen and missionaries, for example, invaded the homes of 5,000,000 Londoners during the campaign—but also in the methods of approach to the “heathen” whom they endeavored to influence. Dr. Walter Carey’s sermon at Kingsbury explains somewhat the down-to-earth approach of the Mission to London. He said:

“Isn’t it hard, my dears, that a stunt would pack this church to the doors, but simply setting the truth of Christ before the ordinary man doesn’t do that? If I suddenly smoked a cigarette in the pulpit, the whole district would turn out.”

Apparently many “stunts” were used in the Mission to London, including the carrying of sandwich boards and drinking in the “pubs” with men who hadn’t darkened a church door for years. Said the mission’s general secretary, “We don’t expect to convert atheists in two weeks, but we aim to show Londoners that the church is alive.” Results were accomplished, at least temporarily so, for the report is that some churches had to remain open until midnight for the pastors to get through answering the hundreds of questions. Highlighting the fact that the younger generation had had little contact with the church and with church affairs a question was asked by a young lady. She wanted to know why the clergy wore black and white sheets. The report we have available does not say how this question was answered.

High dignitaries of the Church of England have been saying for some time now that England has become a Pagan country. Apparently those responsible for the Mission to London began to take these statements seriously and decided to do something about it. Any success achieved in restoring a measure of righteousness to a community is something for which to be thankful but again it must be emphasized that the time for the real conversion of London, and of the whole world, is still future; and it won’t be done by smoking cigarettes in the pulpits, nor by drinking in “pubs,” but by the agencies of the kingdom of Christ through which the knowledge of the glory of God will be caused to fill the whole earth as the waters cover the sea. And what a happy day that will be!

| Home Page | Table of Contents |