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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
October, 1933
SM
B y MAUD jJ O W E * Toronto, Ontaftó, Canada
again.” The crux of the whole matter is, “ If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.” The one working principle is per sonal, intimate, daily contact with the living Leader Himself. The one glorious hope is His promised return: “ This same Jesus, . . . shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Religion may teach about Christ; Christianity is Christ. T h e S p r e a d o f A p o s t a s y i n A m e r ic a Throughout the American continent, apostasy is rapidly spreading. Only re cently definite information was received regarding a church in Toronto where the leader of a young men’s class had been
M any students from colleges, high schools, and universities write to, or person ally call in, the office o f the Canadian Chris tian Crusade. The following statements were contained in a letter sent from one student, a Christian witnessing almost alone in a uni versity o f 6,000 members: Why is infidelity getting such a grip upon the young people? It is due to the dear souls w h o com e f r o m so-called Christian homes. These young people know the Bible, but they have no answer to infi delity ; they have never been given any. The chief argument is that the Bible has been attacked down through the ages, and it has withstood all the attacks; and with this, the self-satisfied have no argument, and the enemy scoffs because he has been permitted to get away with his lies among
removed. The admission was made to me, personally: “ We did not doubt your sincerity, but we felt you must surely have been misinformed about the facts of present- day atheism.” But those facts were being demonstrated in that very church. It seems this young man, in his thirties, admitted that he was an agent for an atheistic- society, and that, for several years, he had been spreading doubt under cover of teaching a Bible class. Concern felt by fathers and mothers o f the members o f his class, because o f the results seen in the loss o f faith of their sons, led to prayer and tactful inquiry on the part of the minister, and the wisdom-of-the-serpent methods, together with the harmlessness-of-the-dove graciousness, that were em ployed in removing this misguided young man, led happily to his confession of false pretenses, and his desire to study the real thing. In this case, the enemy overreached him self, and the one he was using is now on the way to a personal experience o f blood-bought salvation. Prayer is asked for this man. There are many others working in similar places. People have said, “ The idea is fantastic.” It is, but true, nevertheless. We are not working against an open, honorable foe ; we are faced with all the subtle angel-of- light methods that supernatural evil can devise to defeat the cross of Calvary. And still (though less is it heard than o f yore) well-meaning Christians say, “ ‘Better let sleeping dogs lie’—-it is the usual passing phase of youth.” M is s in g S o m e t h i n g A f t e r A l l First-hand experiences come with added force ; for this reason, may I be permitted to give two out of many instances in which I was asked for help and prayer ? In vited to speak to a young people’s class one week-day even ing, I had the joy of meeting about 200 splendid young men and women. As I sat enjoying the preliminary ses sion, my prayer went up for guidance as to the manner of approach in the message I was to give. Were these delightful people intimately His? Or were they merely seeking ideals, with Jesus as a loved Example of one who had attained ? As they sang “ Onward Christian Soldiers” with earnestness and real abandon, I thought surely they were living in the power o f Christ’s finished work, and
the listening student body, a mixture of all creeds and races. I enclose our official college publication. It opens the way, and it would be sad to allow this to go without accepting it as a challenge to carry the gospel right into the midst of these splendid young men and women, all with a vision—but what course will that vision pursue? The letter speaks for itself. Add to it the following information, which, like the foregoing, has come from a reliable source and is irrefutable. Summer schools for radical instruction which, in the past few years, have graduated more than 300,000 mem bers, are being conducted by college professors and in structors from some of our leading universities. The real danger today lies in the drive that is being made among the educated and cultured classes among the schools, col leges, and universities, and among the churches and clergy of the various Protestant denominations. It has been a long-standing policy of the advocates for atheism to have trained debaters and organizers sent out into colleges and churches and leading organizations throughout the world. These men and women do not come in openly; they are working under cover and consti tute a menace so imminent that, unless the danger is rec ognized and dealt with, this program of subversion among our educational and religious institutions will work irrep arable injury to the nation. When will it be recognized that a great strategic movement is on foot to bring down the citadel of the faith of our fathers, to break up the old-fashioned ideas of mar riage and home, and to modernize the “crude” ideas of sin and atonement? A C o n f u s io n o f T e r m s The claim made by atheists today that modern religion ists are their kith and kin is due to a confusion o f terms. A religionist is hot necessarily a Christian. A Buddhist has not personally met Buddha; he is but a follower o f the principles of his leader. In Mohammedanism, the same principle obtains, and so on ad libitum. But in Christianity, no amount of the most earnest following of rules laid down by the Leader, Jesus Christ, is of any avail for membership. This is not obtainable by “ works, lest any man should boast.” The one condition is new birth: “ Ye must be born
*General Secretary, Canadian Christian Crusade.
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