by these startling figures op tithing by Roger Babson, the great statisti cian: “The tithing system,” he fieclares, “if adopted by the churches, would give astounding figures. A compila tion shows that the annual business turnover in this country ampunts to more than five hundred billion dol lars. It is estimated that of this amount four-fifths pass thrpugh the hands of the church people. One per cent of this amount would mean five billion dollars a year. Assuming that there is a profit of ten per cent on this turnover, it would mean that there is coming each year to the church people of America an income amounting to forty billion dqllars. If the tithing process were in operation, this would give the churches in tithes about four billion dollars a year.” Films J* A number of enterprises qre under way for the purpose of depicting Biblical stories and Christian truth by means of films. A recent visitor to the film capital is the Reverend Brian Hession, rector of Holy Trinity Church, Aylesbury, England, who is interested in producing a full-length film of the life of Christ. He is one of the direc tors of Cathedral Films, a noncom mercial c o m p a n y which supplies Scripture films to churches and other religious organizations. The reason for his trip to America was the film ing of his script, "The Hand That Drove the Nails." It appears that film enterprises of this sort should proceed with the utmost caution in order that they do not lose God’s blessing on their effort because of emphasis on the commercial or the technical side. Truly there is a wide field for such films, if they are born and nurtured in prayer. Wings Wings for missionaries are being provided by the newly formed Chris tian Airmen’s Missionary Fellowship, an organization of young men and women, trained in the art of flying. Miss Betty Greene, a former WASP with about 700 hours’ flying time, has already departed for Peru to aid in a new work by the Wycliffe Bible Trans
lators. She is a capable and conse crated Christian, who considers her self a co-pilot with the Lord. Her plane is a four-passenger Waco that will hop Mexico’s highest ranges with grace and speed. The Sudan Interior Mission has ob tained a Piper Super Cruiser for work in West Africa this fall. Truly this seerns to be a real opportunity for mission boards and personnel to speed the Gospel lights Unbelievable? In America, last year, we wasted 3,339,854 tons of food products: grains, sugars, syrups, and fruits, in the mak ing of alcoholic beverages sold dur ing that year alone. Between Pearl Harbor and January 1, 1946, this waste totaled 337,000,000 bushels of grain, according to the American Business Men’s Research Foundation. Incidentally, the misuse of these grains diverted $26,200,000,000 from the retail market for necessities and harmless luxuries during that period' of timé. Life & A phenomenon in the publishing world is the rapid growth of Life and Time magazines. It is our understand ing that the editor in chief of these magazines has a spiritual background. With this in mind, it is grievous as well as unbelievable, to see the amount of space sold by these publi cations to liquor interests. It is esti mated that Life, with a circulation of nearly four million, received in 1945 approximately $4,400,000 from the ad vertisers of alcoholic beverages. As we examined their fifty-two issues for that year, we discovered that they contained 387 liquor advertisements, or a total of 318 pages. These ads are highly artistic, many of which are produced in four colors. The harm to the American home from this source can scarcely be estimated. We would not like to bear the guilt and respon sibility of the editors and publishers in thus encouraging intemperance, with its resulting train of immorality, disease, broken homes, and shattered lives. 11
Truth?
study of 2,000 smokers and non- smokers, conducted by the Life Exten sion examiners of the great insurance companies, resulted in these findings: smokers complained of cough 300% more often than nonsmokers; throat and nose irritation 167%; heart palpi tation 50%; pain over heart 73%; shortness of breath 140%; heartburn 100%; stomach gas 62%; and nervous ness 76%. Yet the tobacco companies are allowed to advertise in responsi ble publications and over the radio that you will suffer “no irritation of throat or nose, no nicotine poisoning —if you smoke Lucky Camelfields.” Appalling ¿*5 J. Edgar Hoover, head of the Fed eral Bureau of Investigation, U.S.A., better informed about the subject of crime than any other man in the country, states: “Last year, a major crime occurred every 23 seconds. More persons were murdered within the United States than were casualties at Tarawa. A robbery occurred every 12 minutes, a burglary every two min utes, a larceny every 39 seconds, and an automobile stolen every three min utes. Remember that 13% of all mur derers arrested were under 21 years of age, as were 39% of all robbers, 55% of all burglars, 37% of all thieves, 32% of all rapists, 30% of all arson ists, and 65% of all car thieves. In fact, nearly 23% of all persons arrest- ad last year were under voting age. More boys, 17 years of age, and more girls 18 years of age, were arrested than in any other age group.” We have seen these figures in print so many times that there is a tend ency to become used to them, but the real truth of the matter is that right here is the greatest danger our coun try has ever faced. However, we do thank God for the encouraging side of the picture in that God is stirring up the hearts of Christian youth to evangelize among their own friends. Let us pray without ceasing for all young people. Figures The a m a z i n g potentiality of power for good resident in the Chris tian forces of our land is illustrated
OCTOBER, 1946
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