What About Ja p a n ?
“ Christians in Japan constitute a tiny minority—less than one half of one per cent—but now they are on trial for the whole Christian Church throughout the world.” The speaker was Dr. Bob Pierce, president of World Vision, Inc. Just returned from Japan, where he had watched the milling thousands of stu dents who paraded against the visit of President Eisenhower, the noted mis sionary-evangelist went on to say: “ Throughout the world, two power ful ideologies are in headlong conflict. Communism focuses attention on the mass—the individual is regarded as of little importance. But Christianity sees the individual as all-important, and says that the world can only be changed as the individual is changed.” Relating this to the present crisis situation in Japan, he added: “ The Christian Church in Japan must speak up for the value of the individual in the sight of God.” Addressing a press conference in Los Angeles immediately upon his return from the tension-torn Far East, the missionary leader cited one reason for the riots in Japan of which the average American may be unaware. “ For the last seven years,” he points out, “ the youth of Japan have been largely taught by leftist teachers.” The Communists unionized the teachers, Pierce points out. They pro vided better teaching facilities, better salaries—and the result is that the schools of Japan have been largely leftist-dominated. What does this mean? Pierce warns: “ The population of Japan is less than one per cent Communist. And yet this one per cent of the popu lation was able to put from 250,000 to 300,000 students on the streets of one city at one time for purposes of violence, while the other 99 per cent of the people couldn't muster 1,000 people to stand up and protest What can be done? The Christians in Japan have at least one answer to suggest. Dr. Pierce and World Vision
Dr. Bob Pierce, President of World Vision, with Premier Kishi, who has been the center of attack during the Japanese crisis.
Some of the Japanese pastors (1950 in all) who attended the 1960 Pastors Conference sponsored by World Vision. It was at this conference that Dr. Pierce was invited to conduct a Tokyo Crusade in May, 1961.
Seekers were personally dealt with during May, 1959 Osaka Crusade. Over 2,000 trained personal workers counseled them and sought to* guide them into the fellowship and help of a local church.
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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