Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Glimpses of the Religious WorldRev. L. E. Kilpatrick, D. D.1031 E. Glenrosa AvenuePhoenix, Arizona 85014A GLIMPSE OF RED CHINA FROM HONGKONGA friend from language school days in Hongkong,1938-1940, and for the past 30 years a missionary in thatColony, stopped to see us last month, and told of one of thecooks in their Bible School, Seventh Sister, now quiteelderly, who recently visited her Third Sister in Canton.Third Sister told of the loss of all their Bibles and Christianbooks under the Red Guard campaign. All the books werestacked in the court yard and burned. Later she found onepage of a Bible that had not been burned. She folded it andhid it in her belt. That is the only Bible she knows of inCanton. She takes it out daily and has her devotions with ICorinthians 13, the only complete chapter on the page.Seventh Sister returned safely to Hongkong, but youngpeople do no,t dare go into Red China, lest they not bepermitted to return. Only the elderly and the sick are grantedexit permits. Two students in the Bible School where Don isprincipal swam the Shumchan River under machine gun fire.A third young man didn't make it. The young men were notChristians when they escaped to Hongkong. The Communistscould, of course, take control of Hongkong any timethey choose. It is for them now a valuable contact with theoutside world, so it will doubtless remain a spot of greaterfreedom for Chinese on the mainland, only so long as RedChina deems it profitable to them to leave it that way.Seventh Sister reported that the Red government hastaken notice of the Christian radio station on Okinawa whichhas been reading the Bible at dictation speed, and is nowrequiring that all radios be tuned to receive only Redgovernment stations. "Surely the wrath of man shall praisethee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." This isour confidence.A GLIMPSE OF CZECHOSLOVAKIAThe Underground Evangelism movement withmailing address in the U.S.A. in Los Angeles, and withpublicity signed by L. Joe Bass, reports that CzechChristians enjoyed a little freedom after the Russian invasionof 1968. However, now the pressure is on. "(Sabbath)schools are forbidden. Religious instruction is outlawed, andchildren are the special target of intensive atheisticpropaganda." "Team members" came back fromCzechoslovakia with an urgent request for 25,000'Children's New Testaments' which would be "small, withno identifiable cover and printed in small type so that carriedwith school books they would not attract attention." I do nothave enough information about this movement to say thatyour money would certainly be used for this worthy purpose.I have heard some suggest doubts, but in a project of thiskind, one must decide whether or not the individuals namedare worthy of trust. Many of those involved understandablymust remain anonymous. I have seen some names wellknown on the Christian world scene, cited as giving endorsementto the movement. There's a certain risk involvedif we entertain strangers, but we may have the privilege ofentertaining angels unaware^.PRO-ARAB RALLY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.The cause of the dispossessed Arab seems to beforgotten in the zeal with which some Christians rejoice inthe astonishing prosperity and ' 'progress" of modern Israel.Perhaps the idea of a physical kingdom of Israel seemsfulfillment of a particular theory of prophecy, and soanything that promotes it, "must be the will of God," andwhat is really wise and just is lost sight of. A rally backingthe Palestinian Arab cause, says EP, had the support of amember of the British Parliament — who denounced Israel"as a racist nation" — and two Senators, one of them MarkHatfield of Oregon, a Baptist. Usually the charge of"racism" is thrown in the other direction, and anyonecritical of Israel is "anti-Semitic."Our own retired missionary, Chester Hutcheson, whohas lived in close contact with both Jews and Arabs, in theirown Near East habitat, commented on the "Glimpse"(Covenanter Witness, 6 Jan. 1971) regarding the film, "HisLand," "It is pure premillenialism and Zionistpropaganda." He says, "I admit I can see both sides of theproblem, having lived in both countries for some time. .(but) how about the million or so refugees the Israelis havecaused and are not willing to give any compensation for theconfiscated property." This "no logical and just solution"idea, seems about the same conclusion that Elizabeth Elliotcomes to in her book, Furnace of the Lord.Some of the very Congressmen who are eager to getthe U.S. out of Vietnam seem ready to involve us in the NearEast. (Let's not get involved in a "holy war." L.K.)Read The Bible"Read the Bible and it brings you into the associationof the best people that ever lived. You stand beside Moses,and learn his meekness; beside Job, and learn his patience;beside Abraham and learn his faith; beside Daniel, and learnhis courage to do right; and beside Isaiah, and learn his fieryindignation toward the evil-doer; beside Paul, and catchsomething of his enthusiasm; beside Christ, and you feel Hislove."Charles Spurgeon4 COVENANTER WITNESS