Too Few
«J* There is no doubt but that Japan has been greatly blessed by the choice of Gen eral Douglas MacArthur as the American leader in that land. One o f the most sig nificant statements he made to the de feated Japanese was: “ You can’t have democracy without Christianity.” He has issued a call for 1,000 Christian workers to minister to the spiritual needs of that stricken land. Recent figures from Religious News Service show that the Catholic Church has responded by sending workers, but that Protestants are a very poor second. As a result, there are now in Japan 1,120 Catholic missionaries to 220 Protestant. A Record? j ! In a recent news item the 618 mem bers of the Second Baptist Church of Houston, Texas were reported to have given a total of $310,018 to their church last year, at which $85,346 was desig nated for missionary endeavor. The total annual giving for this church of aver age size amounts to approximately $500.00 for each member. Death at 103 •£ Recently a 103-year-old resident of a Southern California town died from burns received when she fell asleep while smoking a cigarette. No doubt such a news item could be used by the tobacco companies in their effort to prove that smoking promotes longevity. This is just another rather unusual case out of the thousands of injuries and deaths which are attributed to smoking. Successful Marriages Dr. Edwin Dahlberg, President o f the Northern Baptist Convention, recently told the 28th annual Southern California Baptist Youth Fellowship Convention that more successful marriages are started through church socials than in any other way. Dr. Dahlberg advised that young people find their companions in church life, recommending that in his opinion it was real insurance to the hap piness of marriage to select a boy or girl with well-established church-going habits. . 5% Non-Religious «St In a partial report of a recent relig ious census of Columbus, Ohio, only 5% of the 'residents had no religious affilia tion or preference, while 74% were either members of Protestant churches or ad mitted that to be their preference. The remaining 21% were Roman Catholic or Jewish. No inquiry was made as to the reg ularity of church attendance on the part of the 74% Protestants including the prayer meeting on Wednesday night! Wise Words «5* Most Christians who listened to the broadcast of the recent British royal wedding weré thrilled and blessed by the F E B R U A R Y , I 9 48
By WILLIAM W. ORR, D.D.
property on the outskirts of San José. It is hoped that this new station will be the means of reaching tens of thou sands in Central America with the story of the gospel of Christ. More Confirmation «St The Madras Mail of November 28, 1946, is responsible for the following item: ' “ Man’s skeleton found in 12-foot shark caught off Bombay. Bombay, November 26: A twelve-foot tiger shark, weighing 700 pounds, was dragged ashore last eve ning at the Sasson Docks. When the shark was cut open, a skeleton and a man’s clothes were found. It is thought that the victim may have been one of those lost at sea during the recent cy clone. The shark was caught by fisher men thirty miles from Bombay.” This brings to mind the long and bitter battle over the scriptural account of Jonah and the whale. Now the critics no longer reveal their ignorance by scoff ing at Jonah’s story, for this incident off the coast of India is but one of hun dreds on record revealing the capacity of sea monsters to swallow men. First Book «Jt Now traveling across the broad acres of our beloved land is the Freedom Train. This train houses for exhibition purposes many of the priceless documents which have to do with the founding of our country. This train will enter various cities where young and old will be in vited to view its priceless contents. Among the documents contained in the train is a copy o f the first book ever to be printed in America, dated 1640, pub lished by one Stephen Daye in Cam bridge, Mass., on a press given to him by friends in Holland. It is “ The Bay Psalm Book” which contains the entire book of Psalms arranged for singing. Only eleven copies of this book are known to exist, so its money value is very great, but not so great as the fact that the first book ever to roll off the printing presses of the United States of America was one wholly occupied with the words of Scrip ture. Page Five
wise and solemn counsel of Archbishop of York. Very clearly he spoke to the young couple telling them that in spite of their exalted royal position before God, their marriage vows were to be taken in the same truth and sincerity as those of anyone else. In addition, he admonished the happy couple: “ But this service is far more than the taking o f solemn vows. It is one of bless ing. For it is only through God’s help that you can keep the promise you have made. God’s blessing has been given you that you may so live together in this life that in the world to come you may have everlasting life. The ever-living Christ is here to bless you. And He will always be near to help and guide you. His perfect love will deepen your love. The nearer you keep to Him the nearer you will be to one another.” No Drink or Smoke Jt Years ago a 13-year-old boy in Kan sas wrote this letter to his aunt: “ Since I have been at this trade, I find that a great many printers chew and smoke and drink. I have been fig uring it up : if a man spent ten cents a day for whisky, that in ten years without interest would be $365, and for tobacco, if they spent only twenty cents a week, that would be $104 in ten years, and al together that would be enough to buy a secondhand press and type. I am now thirteen years old and I am going to save my money, instead of ' spending it for tobacco and drinks, and by the- time I am twenty-one, I will have enough to buy a good secondhand press. Yours truly, Art Capper.” Radio TIFC «S* A recent news bulletin from the office of the Latin American Mission in San José, Costa Rica, tells of the near com pletion of their new radio station TIFC. This new venture of faith is a memorial to the late Dr. Harry Strachan, founder, and for many years president, of the Mission. Broadcasting from this station will begin with the power of 1,000 watts on a frequency of 1,000 kilocycles. The site of the studio is a beautiful six-acre
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