But Not Religious-Good
I must find the time to read less, for during the past weeks the printed word has come up with an immoderate number of Disturbing Thoughts. If you are booked up solid with burdens at present, do not read on, for here are six more, beginning with four quickies.
“Many of the church’s current problems can be traced to the fact that some theologians just do not believe in God.” (Memories and Musings by W. R. Matthews, former dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral). “I don’t wear my collar more than absolutely necessary now, in case I’m taken for an atheist” (Episcopal clergyman). “We did not greatly mind whether the new archbishop would be an African or a European, but we did expect that he would be a Christian” (editorial in African newspaper).
“Unbelief … is about to disappear entirely as a social fact” (Professor Thomas Luckmann of Frankfurt University). Even though the professor was speaking of an increase in subjective belief, one might ask of his statement quoted above, “Unbelief in what?”
I’ve just completed reading Bertrand Russell’s autobiography. This man who made no bones about atheism and amoral views—and was bludgeoned by religious folk, often justly—helped me understand Thomas Hardy’s distinction: “good, but not religious-good.” Listen to this incredible incident involving Russell’s son and daughter-in-law, who, he gravely explains, “were born after 1914, and are therefore incapable of happiness.” At Christmas, 1953, he records, “I was waiting to go into hospital again for a serious operation and my wife and household were all down with flu.” (Note that Russell was by then past eighty.) “My son and his wife decided that, as she said, they were ‘tired of children.’ After Christmas dinner with the children and me, they left, taking the remainder of the food, and did not return.”
Not a word of complaint, though one senses that the loss of the remaining victuals hurt even someone who ought not to have been celebrating the season in the first place. But the elder Russells got down to it, and made themselves responsible, at tremendous inconvenience, for the children’s upbringing and education.
With the wicked it should not be so; what right had they to be irreligiously good? It upsets our scheme of things. Let me give you a final example to confuse you irrevocably. In a reference book the other day I discovered this description of a couple of churchmen: “Although orthodox in theology, they were both examples of intimate personal piety.” We shall not soon see their like again.
EUTYCHUS IV
Mission To Academia
Thank you for the article “The Campus Minister: Rebel or Reconciler?,” by C. Stephen Evans (May 8). I thought he spoke to a situation clearly and concisely.
BILL HAUB
First United Methodist Church
Washington, Mo.
The ministers that I am acquainted with also include in their varied duties the evangelism of the students. This apparently has been overlooked in the recent article in preference to that which is more “modern” and causes the “rebel” or “reconciler” to be in the spotlight. In light of recent developments on the colleges, apparently more evangelism is needed.
JOE H. CONARROE
Cambridge City Christian Church
Cambridge City, Ind.
Hogwashing Business
Mr. Sanford’s “Memo to Commencement Speakers” (May 8) is hogwash. I expect that I have had more experience with ministers than he has had with business.… I am surprised that CHRISTIANITY TODAY would accept such uninformed stuff maligning business.
In my observation, businessmen as a whole have more integrity than many other classifications of people. I expect that less than 5 per cent of businessmen would sacrifice their integrity for the sake of acquiring money. In my observation, I would doubt that 95 per cent of ministers would be clean on integrity. The fact that Sanford writes as he does raises serious questions about his integrity. Does he believe it is honest to make such libelous statements without a wide knowledge of business affairs?
MAXEY JARMAN
Chairman of the Finance Committee Genesco
New York, N. Y.
If Mr. Sanford really wants to tell it like it is, he should consider telling some of these youngsters that laziness, irresponsibility and flaunting of laws and manners will not get the job done in business or religion.
Youth must understand the realities of life so that what is good and constructive in them can be captured and their energy and creativity harnessed. To continuously berate what some contemptuously call “The Establishment” is not the answer to achieving ideals. The Church should speak out, not give in to the woolly thoughts of extremists.
G. O. ROBINSON
Aiken, S. C.
A Lesson On ‘A Lesson’
I think that you are in error in criticizing the governor of Florida (“A Lesson from the Governor,” May 8) because the present governmental regulations are very harmful to the black child as well as the white child.… It is a case of states’ rights when the state official opposes the federal court just as in the case of whether the local Presbyterian Church U. S. opposes something that the General Assembly does.
In fact, the two constitutional amendments were passed illegally without any of the Southern states voting on same. These are the two amendments that were passed without any authority under the constitution.
There is a great difference between the rebel as represented by you and me, and also as represented by the Black Panthers; and the duly constituted government of a state in the “United States.” Or would you advocate another bloody war such as the bloodiest war in history (1861–65)?
W. H. B. SIMPSON
Greenville, S. C.
Contrary to your opinion, the law clearly states as defined in both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1965 that students will not be bused to achieve “racial balance” (whatever that is supposed to mean). This was recently reiterated by the President of the United States. I did not notice any criticism of the judge here who ruled in contradiction to the law. In a similar case in South Carolina the federal judge ruled that it was contrary to the law to bus students to achieve “racial balance.”
GEORGE J. POULOS
Miami, Fla.
Absolute Folly
I was particularly interested in the editorial “Fletcher’s Folly” (May 8). I agree that situation ethics has some very serious shortcomings, such as you outlined, but wonder why we haven’t been concerned to deal with the issue long before it got a special label and an articulate spokesman.
The majority of Christians have long supported murder when it had the sanction of the state in the form of war, and have supported the institutions of racial bias when supported by law, and have often equated systems of economic exploitation with Christian principles.
All of the translations of the Scriptures which I have, including the King James, condemn these just as surely as they condemn adultery, fornication, theft, and lying.
When we as a Christian Church put our own house in order on these issues, we will be heard when we speak and youth will look again to the church for leadership.
I believe in absolutes in the area of moral values, but I want them across the board, not just to cover the other man’s sins.
LAWRENCE H. PEERY
Executive Secretary
Wilmington Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Wilmington, Ohio
Of Dreams And Hogwash
I am a very new subscriber to your publication, and I want to say that I was incredibly heartened and encouraged by “Another Look at the American Dream” (April 24).
We get so tired of reading the “hog-wash” dished out to us red-blooded Americans these days that it is refreshing to be reminded of our heritage and the courage, stability, and virtues of our forebears.
MARGARET G. KRETSCHMAR
Davenport, Iowa
I find it difficult to reconcile the “American dream,” the state of the country today, and the Christian Gospel in the way Dr. Robert J. Lamont has done. The article speaks disparagingly of the message “We are miserable sinners, the country is undone, there is absolutely no hope,” but I detect a stronger biblical note in that statement than in the thesis of the author. We are miserable sinners. Apart from the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ the country is undone, and there is absolutely no hope. Hope begins when we acknowledge this and turn to the Saviour.
We shall not recapture the “American dream” by self-congratulations or, worse yet, by dreaming.
JAMES M. BOICE
Tenth Presbyterian Church
Philadelphia, Pa.
The very fact that he says “the major responsibility for [the Viet Nam] war rests on the Communist world” means that America has some responsibility for that war. Let us honestly accept that responsibility and the guilt that goes with it, or else we dare never accept any credit for the cessation of war that we hope comes soon.…
Mr. Lamont wrote many good things. However, I would have appreciated it more if he had been consistent and left out the “American dream” and only referred to the Christian’s dream in all the article as he did in the latter part. I cannot equate Christianity with Americanism. The African Christian has the same dream for spiritual reality and wholeness that I do. I happen to be an American Christian.
CARL L. SMELTZER
Kalona, Iowa
Collars And Character
If your cost-cutting collared clergyman (“Collaring Cost-Cutting,” April 24) pays $4.50 for a clerical collar, he may need to cheat on his taxes. Most collars cost between $.75 and $1.00. Is the Wall Street Journal telling a true story, or is it simply making up an illustration for the purpose of pointing up a moral? If so, it is not strange that a clergyman became the chief character.
JAMES C. THOMPSON
St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church
Bishop, Calif.
Beauty Now
My warm thanks to Harold O. J. Brown for “Evolution, Revolution, or Victory” (April 10) and to you for publishing the timely presentation of eternal truth as it applies to now. Beautiful!
CHARLES R. GREGORY
Raleigh, N. C.
Book Of Barbs?
Mr. Lawing is one of the best Christian cartoonists! Isn’t it about time that his “cartoonal barbs” were put into a book so that his admirers can continue to laugh long after the issues of CHRISTIANITY TODAY have crumbled?
BEULAH E. WIGGINS
Jamaica, N. Y.
Hymn And ‘I’
I am concerned about your report that the new Presbyterian hymnbook will reveal the loss of so many familiar and well-loved hymns (“Exit 540 Hymns,” Feb. 27), particularly those stressing personal relationship with God. Beneath all the social gospel there must be personal cleansing, personal dedication, personal salvation.
There is the same trend here in Britain. As a Methodist I tremble to think what will happen when our Methodist hymnbook is again revised. When the Sunday-school hymnal was reissued, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” was dropped, though it is still in the Methodist Church hymnal. It is rumored that many of the “I” hymns will go, like Henry Lyte’s “Abide with Me” and Francis Havergal’s “I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus.” Why this should be I cannot understand … Many of us I am sure find our hopes and fears, our joys and faith put into prayer through the medium of our hymnbook, which we would otherwise find hard to express. It has ever been such, and the Psalms give us a glorious example. Last year (1969) we had a “Methodist Hymns and Songs” supplement, but so very very few really “get under the skin.” Why, O why must those who profess to lead appear so deaf?
JOHN L. COTTERELL
Finchfield, Wolverhampton, England
