Perhaps 20% Exemption A Senate Committee has approved an amendment to the Internal Revenue Code raising to 20% the amount of an individual’s income that may be exempt from income tax because of contribu tions to religious, educational or char itable organizations. The reason for the boost was that colleges, hospitals and other organizations are becoming more and more dependent upon private con tributors to enable them to balance their budgets and to carry on their programs. The present rate allowed is 15% which, according to government figures, is not often used by the average Amer ican. However, this boost would come as a help to many who would like to contribute more to religious purposes. Queen's Pledge ^ In a recent message, Queen Eliza beth of England told the General As sembly of the Church in Scotland that she would use her authority to main tain and preserve the true Protestant religion in Scotland. The Queen stated: “We are very conscious of the need, which was never greater than today, for vigorous witness which it is the privilege of the church to bear to the abiding principles of our Christian faith. But we are equally conscious that all of us fail in our personal duty unless we all, as individuals, likewise strive to show, by the conduct and ex ample of our daily lives and family relationships, the living reality of our faith and its power to influence, and indeed to shape, the difficult times in Homer Rodeheaver who, 35 years ago, was Billy Sunday’s song leader, reports the loss of his famous trombone. He was holding a series of meetings in Vandalia, 111., where someone picked up the instrument while Rodeheaver was gone for supper. The old instrument has a history that would fill a book. Not only was it used in the Billy Sun day campaigns but also in World War I when Rodeheaver was a Y.M.C.A. worker. Later, it was taken on a 42,000- mile, round-the-world tour. Just a month ago, the Conn musical instru ment company, which made the old in strument, turned out another one en graved with the Rodeheaver special trade-mark, the musical rainbow, with the words, “ Every cloud will wear a rainbow, if your heart keeps right.” Roman Catholic Gains According to its official directory, the Roman Catholic Church gained 772,642 members over the total reported for 1951 and now numbers 29,407,520. For the sixth successive year, the directory states, the number of converts to Cath olicism has passed the 100,000 mark. There was also an increase of 570 which we live.” Lost Trombone
TV Inquiry & A committee from Congress to scru tinize TV programs has been ordered recently. The group is given authority to recommend legislative action to eliminate offensive and undesirable ma terial. An individual report from Los Angeles revealed the following: “ Some 852 major crimes, including 167 murders, were served to one million children who tuned to Los Angeles tele vision programs last week, F'rank Orme, editor of TV Magazine, a television trade publication, reported today. “ Orme said six monitors recorded the 852 crimes televised on 124 separate programs which used crime for their basic appeal. Children’s programs con tained 78 per cent of the crime and 85 per cent of TV’s crime shows are on before 9 p.m., Orme said. “ Four suicides, attempted mutilation, framed elections and one attempted rape on a crime Western for children were included in the 852 figure. Minor crimes were too numerous to record, he said.” Double Billion Businesses The list of billion-dollar businesses grows slowly but steadily. At least 24 companies now report assets of more than a million dollars, and to these may be added at least 21 banks, 13 insurance companies and one finance company. In addition to all this, another 27 com panies took in more than a billion dol lars in sales and other revenues this past year and reveal the steady increase of this billion dollar sales group. There can be no doubt whatever of the vast industrial might of America. Better methods are pushing production totals to new highs. More and more consumer goods are being offered and purchased. America is really at the top of the ladder. In contrast to this are the sober ing figures of the uniform crime report by the FBI showing an over-all increase of at least 5 per cent over previous record-breaking crime figures. Truly it is time for America to turn to God be fore this amazing nation goes down in the greatest collapse of history. The Number Seven The idea that the number seven is an important one is older than the an cient Greeks. Not only is it based upon the mystical theories used by the an cients and derived from the seven plan ets, but upon many cycles in nature. For instance, there are the sun’s activi ties, changes in weather, fever crises, egg incubation and various physical cycles all of which may be measured in halves or multiples of the week. An eminent scientist reports that periods based on seven make up a fundamental time pattern of mind and body in mat ters where both health and disease are concerned. (Continued on Page 24) T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
clergy which brought the total of or dained priests to 44,459. Also, there are nearly 12,000 separate Catholic edu cational institutions in our land. There is no doubt but what the Cath olic Church is straining every nerve to build up its forces in this land pre paratory to a well-established plan to dominate the religious world. All of this is another sign of the near ap proach of that chain of events which will usher in our Lord’s triumphant return. More Persecution it Reports continue to come in concern ing Colombian persecution of Protes tants. One veteran missionary family stated that a local pastor, Victor San chez, was shot in the back and killed by soldiers of the Colombian army. An other missionary, who a few months ago had to swim for his life, was set upon by four desperadoes, beaten and taken to jail after being vilely treated. Quite recently a determined protest by the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., was lodged with the proper authorities. Some day the hostile forces in Colombia will overstep themselves and a decided reaction against them will set in. Locust Plague In Rome the UN Food and Agricul tural Organization warned of a plague of locusts in the Middle East such as has not been seen in 100 years unless they can be quickly destroyed. In the moist heat of East Africa, the locusts breed and multiply very rapidly and can suddenly rise up in such swarms as to darken the sky utterly. A single swarm can occupy 250 square miles of space and might contain 500 million locusts, the weight of which could be 700 tons. It is estimated that at least 30 swarms are headed northward into Egypt, Israel, Jordan and other Middle East countries. Steps are being taken to kill vast quantities of these before they reach full maturity. All of this has a familiar ring as we remember the number of references in the Scripture to plagues of locusts as well as a very strange reference to a special brand of locusts in Revelation 9.
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