Full Text for CTM Theological Observer 8-3 (Text)
ti4>~8eitllefd)i4>tlid)e~.
Theological Observer - st'iuljnd)~.8eitgefdjidjtnd)e~
1. l.mtrika
~ejn~t bie SJcilige 6d)rift, lUn!3 fte l1erncint? SDie SJeiIige alImiicljtig roar, fo geljt 6djteioer .biefe£l nidjt mit, tueH fi~
.ba£l nicljt lJeririigt mit feinem - au£l .ber 6cljrifi [?] gefcljii1Jf±en - lBegriff
be£l )illefen£l .ber Cfntiiuf:\etung ~Cffu." SDer ffiea.enfeni iff !!C. Cl:. ~iiter. )illit
fragen noclj einmal: )illill ficlj cine falf clje Sfenofi5 in lJie lutljerifclje .mtclje
l!fmerifa£l einfcljleicljen? 0!>er mill man fefiljalten an bem Haren )illort
@lot±e£l bon ber 6iinllfofigfeit ~Cffu unb an bet ~aifaclje, bat ~Cffu£l au~
im 6tanbe .ber Cfrniellrigung .ber 60fjn @lo±te£l im ~olIbefit ber feinet menfclj~
lidjen inaiur mitgeteiHen goitncljen Cfigenf cljafien 1nar, .bat er ficlj abet be£l
f 0 t± tu ii lj r en ben @leotauclj£l hiefer Cfigenfcljafien eniljieH? }{5gL ljierau
llicfe ,8eitfcljrifi, man.b II, 244 ff.; VI, 413 ff. ~.
Biennial Meeting of the Federal Council of Churches. - It was in
Asbury Park, N. J., that the Federal Council of Churches held its biennial
meeting December 9-11, 1936. We are told that twenty-three denomina-
tions were represented. The meeting brought to a close the administra-
tion of Dr. Ivan Lee Holt of St. Louis, who had served as president during
the last two years. His successor is Dr. Edgar De Witt Jones of Central
Woodward Christian Church, Detroit. What Dr. Holt stressed in his fate-
well address was the proposition which unionists have always contended
for, that Protestants must become more united. That such a union must
not be effected at the expense of doctrine he, of course, did not bring out.
At the meeting there was a good deal of talk of "a common faith, a com-
mon conscience, and a united Church." But from the reports available
it does not appear that the representatives assembled succeeded in escap-
ing the nebulosity which, as a rule, surrounds the use of these terms.
Congratulations were exchanged on what was effected by the National
Preaching Mission, which had lasted three months and had been con-
cluded the day before the Federal Council met. Fifteen of the leaders.
in this mission came to the meeting and reported in person on what had
been achieved. The Committee on Evangelism which had arranged the
National Preaching Mission was instructed "to make plans for the con-
servation of results already achieved and for the extension of the pro-
gram both to cities not visited this year and to areas of American life
which the mission did not succeed in touching adequately, notably in-
dustry and education." On the question of peace the Council, as might
be expected, made a strong statement, and in order not to expose itself
to the criticism that by maintaining chaplains in the Army and Navy it
was contradicting its own position in favor of peace, it was resolved that
a special commission be created to take counsel with religious leaders,
be they Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish, and with the chaplains in the
service and other persons involved, in order "to prepare a plan embody-
ing such a modification of the status of the Army and Navy chaplains as
will make clear that they are a part of the regular ministry of the
churches rather than of the armed services of the nation." A.
Theological Observer - .reitdjlidj={leitgefdjidjUidje§ 221
~fd;ndje ®eutcinfdjllft feift ~ni9lcit in Illlen Stihfen ber 2e~fe nnb
~tll~i!j bOflln!j. ~n ,,2efjre unb ~efjre" 1904, @l. 371, erfdjien ein ~tem
mit biefer itlierfdjrift, brul nodj immer fefjr aeitgemaB ift. ':iDie ~ufforberung,
bodj ja biefe ~u~fvradje in ,,2efjte unb ~efjre" nadjaulefen, wlirbe faum
ifjren 3ltJecl erreidjen, fdjon be~ltJegen nidjt, wei! bieIe 2efer unferer 3eit"
fdjrift bie alien ~afjrgange bon ,,2efjre unb ~efjre" nidjt liefiten. ~ir
blirfen ~ bafjer bie ~iifje nidjt berbriei3en laffen, jene~ ~tem fjier aum ~li"
brucl au liringen. (§~ lautet:
stirdjIidje @emeinfdjaft f~t @iinigfeit in allen @)tilclen ber 2efjre unb
~ra~i~ borau~. ':iDa~ lieront mit medjt P. Dffermann im ,,2utfjerifdjen llir"
djenlilatt" bOn meabing. @ir fdjreilit: ,,':iDer ,2utfjerifdje 3ion~liote', ein in
ber @eneralf~nobe fjerau~gegeliene~ 5Blatt, liringt in feiner mUmmer bom
2. ~uni einen Ietten ~rtifel ,illier bie interf~nobale ~onferena'. meranlaf"
fUng fjierilu fjat ifjm ein @lat gegelien, ber in einem meiner ~rtifeI lilier bie
~itt~liurgfjer ~onferena au Iefen ftanb unb- ber wiirtIidj fo Iautete: ,llirdj"
Iidje @emeinfdjaft a!Difdjen einaeInen @l~noben ift [alier] ltJefentHdj 5Befennt"
ni~gemeinfdjaft; fie fett borau~, baB bie lietreffenben @l~noben in allen
@ltMen ber 2efjre unb ~ra~i~ biilIigmiteinanber liliereinftimmen unb fidj
bafjer al~ liefenntni~iteue 2utfjeraner gegenfeitig anetfennen fiinnen.' ':iDem
,3ion~lioten' ift namentridj ber atueite )teU biefe~ @late~ ein ':iDorn im ~uge.
@ir gilit fidj niimIidj alle ~ilfje au fJeltJeifen, baB bie ~orberung einer biilIigen
itliereinftimmung in 2efjre unb ~r~@ aI~ morliebingung firdjIidjer @emein"
fdjaf± ein llnbing fei, ein merIangen, beffen mfurbitiit jebem liilIig benfenben
~enfdjen liei genauer ~riifung bon feIlift einleudjten milffe. ':iDie bon ifjm
in~ ~eIb gefiifjrten @rilnbe Iaffen fidj etltJa in foIgenbe @late faffen: 1. ~a~
man aur 5Bebingung firdjIidjer @emeinfdjaft madjen ltJilI, ltJar unb ift in
~irfiidjfeit ifjr griii3te~ ~inberni~. 2. ':iDie ~orberung einer biilIigen itlier"
einftimmung in 2efjre unb ~a~i~ roirb mit ~~nafjme ~iffouri~ bon feiner
lutfjerifcgen @l~nobe bertreten unb ift erft fUraHdj wieber bon ~oltJa entfdjie"
ben aurilclgeroiefen worben. 3. ,~ie !Dill man eine foIdje ~orberung audj
fdjriftHdj [sic] liegriinben~' 4. ~o ltJilI man brul @inbe finben, ltJenn man
einma! anfangt, bon alIen @ltilclen ber 2efjre au reben? 5. itliereinftimmung
in ber ~ra~i~ ift bolIenM gana unmiigIidj-. 6. ~idjtige ~ragen ber firdj"
Iidjen ~ra~i~ finb allerbing~ ~anilelgemeinfdjaft mit ~nber~grauliigen unb
bie @ltellung au ben 20gen. 7. mer feTlift fjinfidjtridj biefer ~ragen fie"
ftimmte morfdjriften au madjen, ltJiberftteitet ber djriftIidjen ~reifjeit, ift
@l~nobaIfjierardjie, @e!Diffen~fnedjtfdjaft unb VaVftIidje ~nmaBung. 8. @ldjluB"
ermafjnung: ,~erbd nidjt ber ~enfdjen ~edjteI' @i~ ift nidjt meine ~li"
fic9t, biefe ~unfte im einaeInen au wiberIegen. ~dj fjalie fie IebigIidj aitiert,
um an einem 5BeifViel au aeigen, ltJie feIlif± ,fonferbatibe' ~anner in ber
@enera!f~nobe iilier brul 5Befenntni~ al~ @runblage aller ltJafjren @iinigieit
fjeute nodj benfen unb fdjreilien. ~ilI ber ,3io~liote' fonfequent fein, fo
mUB er ja au~ jenen @lij{!en ben einfadjen @ldjIuB aiefjen, bali aur firdjIicljen
@emeinfcljaft iilierfjauvt feine ftliereinftimmung in 2efjre unb ~ra~i~ niitig
ift, baB jebe mervtridj±Ung aUf ba~ 5Befennin@, lDeldjer ~rt fie fei, bie djrif±"
Iiclje ~reifjeit lieeinitadjtigt unb baB be~fjaIli eine reHgiiife @emeinfdjaft, in
ltJeIdjer jeber glaulit, lefjrt unb fjanbert, ltJie e~ ifjm gefalIt, ba~ fjiidjfte
~beal ber djriftridjen llirdje barftelIt. ':iDer ,3ion~liote' fdjeut fidj natilrIidj,
biefe stonfequenilen au aiefjen. ~lier feine ganae 5BeltJei~fiifjrung laBt fidj
222 Theological Observer - .Rird)Ha),,seit\1efd)td)Hid)es
bodj nur bom 6tanb\Junfte eine§ berfdjtuommenen Unioni~mu~ berfieijen,
ber \JrinaiVieU flir bie 0.Heidjlieredjtigung aUer ffHdjtungen eintritt unb ber
aIle 0Haulien~toaijrijeiten aUfIiift in fulijeftibe meinungen. :;Die~ ift audj in
ber )tat ber 6tanbvunft ber @eneralf~nobe. ~oijI fdjreili± ber ,8ion~liote':
,~rs .2u±ijeraner neijmen toir ia aIle Die ~ug§liurgifdje Si'onfeffion af§ unfer
~au\Jtbefenntni~ an.' ~ber toie ltJenig ift bodj eigentIidj bamit gefagtl :;Der
Iutqerifdje ~qarafter ciner 6~nobe wirb burdj bie lilolle ~nnaqme ber ~ugii;l~
liurgifdjen Si'onfeffion nodj feine§weg~ berburg±, wenn nidj± bafur geforgt ift,
ban iijre @Heber audj tuirftidj banadj Ieqren unb qanbeIn. Nun wirb feber,
ber bie 8uftiinbe in ber @eneraIii)nobe einigermallen lenni, mir beaeugen,
ball man fidj bort im grollen unb ganilen qeraIidj toenig Darum ffrmmert,
to~ Die einaeInen ~aftoren Ieqren unb toeldje ~ta~i~ fie liefolgen. @etoill,
man unierfdjreili± Die ~ug~liurgifdje Sl:onfefiion (toarum folIte man audj
nidjt?), man liiBt fie geHen - af§ ein ~uf.iqiingefdjiIb; alier bamit qat e~
audj fein )Betoenben. I<§S liIeilit bem )BeHelien febes einaeInen ulierlaffen,
toiebie! ober toie toenig er fdjIietlidj fur feine ~erfon bon iqr anneqmen
tom. :;Die 6~nobe qat nidjg bagegen, IDenn iqre @Iieber liefennini§±reue
.2ufqeraner fein tuollen. 6ie ijat aber audj nidjg bagegcn, toenn iqre ~afto~
ren grunbftiiraenbe ~rrleqren berlireiten, mit gottrofen, undjrifHidjen @e~
felIfdjaf±en fidj berliinben 1mb aUerlei 6eftenvrebiger aUf iqre Si'an3eIn faffen.
60 qerrfdjt aUerbing§ in ber @enetalf~noDe bolIige \:Sreiqeit, aber es ift
nidjt Die \:Sreiijeit in ber ~aqrijeit. :;Der ~ammer qeutilutage ift, ball man
in unferer Si'irdje ulierall ben ~infer ber 6djonmalerei fliqrt, bat man fidj
fefbft unb anbere burdj fdjone fficben ±iiufdjt, toiiqrenb man gegen offenliare
6djliben unb @ebredjen in ber eigenen mUte beqarrHdj bie ~ugen aufdjHeBt.
:;Der ,8ion§liote' lOnnte feitter 6t)nobe einen toirflidjen :;Dienf± leif±en, tvenn
er gegen jeben Unfug im eigenen .2ager, gegen febe ffieligion§mengerei, gegen
aUe ungefunbe 2eqre unb unlutqerifdje ~ta6if.i ein friifiigef.i, mannqaf±e~
8eugnifJ alilegen roolIte." - 60 toeit bas ~tem in 1I.2eqre unb ~eqre".
~af.i P. Offermann 1904 bem inbifferentiftifdjen 1I8ion~lio±en" unb ber
inbifferentiftifdjen @eneraIf~nobe borqieIt, mUff en toir qcute ben ~nbifferen~
tift en in ber mereinigten .2utijetifdjen Si'irdje unb iqren @efinnungsgenolfen
in anbem 6t)noben borqalten. Si'ummert fidj bie mereinigte .2utijerifdje
Si'irdje barum, roenn .2eqrer iqrer @emeinfdjaft grunbflliraenbe ~rrleqren
berlireiten unb 'l3"af±oren aUerlei 6eftenvrebiger auf iqre Si'anaeIn Iaffen?
6ie quft Die einaelnen 6~noben iqre§ merlianbes baflir beran±ttJortIidj. ~ber
fiimmert fie fidj barum, toenn bie einaelnen 6~noben fidj nidjt um foldje
8uftiinbe fiimmeru? <§.
Dr. Machen Deceased.-It was with profound sorrow that we re-
ceived the news of the demise of Prof. J. Gresham Machen on January 1.
Since he was still in the zenith of his powers, being only fifty-five years
old at the time of his death and his services as a champion of the
authority of the Bible against the attacks of modern Liberalism were
apparently still sorely needed, we here face one of the questions per-
taining to the great God's guidance of human affairs which we cannot
answer. Professor Machen had endeared himself to conservative Chris-
tians by his courageous and bold defense of the Holy Scriptures and by
his willingness to suffer ignominy and financial loss rather than prove
unfaithful to what he believed to be the truth. The account of the war
Theological Observer - ~itd)lid)~3eitl1efd)id)tIid)e~ 223
he waged against the tendency represented by the infamous Auburn
Affirmation and against false Liberalism in general, marked by his with-
drawal from Princeton and founding of Westminster Seminary and cul-
minating in the establishment of an Independent Board of Missions and
of a new church-body, the Presbyterian Church of America, forms a
stirring chapter in recent church history. Even his opponents cannot
help admiring his integrity, firmness, fortitude, and eminent scholarship.
While he was a Calvinist and pulpit- and altar-fellowship with him
was out of the question for us, we benefited by his splendid writings,
especially his books entitled Christianity and Liberalism, The Origin of
Paul's Religion, and The Virgin Birth.
A few sentences from an editorial in the Presbyterian of January 7,
a paper edited by friends of Dr. Machen, who, however, did not join
him in setting up a new church-body, will be appreciated: "Dr. Machen
was a vigorous personality, a great scholar, yet a very humble and warm-
hearted Christian. . .. He was a master of all the foremost writings of
the destructive critics who did so much to undermine Christian faith,
and he taught the riches of the Word with understanding as well as
personal belief. He saw the poverty of the general position which was
so popular a few years ago, but which has now left its votaries dis-
comfited and bereft in the time of great need. He was a man of
Reformation proportions. The Lord's hand may now appear more
plainly with the servant called home, either perpetuating the denomina-
tion he started with greater power or directing these noble men back
to our own Church." A.
Brief Items. - That in Spain the atrocities violating the law of re-
ligious freedom are not by any means confined to the so-called Loyalists,
or Government people and troops, can be gathered from a report parts
of which were printed in the Lutheran Companion. Of eight paragraphs
we quote two: "At Ibaherando, in the Caceres Province, scores of Prot-
estants have fallen before rebel firing squads. The most well-known
Protestant of Caceres, Don Luis Cabrere, was one of the first to die."
"At Santa Amalia many Protestants were singled out by Fascist officers
and shot down by Riff troops when they took the village." The Lutheran
Companion adds: "Early this year the Madrid government passed the
first freedom-of-worship law in Spanish history. By this enactment all
creeds and denominations in Spain were granted religious freedom.
Bitter opposition from the Roman Catholic Church, which has kept an
iron grip on the country through the centuries, developed immediately,
and the Fascists promised to wipe the new law from the Spanish Con-
stitution should they succeed in seizing power. Soon afterwards the
revolution was launched by them. It is not difficult, therefore, to discern
the sinister shadow of the Roman Catholic Church behind the present
bloody effort to destroy democracy in Spain. - When the present king of
England was still merely the Duke of York, he was elected Grand Master
Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. On November 30, 1936, the in-
stallation occurred. Royalty is not a badge of safety against all sorts of
foolishness. - In the conflict in the Methodist Church between the Liberal
wing of the clergy preaching the social gospel and the Conservative wing
224 Theological Observer. - mtd)lid)~,(leitgefd)id)md)e~.
of the laymen opposing such preaching, the laymen are winning out
according to latest information. One of the latter said: "The radicals
in the boards are slowly being eliminated. The bishops of the Church
see our point of view and are working with us. . " Our friends are
being seated in the various committees and boards as vacancies occur.
We are more than satisfied with the matter as it is today." Is this
probably one of the numerous cases where the bread-and-butter argu-
ment proves more potent than intellectual considerations? - That the
various setbacks which Roman Catholicism has suffered recently have
not as yet made it an exemplar of modesty can be seen from the fol-
lowing words of one of its champions, Patrick F. Scanlan, managing editor
of the Brooklyn Tablet, whom the Living Church quotes as saying: "The
Catholic Church is the mother of modern democracy. Communism is the
antithesis of democracy because it destroys the natural rights of man.
Democracy stands for liberty, particularly religious liberty. Our Church
has gained and flourished where democracy rules. In the United States
we enjoy democracy; our system has no more ardent champion of it
than the Catholic Church." How these claims can be made by a repre-
sentative of the Church which staged some of the bloodiest persecutions
known in history and which established the terrible inquisition, is
beyond us. - The Moody Centenary is attracting a good deal of attention.
The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago is sponsoring ambitious plans look-
ing to the observance of this centenary throughout 1937. While Moody's
theology was not altogether Scriptural, the force and simplicity with
which he preached the great tidings of redemption have always been
justly admired. - Has Karl Barth undergone a radical change? Wilhelm
Pauck, now professor of Church History at Chicago Theological Sem-
inary and a man who formerly wrote about Barth in enthusiastic terms,
has reached the conclusion, as we see from a review of his in the Chris-
tian Century, that "Barth is no longer a dialectical theologian." He
charges him with having become "an undialectical supernaturalist and
Biblicist, who defends the principle of the divine sovereignty to such
a degree th<>t the possibility of defining religion as a God-man relation-
ship is entirely excluded." This probably means that Barth has made
some further progress on the road toward conservative views in theology.
It is a hard blow, however, when his former admirer says that Barth
now is "utterly uninteresting." - We have been told repeatedly that
Catholicism is putting forth strong efforts to conquer the Scandinavian
countries. What they have accomplished up to date is thus summarized
in an article printed in the N. L. C. Bulletin: "In Iceland there are
8 priests for four to five hundred members, in Norway 34 priests for
2,750 Catholics, in Sweden 23 priests for 4,300 Catholics, in Finland
8 priests for 2,000 Catholics, and in Denmark 85 priests for 25,000 mem-
bers." The authority drawn on by the Btdletin maintains that the figures
for the members are far too high. - It is reported that the Auburn
Theological Seminary (Presbyterian) of Auburn, N. Y., will affiliate with
the Colgate-Rochester Divinity School (Baptist) at Rochester, N. Y.,
and that Auburn intends to move to the Colgate-Rochester campus and
house itself in a building which is to be erected there. Both institutions
belong to the Liberal wing. Since with them doctrine does not matter
Theological Observer. - .!Htd)lid)~.8eitllefd)td)tltd)ell. 225
much, one wonders why they do not merge. - In spite of the antagonism
of many of our prominent newspapers and journals to Bible Christianity
they must in their news columns and magazine sections bring testimony
showing that what the Bible narrates is true. Thus the American
Weekly in a recent issue informs its readers that "the latest researches
have brought to light such objects as King Solomon's stables, where he
kept his three hundred thoroughbred horses; the little dishes in whichc
wicked Queen Jezebel kept her rouge and other cosmetics; the tomb>
of Sarah; the letters of the conqueror Sennacherib to his father, King
Sargon; the seal of Jaazaniah, an Israelite captain mentioned in the Bible
in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, and other things of similar interest.
These objects make these outstanding figures of Bible history as real to
us as George Washington, Oliver Cromwell, Napoleon Bonaparte, and
other famous characters of modern history." - It was with a smile and
at the same time with a feeling of sorrow that we, in an article by
P. Oornman Philip, having the title "India's Seething Untouchables;'
which appeared in the Christian Century, read the following paragraph:
"The divisions of the Christian Church with its competing denominations
and mutually anathematizing sects are also much in evidence in India.
The awakened depressed classes are not a little confused by the extraor-
dinary claim made by the Roman Catholic Church that it alone is the
true Church and by the counterclaims made by modern sects like Mus-
soorie Lutherans, Seventh-day Adventists, and Pentecostal Christians
that they are the custodians of true Christianity." Mr. Philip is a
member of the Mar-Thoma Church of the Malabar Coast in India. Not
only the spelling, but the content of the paragraph shows that he does
not know very much about the Missouri Synod. - Dr. James H. Snowden,
well-known editor of the Presbyterian Banner and author of a number
of books having the title Sunday-school Lessons, besides other works,
recently departed this life. - A correspondent in the Christian Century
says that there are conflicting reports on the course which Dr. Ambedkar,
the prominent leader of the "untouchables" in India, will take. He re-
ports that the Doctor denies ever having made a declaration in favor
of Sikhism. Concerning Gandhi he says that this leader recently ded-
icated a temple to Bharata Mata (Mother India) at Benares, the sacred
city of the Hindus. The ceremony was attended by a multitude of
twenty-five thousand people, made up of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Par-
sees, Jains, and Buddhists, who had come from all parts of India. In
the temple there is no image of any god or goddess, but only a relief
map of India, made of marble. Gandhi is quoted as follows: "I hope
that this temple, which will serve as a cosmopolitan platform for people
of all religions, castes, and creeds, including the Marijans, will go a great
way in promoting religious unity, peace, and love in the country." The
correspondent says: "The conception of Mother India as a national
goddess to be worshiped took its rise only with the beginning of the
struggle for political freedom after the British occupation. It is the
view of an enlightened Hindu like Professor Radhakrishnan of Oxford
University that Hindus have never made their country a national
goddess, with a historic destiny, a sacred mission, and a right of ex-
pansion. He contends that Hmdus have not worshiped Bharata Mata
15
226 Theological Observer. - .Ritd]lidH~titgefd)id)md)tJ.
as others do 'Britannia,' 'La France,' and the 'Fatherland' and that they
have not taught that the name of India was the name of God. Anyhow,
it is a sign of the times that India also is going the way of all the world
in its deification of the nation." - The press reports that the Roman
Catholic bishop of Fort Wayne, Dr. John Francis Noll, is the chairman
of a national committee consisting of Catholics and Protestants which
plans to erect a large statue of Christ in Washington, D. C. The in-
tention is to render, by the erection of this statue, a strong testimony of
rejection of Communism. It is hoped that citizens of the United States
as well as the whole world will see here a declaration that the United
States wishes to abide by the principles of Christianity. - The religious
situation in Mexico seems to have improved. The Mexican correspondent
of the Christian Century reports: "The national government continues
to show a more moderate policy with regard to the Church. Both in
Mexico City and in Guadalajara the churches and priests seem to enjoy
more liberty in the matter of services than at any other time in the
past five years. Laws limiting such services still exist, but they are not
enforced. Masses are well attended, and church-bells are allowed to
announce them. . .. I think it would be safe to guess that not more
than three or four states are now prohibiting or seriously limiting church
services." - The Pope, as the religious press states, is wooing Protestants
to join him in a war on Communism. Whatever views a person may
entertain as to the greatness of the menace which Communism just now
represents, it seems that everybody should scrutinize well the person
and the motives of the wooer before entering upon an alliance. - The
total number of foreign missionaries from Denmark, Finland, Norway,
and Sweden has now reached the 1,500 mark, with 8,200 native mis-
sionaries assisting. The total number of Christians on their foreign fields
is 311,000, and the annual budget is ten million crowns. (News Bulletin
of N. L. C.) - The Society of the Godless in Russia is now making a
talkie in ten languages which aims to present to Russian millions
a dialog between a Communist laborer and Christ, Jehovah, Mohammed,
and Buddha. The title of the film is "Why I Am Godless." The Inter-
national Association of Atheists met this fall at Prague in convention,
having representatives from twelve lands. They have decided to have
an international button or symbol of infidelity. On this symbol these
words are to be inscribed: "Religion is an opiate to the people." Literally:
"Religion is opium to the people." The Society of the Godless in France
is now baptizing its new members and giving them "red" baptismal
certificates. The certificate, issued also and especially to infants, has
a picture on it of an athlete who is about to break to pieces a cross.
The sponsors promise to protect the child against the indoctrination of
the Church and to be an example to the child of hostility to the Church.
These matters are reported in the News Bulletin of the N. L. C. What
words can express one's indignation and sadness when reading of such
blasphemous activities! - Writing on Christian education in New Zealand,
;a gentleman from that country who procured abundant information on
the way in which Christian education is carried on in the various
countries of the world says: "The most virile churches in the United
States of America are the Lutheran and the Roman Catholic, due, it is
Theological Observer. - .Ritd)lid)'8eitl1efd)id)md)e~. 227
stated, to the fact that these churches insist upon their children's being
educated in their own church day-schools. It is the tradition of Prot-
estantism to establish church day-schools, using the Bible as a text-
book. In the United States of America mass education in the State
schools has been condemned." Speaking of the situation in England, he
says: "Almost half the children in England are educated in church day-
schools, and in recent years nearly half the gaols in England have been
closed, whereas in the United States of America, with a mainly secular
and materialistic education system, new gaols are being opened owing
to the increase in juvenile crime." A.
II. ;2(u,ltntll
'!lie ~llge in '!Ieutfdilllnb. D. martin ~ilIfomm gibt in einem 2rrlifel
bet ,,@ib.~Eu±~. tyteifirdje" bom 13. @5ep±embet 1936 roetibollen 2ruffdj1ull
ubet )8otgiinge im ptoteftantifdjen Eager ~eutfdjTan~. @it fdjteiM: "ZSn~
net~arb bet fogenannten ,l8efennenben .llitdje' ift ein ~eftiget iiffentHdjet
Sfampf au~gebtodjen. @i~ befiimpfen fidj mit fdjatfen ~affen Me ,~a~remet
Dlidjtung" al5 beten ~orlfU~rer ~ans ~rsmuffen auf ben ~lan tritt, unb
bie ,Eut~etaner', fUr hie ~ermann @5affe in @itlangen bom Eeber 3ie~t. ~et
.slampfpla~ ift bie ,Wgemeine @ibangefifdj~Eut~erifdje Sfirdjeni3eitung' bes
D. Eaible in Eeipi3tg. Z5n i~ren @5parten fommen beibe Sfiimpfet au~fU~tndj
au ~orle, o~ne ban ber ~erau5geber fIat au etfennen giM, aUf roeldjer @5eite
er f±e~t. 2r~mufien ~at ,tuihet bie Eu±~eraner' gefdjrie£len, @5afie antroot±e±
in einem Ubetaus i djarfen 2r:rtifel ,tuiher b~ @5djroiirmerlum'." ZSnhem
@5affe 3i±ierl roitb, roitb geaeigt. ban er an ben @egnern ±aben, 1xl:f3 fie hie
mefdjIiiffe t~ter @5~noben al5 @oties ~orl anfe~en unb baf3 fie @5~nfre±ismus
trei£len. lffiie f eqt et mit bem le~±eren @5tUcl redj± qat, Wirb einem foforl
fIat, roenn man £lebenft, baf3 biefe @egnet aus Dlefotmierlen, Unierlen unb
Eu±~eranern befte~en. 2rIIetbings fU~rt bann bet 2rrtifef in bet "tyreifitdj e"
aus, baf3 ber )8otroutf be~ @5t)nfre±iSmus @5afie fefber itifft, weil er fidj
nidj± bon falfdjen Ee~rern im eigenen Eager losfag±. D. ~mfomm fdjIief3±
mit ben lffior±en: ,,~er nothJenhige ~ampf gegen Unioni5m~ unh @intqu~
fia£lmus fann erfolgreidj unb mit gutem @eroifien nUt gefU~rl roerten bon
ber fef±en @runbIage be~ trrlumslofen, bom ~eiligen @eif± eingegebenen
lffiot±e~ ber @5djrlft aus, uub - roenn man im @Iauben fidj nidj± fdjeu±,
audj bie praftifdjen tyolgerungen au aieqen, audj' aUf Die @efaqr qin, baf3,
roie einft bei @ibeon, nur ein fIeine~ ~iiufIein fidj fammert um bie Eofung
,~ie @5djroerl be~ ~@irrn unb @ibeonl' (Dlidj±. 7, 20.)" 2r.
Bible-Reading in Some New Zealand Schools. - The following is
a letter which appeared in the Presbyterian of October 15 and is inter-
esting enough to be given space in this magazine:-
"Editor, the Presbyterian: Some New Zealand education boards, in
order to provide for Bible-reading in the schools (of a non-compulsory
character), are assembling the children at nine o'clock, but start the
legal secular work at ten minutes past nine. This allows any teacher
who desires to do so to open his class or classes at 9 A. M. with the
repetition of the Lord's Prayer, the singing of a hymn, and the reading
of a portion of the Bible to the scholars (without sectarian comment).
Parents of scholars who do not desire their children to take part in this
228 Theological Observer. - ~itd)lid)~8eitgefd)id)tli~~.
Bible-reading send their children to the ten-minutes-past-nine opening.
A hymn is written on the blackboard, and, according to a statement
made by the Rev. E. O. Blamires, secretary of the New Zealand Bible-
reading in Schools League (No. 32 Crawford Road E. 3, Wellington, N. Z.),
this voluntary system is working splendidly. No doubt the Ten Com-
mandments are taught in some of the schools.
"I would suggest that, if this system is tried in the United States,
the Australian system for Jewish and Roman Catholic scholars should
be followed, viz., the Jewish children assemble in a separate room and
receive instruction in the Old Testament from the Rabbi; the Roman
Catholic children, in a separate room, receive religious instruction from
their priest.
"The Minister of Public Instruction in Sydney, Australia, can furnish
full details.
"There is a feeling that the Roman Catholics should get a share of
the State school tax in order to support their own schools.
"I hope you will excuse this liberty; but I have visited your country,
and I know that about two-thirds of the children in the national schools
of America do not receive Bible instruction.
"The present New Zealand government is being approached with
a request for a national referendum on Bible in schools in order to
legalize it and have the Bible-reading in the regular school-hours, with
a conscience clause for teachers and parents. Samuel Pearson." A.
,,~adjt nnb ~cibe." mor un!3 Hegt ba!3 bierie &jeft lJe!3 erften ~aljr~
gang!3 biefer neuen tljeologifdjen 2eitfdjrif± unferer mrulJer in )BrafHien, bie
ulirigen!3, um bie!3 gleidj ljiet ilU lieionen, nadj bem ieiiligen Shtt!3 nur ettoa
60 crenHl fOltet, toie un!3 bon l13orio 2Uegre au!3 mitgeteif± luorbcn ift. Um
f 0 meljr raien toit ~reunben ber ~iffion in C6ubamerifa in .ben mereinig±en
C6±aa±en, biefe!3 inteteffan±e )Blatt ilu licftellen unb auf Mefe ~eife ba!3
Un±erneljmen ilU fiitbetn. ~et etf±e 21t±ifeI, bon P. 21ug. ®ebra±, '6efaB± fidj
mit bet 2eljte bon ber .llirdje, liefonbet!3 ljeutigen beutfdjliinbifd)en ~ei~
nungen gegcnulier. ~erner finben toir ba 21riifeI ulier bie ,,)Betlirfrber obet
®emeinfdjaf±!3Ieu±e" bon P. 2. )!Beni~el; ulier ,,~ie Iiturgifdjen ~arlien" bon
Dr. ~aljn; ,,21u0 cincm Sfettenliticf' bon P. 05. )!Birbe; fobann l13rebig±en±~
luutfe, cine 2eidjenlnebig± in jJortugiefifdjet C6jJradje bon P. ffi. &jaffe unb
,,9ladjridjien unb memetrungen", audj eine ,,~eftotbnung fut bie '@;intoeiljung
cinet neuen SHrdje". &jiet refen toit aud), baB bet C6at bet l13tebig± in
jJoriugiefifdjet C6jJradje ilUtucfgcf±errt ttJerben foIl, tod! man baran benft,
fjJiiter dne l13tebigtfammlung in bet 2anbe!3ijJradje ljetau0ilugelien, ein fiit~
toaljr elienfo toidj±ige!3 toie forifdjrUtndje!3 )!Bed. ®o±t gelie ben mrubern
in C6ubametifa ~u± unb ~reubigfei± ilUt toeiteren geiegneien 21rlieit in iljrem
fdjlueten, alier bod) ljerrIidjen @;bangeIium0bienf± I ~. 5t. ~.
4 ••