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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
September, 1934
considered advanced above all others in the realms o f sci ence and philosophy, and cultured to the n-tuple degree— to discover that such a nation is willing to put a halo around the head o f a red-handed Jew-baiter, Adolf Hitler. But such is the sight we have lived to se£] Mr. Stanley High wrote from Berlin to the Literary Digest (Oct. 7, 1933) : The politics of National-Socialism, to a National- Socialist, has a divine origin and Hitler a “Messianic” mission. Some one remarked to me in Berlin that Ger many is in a delirium. I think it is more accurate to say that Germany is in an ecstasy. And the ecstasy is reli gious. In Berlin one of the large art shops along Unter den Linden has a portrait o f Hitler in the center of its display window. Hitler’s portrait is entirely surrounded, as though by a halo, with various copies of d painting of Christ. “ Just how completely Hitler is the victim o f a Mes sianic complex,” says Mr. High, “ no one can say. So far as I can find out, he does not invite adoration; but he certainly knows how to capitalize it!” The Times (L on don) says that the cell in which My Struggle was written has been made into a national shrine. A correspondent for the New Statesman and Nation (England), June 3, 1933, writes: Up till now the religious lessons in the schools of which I have direct knowledge have consisted for the most part of talks about Herr Hitler and the glories of Germany. Children themselves told me that the teachers had said in the religion lessons that Hitler was the second Jesus, but greater than the first, because he has not only one power, but the whole world against him. “ Ah, Mussolini!” cried General Balbo, who led the famous aeroplane flight around the world, “ you do not know what he means to u s ! Mussolini and God are our religion!” “ Often on a deathbed,” writes Ralph Norton in the Sunday School Times (April 29, 1933), “ his [Musso lini’s] picture is asked for and reverently kissed.” “ Masses o f Hindus,” says Bishop Whitehead of Madras, “ regard Gandhi as an incarnation o f deity.” [The tendency toward man-worship and the near-deifi cation o f political leaders in the present hour becomes a portent o f first magnitude] Again, the wise understand. It is written: / ' * / / • “ And all the world wondered after the beast. . .. . and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? . . . And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book o f life o f the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:3-8). Men may deem themselves “ wise,” “ advanced,!’ “ cul tured,” “ scientific,” but— only those are safe from the approaching “ strong delusion” (2 Thess. 2 :11 ) whose names are written in the “ book” (Rev. 13:8). If Mus solini, Hitler, Lenin, Gandhi, and their type, can and do command the worshipful homage of hundreds o f millions now, what will happen when the real “ false Christ” shall come in the combined glory o f Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Alexander, and Caesar (Rev. 13:2; cf. Dan. 7 :1 -7 ), and when this “ false Christ” shall be glorified by a real miracle- working “ prophet,” even to the making “ fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight o f men” (Rev. 13:13), and making a graven image of “ the beast” move and speak (Rev. 13:14, 15) ? Verily shall such an one at last sit down “ in the temple o f God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thess. 2 :4) ! The Master proclaimed the way o f safety for His dis ciples in that day by telling them how they may prevent being deceived by that awful delusion. All “ false Christs” arise from “ beneath.” Only One shall come from “ above.” To His arch-enemies at His first coming, the true Messiah
do not believe; also that you consider the Bible false. Therefore, it is commanded, etc., etc. A good candidate for the insane asylum, we admit! Atomic as are such “ false Christs” as the aforesaid, yet they present about as creditable credentials as the false “ Christs” who make lick-spittle out o f the world’s intel ligentsia. In India recently, Meher Baba, a long-haired Parsee [priest] o f Zoroastrian faith, was hailed by his disciples as “ the God-man.” Many Indians regard him as Gandhi’s “ Duru,” or spiritual adviser. He proposes to amalgamate all creeds in the common element of love. The last we heard o f him (March, 1934), he was headed for America. A score o f years ago, a Persian deceiver by the name o f Abdul Baha (his real name being Abbas Effendi), made his headquarters in Palestine and presented himself to mankind as a world Saviour. His yes-men widely circu lated the following appeal: O People! The Dawning point of the Light of God is Revealed. God is again speaking to us through His. Great and Glorious Manifestation, Baha Ullah, and through the “ Center o f His Covenant, Abdul Baha.” O People! Remember Christ and how He was rejected. Are you going to repeat that Destructive Episode? Or are you going to arise and trim your Lamps ? “ The Father whom Christ Foretold has come amongst us 1” He is here! Among the titles that Baha accepted without protest, we find such as these: “ Our God El Abha,” “ The Ever lasting Father,” and “ The Lord o f the Vineyard.” Thous ands upon thousands flocked to his banner in Bombay, Mandalay, London, Paris, and America. In Persia, it is estimated that one-third o f the entire population wor shiped at his shrine. The sad and significant part o f it is, not that such a spiritual monster should come, but that when he did come even to enlightened America, many so- called Christian churches— Baptist, Methodist, Congrega tional, Episcopalian, and others— threw open their doors and received him with open arms. Standing room was at a premium wherever he went; and, by the way, standing room was all he allowed anybody until his “ Most High Majesty” was himself seated! Like all the other Gentile “ false Christs,” Baha palavared about universal love, social brotherhood, international peace, and the spiritual unity o f all religions. Several years ago, the Theosophic High Priestess, Mrs. Besant, paraded a Hindu, Krishnamurti, before the world as its “ Christ.” He spoke in “ tongues.” News papers in all parts o f the earth gave large advertisement to this Messiah-to-be. Thousands in Benares fell flat on their faces before him and worshiped. On his way to America, he stopped in. Paris. Great crowds filled the streets to do him homage. His worshipers included society women covered with silks and dazzling jewels, and num bered also famous generals, splendid o f physique and weighted with medals. But one day Krishnamurti proved himself more sensible than most of his tribe. He discov ered that “ a mountain [had] labored and brought forth a mouse”— and he was the mouse! Thereupon, he repudi ated his Messiahship! But what about the gullibility o f the human race? Apparently, the stage is set, and the mind o f man is ready, to receive the “ angel o f light” who, crowned by Satan, will present our confused world with a “ Saviour.” “ But the wise shall understand” (Dan. 12 :10). Thanks be to G od ! M an ’ s T endency to M an -W orship (Still more astonishing it is to discover that hundreds o f thousands within a nation that but a few years ago was
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