Dead •2* A recent news item is responsible for the statement that the 1947 Encyclopedia Brittanica contains the information that Darwinism, the popular brand of evo lutionary hypocrisy, is absolutely dead, and that today no scientist o f any re pute holds the doctrine of the “ survival of the fittest.” What a contrast to the loud proclamations o f scientists two-score years ago that Darwin’s theory was the answer to the question o f man’s origin! The world needs to learn the lesson that no theory should be accepted until proven scientifically accurate. Upswing Our FBI confirms the disgraceful fig ures recently published with regard to California’s crime rate. For the first half o f 1947, the increase in murder was 35% over any previous record; in robbery, 9% ; and in larceny and theft, 10%. These increases, it is to be remembered, are over the swollen rate o f the war years. Thus California, along with Dark est Africa, and needy Asia, is fast be coming a mission field. Millions Pray «9* Dr. L. H. Lehmann, the courageous editor o f the factual Converted Catholic, is endeavoring to enlist a million believ ing Christians in a unique prayer cru sade, the purpose o f which is to inter cede with God for the conversion of Monsignor Fulton J. Sheen, f a m o u s Catholic leader and spokesman in the United States. Dr. Lehmann is confident that the prayers o f Christians from Maine to California for one month will prevail with God to bring about a change in this man’s heart. Monsignor Sheen has attracted the attention o f the Amer ican people by i n d u c i n g prominent Protestants to join the Roman Catholic Church. This particular burden for prayer fo r him resulted from a strange dream which Dr. Lehmann describes in the October issue o f his periodical. Criminal Waste A temporary cessation o f distilling and brewing intoxicating liquors in this country and abroad would offer the solu tion to the present world food crisis, ac cording to George W. Crabbe o f the Anti- Saloon League. During 1946, an almost unbelievable amount o f precious grain was used to produce liquor, with its re sultant crime, disruption o f homes, and misery. If the present world situation is as acute as reported, certainly this ac tion should meet with the most hearty approval o f honest and intelligent men and women everywhere. Religious Gains Dr. Roy G. Ross, General Secretary o f the International Council of Religious Education, declares that religious educa tion in the United States has entered a period of progress and growth. More than 2,000,000 pupils are released every week from public schools fo r an hour of religious instruction, and approximately 34,000,000 attend Sunday , school each D E C E MB E R . 1 9 4 7
By WILLIAM W . ORR. D.D.
Lord’s Day. In addition, vacation church schools this past summer enrolled 5,- 000,000, and nearly one - half million young people attended religious camps. There is encouragement in these figures because o f the important fact that in al most all o f these endeavors the Bible is the central textbook. New Glory for Old Glory <£ By unanimous consent, a s e r m o n preached in the New York Avenue Pres byterian Church o f Washington, D. C., by Dr. Peter Marshall, Chaplain o f the Senate, was inserted in the Congression al Record o f July 10, 1947. Among many other fine statements, Dr. Marshall de clared: “ It is strange, and I believe tragic, that the Constitution makes no reference to God. Forty-three o f our states have already written into their constitutions vague religious acknowl edgments. All make some reference to a higher power, but not one state honors Jesus Christ. Christ said: -He that hon- oureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him’ . . . God can be honored only through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. All pious, vague affirmations about God as a Supreme Be ing, etc., are vain unless supreme honor is specifically given to Jesus Christ.” Thank God for such a witness for Christ in high places! A 5,000,000,000 Years' Loss Recently the men who gaze at the stars had 5,000,000,000 years lopped off their calendars. This drastic step was taken during the seventy-seventh meet ing o f the American Astronomical So ciety. Dr. Bauer o f Harvard University informed his colleagues that cosmic rays now indicate that meteors, or shooting stars, are not as old as it was formerly believed. The method of determination of age is by the amount o f helium they contain. These meteors are now supposed to be only 2,000,000,000 years old instead of 7,000,000,000. Of course this makes us breathe easier! Seriously, what amazes us is the way in which the naive scientists can so nonchalantly toss around billions of years, as if they were minutes! We have always belieyed that it was only with the Lord that “ one day is . . . as a
thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Who Is Christ? In a recent issue o f News Week, the religious editor reviewed a book by Rabbi Milton Steinberg, entitled Basic Judaism. This volume confirmed Israel’s historic beliefs, hopes, and aspirations. What is of particular interest to Christians is his restatement of the Jewish estimate of Jesus Christ. Rabbi Steinberg believes Him to be “ neither God, nor uniquely His Son, nor the Messiah, nor a moral prophet, nor even an impeccable human being,” but, rather, “ a great man, a gift ed and exalted teacher.” We are remind ed of Jesus’ own words regarding His Messiahship and Deity, to the Jewish rabbis of His day: “ I f ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.” 5% to 1 ■£ The press of our land has given dis proportionate emphasis to a number of prominent Protestants who have recent ly joined the Catholic church, partly be cause this is a newsworthy item and partly because of the subtle influence the Catholic church holds over our news papers. One beneficial effect has been that many o f our Protestant statisticians have begun to dig into the records te ascertain how large the movement in the other direction is. In a recent sur vey conducted by the Omaha Council of Churches, it was learned that in Omaha the ratio is 5% to 1. The figures during the last year were that 22 Protestants became Catholics and 121 Roman Catholics were accepted into Protestant congregations. This sur vey, however, is extremely conservative. In other sections o f the land, the ratio has run from 10 to 1, to as high as 50 to 1. This missionary work among Cath olics has not been the result of careful Protestant planning or co-operation. The reason in most cases has been simply that the Roman Catholic heard the good news of salvation by grace and the Spirit of God revealed the folly o f Cath olic practices and doctrines to him.
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