May, 1944
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HEATHEN IN FOE-HOLES: A Lu theran Chaplain, with much service in the battle zones, has .given an in teresting commentary on the much- publicized statement, “There are no atheists in the fox-holes.” He declared, “True, there are no atheists in the fox-holes; but there are multitudes who are heathen. Let us remember that the heathen is not an unbeliever. Uncivilized meh are never total atheists. You find them only in university lecture rooms, as a general rule. The heathen believes de voutly in God, and practices all sorts of religious observances. Yet, the hea then is as totally lost as is the atheist. “I have seen many tragedies of a religious character among the boys in the fox-holes. They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Many of them are religiously lost— they grope and flounder in Scrip tural illiteracy. In hours\Of trial and fear, they* call upon God, but few of them know that Christ is the only way whereby men may have access unto the throne of grace.” Christians should not be made com placent by reports of “ a new interest in religion,” resulting from the war. Knowledge of Christ, not mere inter est in religion, is the paramount need of our people today. A Christless reli gious upsurge should be as resolutely resisted as a wave of atheism. THE MORAL COLLAPSE: The deg radation of thè public conscience was headlined by the reaction in both Amérièa and England to the scanda lous news that a married American soldier was the father of an English girl’s illegitimate quadruplets. Both the unwed British girl and the mar ried American ’soldier announced themselves as “vefy proud.” Many newspapers wrote them up as popular heroes. Out of the sordid sensation, how ever, came a ray of hope. Judging from their letters to magazines and newspapers, at least a good percen-, tage of American youths are revolting against this “new” paganism. A sev- enteen-year-old girl wrote this letter to a nationally circulating magazine, which had “featured” the case: “What on earth is the matter with every“ one? . . . There is something radically wrong with the English town which ‘adopted’ Norah Carpen ter because she became the ‘proud’ mother of illegitimate quadruplets; with the hundreds of people who showered her with presents and ad miration . . . “ If every one in the world accepts as a normal and rightful thing the making of a heroine out of any un married mother merely because she happens to produce three more than the usual number of illegitimate chil dren. and speaks of the w i f e , if
at all, in terms of scorn for being cruel enough not to give a divorce which is against her religious beliefs — if this is the moral code under which we will operate in the world to come, I, for one, have no desire to live in that world. Aren’t there any sane, decent people left on the earth?” After the last war, there was a “re volt of youth” against morality. It is coming quicker this time, in the form of the rising tide of juvenile delin quency. INFIDELS DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DIE: From Voltaire to Clarence Dar- row, unbelievers have nursed the high ambition of showing the world that an infidel can face death with se renity. The latest to essay the bold experiment was the brilliant humorist, Irvin S. Cobb. A philosopher as well as a humorist; Cobb had great Intellectual gifts. But none of these sufficed as a substitute for his mother’s faith, which he turned against in his youth and re fused to embrace throughout his ma ture years. In his last recorded state ment, he ridiculed the Bible. But he could not escape the oppres sive consciousness of impending death. Several years before his passing, he determined to die philosophically. He wrote his friends that he would “ let them know” when he was about to depart from this life. He still believed that he would be “master of his fate” unto the end. A Mr. Cobb’s last statement was a pathetic mixture of attempted humor, unrelieved fear, and desperate uncer tainty. . f He sought feebly and foolishly to laugh about the hereafter. He revived the stale joke that one should prefer heaven for climate, hell for company. He declared that heaven would be dull and dreary because of all the stuffy “self-righteous” people who The Russian Missionary Society Inc. Reaches with Christ’s love the Russians throughout the world: sends out the gospel to satisfy the heart-hunger of millions for the Word of God. Feeds and clothes the needy. Takes care of orphans. Your prayerful coopera tion most important! Write for the “ Friend of Russians” for de tails about our work. . Rev. F. J. Miles, International Secretary 1844 W. Monroe S i, Rm. 2, Chicago 12. III. In Canada; 106 Winnette Ave., Toronto 10, O n i
BIOLA FAM ILY [Continued from Page 176] Married
Marvin J. Hurt and Eleanor Schuh- mann, ’34, Mar. 4, Anchorage, Alaska. Pfc. Lester Jarizen and Eileen Epp, Mar. 4, HSnderson, Nebr. Loren Staudenmeir and Pauline Randall, April 4, South Gate, Calif. Born To- Sidney and Mrs. Best (Dorothy Cornell, ’34), a son, Trevor Douglas, Dec, 31, Lanchow, Kansu, China. To James (’35) and Mrs. McClin- tock, a daughter, Laura Catherine, Dec. 16, Whittier, Calif. To Paul (’35) and Mrs. Rouse, á son, Kenneth Allen, Mar. 12, Fullerton, Calif. To Donald and Mrs. Williams, a son, Russell Brynmore, Mar. 15, Pomona, Calif. W ith the Lord Ruth Tiffany Barnhouse, wife of D o n a l d Grey Barnhouse (‘15), re cently went home to be with her Saviour. Her husband is the pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church fof Philadelphia, Pa., and Editor of the magazine, “Revelation.” Mrs. B a r n house also leaves four children. Loftus H. Thackaberry, ' a valued member of the Board of Trustees of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles for the past four years, was called into the presence of the *Lord on Mar. 29, in Pasadena, Calif. He was the f o r m e r Los Angeles branch manager of Parke Davis and Co. Mrs. Thackaberry may be addressed at 1220 Wentworth Ave., Pasadena, Calif. recognize all religions as equally val id and desirable, God’s Word con demns as sinful all religions made by mankind, out of accordance with God’s revelation. "WARTIME" IRRELIGION: The Bi ble teaches that Christless, bloodless, man-made religion is really irreligion in the sight of God. All man-made religions substitute the righteousness of men for the righteousness of Christ They offer salvation on the basis of mart’s good works, rather than Christ’s shed blood. They glorify men, rather than God. The distinguishing feature of ‘'war time” religion is that it substitutes patriotism for the grace of God. Patri otism, like morality, is a good thing. But it is made a bad thing when it is substituted for the blood of Christ as a basis for individual salvation. There is just one way to be saved. There is just one way for the soldier, and for the civilian; for the youth, and for the aged; on the battlefield, or in the hospital bed. That way is by trusting fihrlst for salvation. BEH IND THE NEW S [ Continued from Page 163]
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