Dry Defeats There seems to be no question but that in the recent election, the prohibition and temperance forces of the nation suf fered a severe setback. The wet-dry is sue was on the ballot, in some form or other, in 13 states, with most of these contests registering wet gains. Perhaps the biggest upset was in Kansas, where the voters approved a measure to repeal a dry law which had been on the state’s statute book for 68 years. Proposals for more stringent liqucr regulations were defeated in California, Washington, South Dakota and Colorado. Although various opinion polls prove that the rank and file of our. citizens realize the tremendous losses caused by the unrestrained use and sale of drink, there seems to be very strong sentiment demanding that no restrictions be placed upon the drinkers’ personal liberty. This is not surprising to the student who un derstands God’s evaluation of human na ture. This demand for individual liberty even at the cost of national degradation is but another indication of the fact that the natural man ik self-willed and sel fish. Making Weather £ During the last year or two, our pub lic press has carried many articles re lating to the professional rain makers. According to these reports, man had reached another milestone in human progress, now being able to control the output of the skies. It was claimed that one had only to select the right cloud, pepper it with pellets of dry ice or other artificial stimulants, and rain would promptly fall upon the thirsty earth. Now this seems to be just so much talk, for the United States Weather Bu reau, as well as our Air Force, has given scientific rain making a thorough tryout, with results far from successful. An 8 x 20 mile area in Ohio was chosen as an experimental station. Out of 79 tries, rain resulted in 18, and even in most of these rain was already falling within 30 miles of the area before the experiments. In some cases, the dry ice produced the opposite effect, dispersing the clouds. The conclusion was reached that “arti ficial weather modification processes are o f relatively little economic importance.” So it seems that we shall have to con tinue to allow an all-wise and all-power ful God to control the weather as He has been doing for a few centuries. Not Yet Difficulty is still being experienced at Mt. Palomar. The 200-inch Hale tele scope is not yet able to produce scien tifically valuable photographs of the stars. The defect is a bulge in the great mirror on the outer edge, some 18 inches inward from the rim, 20 millionths of an inch too high, rendering the instrument useless for serious astronomical pur poses. However, the scientists are already at work to correct this defect and hope to have the intricate instrument ready for use in three or four months. Until the correction is made, the intriguing distant nebulae, some billion or so light years away, will keep their secrets. F E B R U A R Y , 1 9 4 9
William W . Orr, D.D.
always be restless, lacking in health and efficiency without that communion with God. This latest dictum from the medical profession is a far cry from theories ad vanced in the last score of years by other scientists who taught, in essence, that man was merely the total combination of his chemical reactions. Industrial Israel In a recent report from an interna tional social worker, it is stated that Israel is typed for industrial, rather than for agricultural, development. Only a small percentage of the incoming Jews are farmers, but there are many techni cians, scientists and factory workers. As for Communism, it has not a chance there, since no part of the population considers itself oppressed. These facts are interesting when you remember that the coming attack upon Israel by its northern neighbor, Russia, as foretold in the prophecy of Ezekiel, will be occasioned .by the tremendous wealth of that comparatively small land. No Easter Bunny According to Dr. Bollmeier of Hot Springs, Arkansas, the myths of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the stork, may cause children to lose their confi dence in their parents and occasion tragic consequences, even to planting the seeds of juvenile delinquency in young hearts. Yet it is quite understandable that parents with uneasy consciences regard ing their own relationship to God would hesitate to tell their children the great central events for which we celebrate Christmas and Easter. Very naturally unsaved people seize upon material sub stitutes to explain these religious holi days. What a train of maladjustments follow in the wake of man’s enmity with God, and. how these dissipate when, through the acceptance of God’s great sacrifice, this enmity is done away. Noth ing can be truer than the statement, “ There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” Page Five
Pyramidic Prophecy <£ For nearly one hundred years, cer tain claims have been made that the great Pyramid of Cheops contained a chronological unveiling of the future of mankind. Measurements have been care fully made and mathematical formulae worked out, purporting to predict great events of tomorrow. Now a leading Detroit attorney be lieves he has discovered the key to the measurements of the Pyramids. Accord ing to his calculations, man will end his stay on the earth January 28, 2001. But another momentous and fateful day is not far hence, for on November 19, 1959, there will be a tremendous catastrophe, cataclysm, flood, fire or “ a second com ing of Christ.” All of this finds space quite readily in our sensation - hungry newspapers. Yet the student of the Bible dissents. The day of the Lord’s coming is known to no one, no, not even to the angels in heaven. For this is part of God’s plan, that we should live our lives day by day and year by year in constant expectation of Christ’s return. Nor is there any earthly monument, pyramid, cathedral or sphinx-like structure whose measure ments unveil the future. Signs of the re turn of Christ are to be found only in His Book, supernaturally inspired, su- pematurally given, supernaturally pre served, and supernaturally understood. Pills May Fail Jt It was at a five-day meeting held in Chicago’s huge medical center. Speaking for the doctors, the famous physiologist, Andrew Conway Ivy, made this state ment: “Medicine is the handmaiden of science and religion. Religious and spir itual realms overlap more with the heal ing arts and sciences than in anything else man does. Try as we might to sepa rate them, we can’t do it, because that is the way we are built.” These are words on which to ponder for in them lies one of life’s greatest mysteries: that God made man for spir itual fellowship with Himself. Man will
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