December, 1941
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
453
1940 as against 5,086 with 42,536 participants in 1939. “Antireligious seminars: 5,060 with 77,011 participants in 1940 as against 4,824 with 47,231 partici pants in 1939. . "Antireligious lectures: 239,000 with 10,765,000 auditors in 1940 as against 200,000 with 6,323,000 audi tors in 1939. • “Publications: 1,832 books with a total of 400,000,000 printed pages, published between 1928 and 1940.’’ Yaroslavsky attributes the growth of atheism to the fact, that the Soviet government itself “exercises a direct control over the work o f the League of Militant Godless.” He points out, how ever, that “the influence of the church has been weakened less than is often thought.”. His report concludes with “a call for increased efforts by the God less League.” EQUAL EVILS ALLOW NO CHOICE: • Much confusion has been engendered in the world by the attempt of nations to follow the system of “choosing the lesser of two evils.” Specifically, untold damage has .been done to the cause of democracy by the effort of well-mean ing theorists to decide which is the “les ser evil—Communism or Nazism.” When Mussolini established Fascism in Italy, there were many observers in America and England who welcomed his move ment as “ a lesser evil than Commun ism.” When the Nazi movement began to develop strength in Germany, there were important financiers and politicians in England and France, as well as Ger many, who actually encouraged the rise of Hitlerism as a “bulwark against the greater menace of Sovietism.” This commentator has long maintain ed, again and again in this department, that Communism and Nazism are equal evils. There is nothing to choose be tween them. They should be opposed equally and impartially. It may be true that one will loom as the greater peril at some specific time. But at another time, the relationship may be reversed. No democratic nation can afford to re lax her protective vigilance against either of the evils. There is a fundamental flaw in the whole reasoning process whereby men and nations seek to choose the "lesser of two evils.” The Word of God does not distinguish between “greater and lesser evils.” Sin is always infinite— because it is an affront to an infinite God. Men may talk about “little white lies” and "little sins.” But, according to the Word of God, all lies are as black as the pit of hell out of which the first lie emerged; all sins are infinite in scope, immeasurable in their evil. No distinction is made between “small sin ners” and “great sinners.” He who of fends in the smallest particular is to tally guilty—totally lost unless he ac-
cepts the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no such thing as being “par tially lost” or “lost to some degree.” One is reminded of the compromising modernist who is reported to have stood before his people and warned, “Unless we Tepent more or less, and believe something or other, and are saved to some degree, we may be lost to some extent.” It is an unhealthy state of mind to waste one’s attention on the apprais ing and analyzing of “comparative evils.” Young people will spend hours debating the subject, “Which is worse— the movies or the dance?” Apologists for worldly amusements will argue, “It is worse to tell a lie or fail to pay your
bills than it is to desecrate the Lord’s Day or smoke cigarettes.” Even if this could be demonstrated, this whole line of thought is wrong.- Our political leaders will spend hours in debating, “Which is worse—Com munism or Nazism?” Meanwhile, the conger of both of them is intensified. Debate has its place. But there are some things which are inherently un- debatable. Evil should be shunned— not discussed or conciliated, A famous bishop once said, “The laws of God are to be obeyed, not debated.” Less debate over the relative menace -of Fascism-Nazism and Communism, and more resistance to these scourges would be a good policy for Uncle Sam to pursue.
TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Laramie Avenue at Fulton Street
Rey. Bartlett L. Hess, Ph. D.. Pastor
Chicago, Illinois
Residence* 5207 Ferdinand St*
Dear Dr. Talbot: 558 South Hope Street Los Angeles, California
Dear Dr. Talbot During this past summer, a member of our Board of Deaeons suggested that we have a “ Christian Magazine Sunday,” when periodicals would be given to members of the congregation with the recommendation that they sub scribe for at least one of them. Members of the Board gave reviews of each paper. At the meeting where the papers were examined and discussed, it was the opinion of the group that the “Kins’s Business’’ was the best for the money. The articles are timely and spiritual. They are Scriptural and encouraging to the reader to become a student of the Word of God. Furthermore, the Bible school lessons, young people’s topics, the editorials and current-event fea tures are interesting, meaty, and helpful. The comment was that it is amazing that you can give so much for so little. I personally feel that you have an unusually good paper which is making a distinctive contribution in price and quality in the field of Christian journalism, and I wish you God’s continued blessing. Cordially yours,
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