THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
254
July, 1942 i
professions. Because t h e y have such educational and social oppor tunities, one is apt to blame them for not coming to Christ. The truth of the matter is that they hove no or little spiritual opportunity, and their minds are just as blind to “ the glorious gos pel” of the Lord Jesus Christ as are the minds of the most primitive heathen. I would like to give you what we have found to be the philosophy of the average student: 1. That everything is changing . and in a flux, there being nothing stable. Unless I change along with ; it all and consider every new wind of speculation, I am not progress ing. ' 2. Because of modern education,', human reasoning is becoming in fallible and man is becoming self-sufficient. Sooner or later he will be able to solve every prob lem in life. 3. I have to sin because it is the beast in me; therefore I am not to blame and cannot be judged. 4. There is, no exact right or wrong; such moral matters are relative, depending upon thé time and place. 5. That one cannot believe until he sees is the scientific attitude. 6. The Bible is just for those who make it their profession and for the old people who are inca pable of sound thinking. Is there müch difference between this six-point philosophy and that of the heathen—in that it is made of lies? We may wonder why students of even very high intellects think this way. But when we consider their backgrounds we no longer wonder. They are the product of ungodly par ents and teachers amidst a confusing and fast-moving age. Their lives are highly organized and planned by oth ers. A nineteen-year-old education major wrote in his assignment which asked for his philosophy, “I had never thought of one until you [the profes sor] gave this assignment.” Nineteen years old and never challenged to think of even a philosophy, besides eternal things! It is easy to criticize the student world, but where is the ehallènge to turn to Christ? A verdict cannot be reached until there is a choice to be made; a choice cannot be made until another side is presented. For the past twenty-five or so years, the “other side” has fallen out’ of the college sphere or remained in dead silence until it is on many campuses un known.
dents are showing signs of turning to Christ and His Word. “Religion” is be coming more than ever before the cen tral theme of bull sessions. Instances of this renewed Interest abound. One of the Fellowship stu dents at Johns Hopkins University is going from door to door in each dor mitory giving his testimony and leav ing a Gospel of John. Although he has just started, he tells of one student who was definitely hungry for God and who is continually asking for more of the truth. Another student wrote to the Fellowship’s staff mem ber of the Southern Territory, “We are all pretty well ‘fed up’ with talk about The mistakes of the Bible,’ the social gospel with ’Jesus the great leader.’ You are right; this thing (Inter-Varsity) will grow, for there are many who are looking for just this answer.” Then we hear of the recent Christian Union meeting at the Uni versity of Washington where forty students turned” out for noon prayer, and of the fifty-two men and women who are coming to Bible study meet ings at Monmouth College. The years that have passed on the college campus have been a time of “famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing of the words of the Lord.” Let us who see the need look to God to use His servants to “pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground”! taneously in different parts of the grounds, from July 18-to July 25. The price is $5.00 for the week for either conference. Mrs. Don Austin (Lorraine Coffman, ’34),-1080 E. Tujunga Ave., Burbank, Calif., has been serving as Sunday- school superintendent in the Chris tian and Missionary Alliance Church of Glendale. Mr. Austin is an elemen tary school teacher and is also vitally interested in child evangelism. Word from Abroad Edwin Knapp, ’39, Orinoco River Mission, Apartado 75, Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela, S. A., sailed on December 5 from New York for Venezuela, in company with Van V. (’13] and Mrs. Eddings. They had a pleasant trip, despite the outbreak of war on the Second day out from port. Frank E. Lee, ’33, has been serving u n d e r the Sudan Interior Mission, [ Continued on Pape 277J
A Student Approach to a Student Need Meanwhile,, “ Ichabod” is written above the thresholds of most churches that pride themselves on catering to college students. The majority of stu dents will not go to-a church, for they have learned from’ experience that they can expect little real help. But they will attend a hayride, ski trip, scavenger hunt, social, or some meet ing on the campus with a bunch of normal clean-cut Christian fellows and girls. Wayne Christian Fellowship in Detroit just recently had a scaven ger hunt. More than they invited turned out so that the outsiders out numbered those of the Fellowship. The evening was well' planned, and all heard a stirring presentation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today the Chris tians are still “following up” individ uals who were, there. And they are reaching their fellow students in dor mitories, classrooms, or in the college grill. Athletes, popular personalities, ?.nd graduate students earning their Ph. D. are among those who are tak ing a definite stand for Christ. But to those of us who work among students, one of the most striking trends today is toward a re-emphasis of religion on the campuses. Al though great numbers of churches, seminaries, religious movements, par ents, and teachers have failed to give out the truth to-this generation, stu- News from Here and There E. Edwiri Paulson, ’23, on April 18 became chaplain of the Medical Re placement Training Center at Camp Robinson, Ark. He had been in serv ice in the Army as a chaplain since 1940. Prior to his' Army work, he had ministered in pastorates of Presby terian churches in Minnesota for more than twelve years. He is a graduate of Hamline University of St Paul, Minn., and of Princeton Theological Seminary. Clarence Hofer, ’36, was graduated from Bob Jones College, Cleveland, Tenn., on June 3. William G. (’27) and Mrs. Graves (Madge Henderson, ’23), 1000 Fifth St., Vallejo, Calif., have been busy with preparations for their annual Mission Springs Bible Conference Camp, at Mission Springs, Calif., in the Santa Cruz Mountains near .Mount Hermon. Two separate Bible conferences — a young people’s conference (from sixth grade up to thirty years of age) and an adult conference—are held simul-
Bible Institute FAMILY CIRCLE
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