Covenanter Witness Vol. 54 - Rparchives.org

properly."
practice,"
Glimpses of the Religious World
Frank E. Allen, D. D.
Facing Reality
In Colorado beer industry lobbyists urged that state
assembly to pass a law stating that 3.2 beer was non-alco
holic. Commented the Colorado Springs Free Press:
"We are not prohibitionists, but we do not believe that
our legislators should make a laughing stock of the truth.
The truth is that citizens can become as intoxicated on 3.2
beer as on just about anything else, if they drink enough
of it. Calling beer a soft drink, selling it in grocery stores,
as it is in many states, does not help society one whit. It
does help make laughing stock of our laws . . . for if the
law can say with a straight face that 3.2 beer is non-alco
holic, then there is something drastically wrong with the
law."
Youth
Eastern German Communists
The National Voice
staged the first large
"youth dedication" ceremonies throughout the zone recently,
marking a climax in a new crisis between Church and State.
The atheistic youth dedication ceremonies were timed to
coincide with confirmation activities in most German church
es, and have been attacked by both Evangelical and Roman
Catholic leaders. The angle of the affair that caught our eye
was a part of the ceremony itself. According to East Ger
man newspapers, the ritual included the following questions
asked by prominent Red leaders, with answers by the par
ticipating youth:
Q: Are you prepared to devote all your powers, togeth
er with all patriots, to fight for a unified, peace-loving,
democratic and independent Germany
A: Yes, we do so vow!
Q: Are you prepared to devote all your powers, togeth
er with all peace-loving people, to fight for peace and de
fend it to the last
A: Yes, we do so vow!
The most warlike brand of peace-making we've seen for
a long time'
Kagawa Overworked
Christian Herald
One of the most vicarious personalities in Asia is Dr.
Toyohito Kagawa,
of Japan. Since his conversion to Christ,
he has applied himself without limit to the spiritual, ma
terial, and social redemption of his fellow Japanese. On
March 27, Kagawa collapsed from overwork in Osaka,
Japan. The 67-year old Christian minister exhausted him
self in preaching and in working late nights to raise money
to transport American relief supplies to Japan. Unable to
move for several days, he was at last moved to his Tokyo
home. Although against his doctor's orders, Kagawa has
resumed his preaching and other ministries for the relief
of the unfortunate and the poor. Our prayers will surely
rise to God on behalf of Japan's great evangelist. He is a
preacher of the gospel in Japan who can at any time get
large hearing from the Japanese. Many are converted in
his meetings. Our prayers for him enable us to share in
his ministry.
402
The Watchman-Examiner
Opposed to Merger
Missouri Synod Lutherans will never in the foreseeable
future join in merger negotiations with any other Church,
according to Dr. John William Behnken, St. Louis, Mo.,
their long-time president.
He said that union of all Lutheran bodies in this. coun
try would not be a good thing, even if it could be accom
plished. "We hold that before there can be unity or altar
fellowship there must be unity in scriptural doctrine and
biblical Dr. Behnken said.
Union of all Lutheran bodies in the country would be
"too
cumbersome,"
he said. "It would make effective work
at conventions difficult. Or the conventions would be so
limited that individual churches could not be represented
Dr. Behnken did not foresee a closer fellowship even
among the communions making up the Synodical Con
ference, in which the Missouri Lutherans are loosely allied
with the Wisconsin, Norwegian, Slovak and Finnish synods.
The Preaching
United Evangelical Action
The Christian Herald has polled 1600 persons to see
what they think about today's preaching. Ninety
per cent
of those questioned would like to have more Biblical and
expository preaching. They are tired of book reviews and
discussion of political and economic problems. They think
the minister should help them with personal living
and con
crete life situations. Concerning the length of the sermon,
a large number did not object to long
sermons. One said,
"If a preacher has anything to say to my heart's need, an
hour is not too long; if he hasn't, five minutes is too long."
Bible in Braille
The Free Methodist
An 11-year-old blind girl read the Scripture lesson in
Braille at the 139th annual meeting of the American Bible
(Continued on page 407)
THE COVENANTER WITNESS
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not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.
Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor
1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka Kansas
Contributing Editors
Frank E. Allen. D.D.
Prof. William H. Russell
Walter McCarroll, D.D.
Remo I. Robb. D.D.
Departmental Editors
Rev. John O. Edgar
Mrs. J. O. Edgar
Mrs. Ross Latimer
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