Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

will shine." Christians are often just asfoolish. They forget John 15:4. But look,the bulb is not attached to the flashlight. IfChristians try to shine apart from Christ,they will be cold and dark and not able toplease Him. They must abide in Christ, asthey read the Bible, pray and depend onHim. (Light of Christ shining through us).(8) Story — A little girl asked her fatherfor two Testaments—one for herself andone to send to a poor little heathen girl.She wrcte inside the one: "A little girl wholoves the Lord Jesus wishes with all herheart that whoever reads this should alsolove and believe on Him." This book wentto India to a Hindu lady who was learningto write English. As she tried to copy thewriting in the front, the meaning of thewords gradually impressed her. "Thesewords were written to me," she said. Shestudied the Testament and became aChristian. Years afterward, the little girlwas a missionary in India and was visitingin the home of a native lady. This ladybrought out the Testament and told howshe had been converted. Imagine themissionary's joy when she saw it was thevery book she had sent. Together, theyknelt and thanked God who had drawnthem both to Himself through His Word.Prayer MeetingTopicFor May 7,1971ABRAHAM REASONS WITH GOD(No Comments)RESTRAINT: IS IT ANABRIDGMENT OF FREEDOM?by Max Levin, M.D. *President Nixon, in his emphaticrejection of the majority report of theNational Commission on Obscenity andPornography, advanced a compellingargument:"I am well aware of the importanceof protecting freedom of expression. Butpornography is to freedom of expressionwhat anarchy is to liberty. As free menwillingly restrain a measure of theirfreedom to prevent anarchy, so must wedraw the line against pornography toprotect freedom of expression."Where is the dividing line betweenfreedom and anarchy? At what level doesfreedom of speech and behavior pose anintolerable threat to the general welfare?Why raise these questions in a medicalDeriodical? Well, the answer to that lastone is easy. Many of the people sitting inthe physician's waiting room are therebecause of problems related, directly orindirectly, to the turmoil and strains in oursociety today.In the matter-of human rights vs. therights of society, one of the obstacles tobalanced judgment is the belief of manypeople that we must have "objective"evidence to establish a proposition. Theycall for statistical research to provide theanswers. To take but one example, theyask, Has the rate of sex crime gone up ordown in Denmark since they lowered thebars against pornography? But it is adelusion to suppose that statistics cansettle questions that involve humanvalues. The majority members of theNational Commission are among thosewho suffer from this delusion.In an issue concerning freedom ofspeech a great judge once declared,"Freedom of speech does not mean that aman has the right to get up in a crowdedtheatre and shout FIRE." The advocatesof unrestrained freedom could havequestioned Justice Holmes about this, butthey didn't. No one of legalistic mind gotup to ask him, "Precisely how would youdefine crowded? Is a theatre with 300people crowded, and one with 295 notcrowded?" But such a question is no moreabsurd than some of the arguments advancedby some lawyers, and accepted bysome judges, in matters of freedom ofspeech as it applies to pornography.Statistics are useful in many areas,as when we want to know which drug isbetter for pneumonia. But they are lessuseful, indeed they can actually bemisleading, when we deal with humanvalues.The majority members of theNational Commission are obsessed withthe question of whether pornography is acause of sex crime. They have made thisquestion the focal point of their work. Butthis is a naive approach, for sex crime isnot the major issue. It's true that rape is abrutal crime and we ought to do what wecan to prevent it. But there is a muchbigger issue: the moral degradation of oursociety and its psychological consequences.The number of rapists andtheir victims is small. By contrast, thenumber is astronomical of those whoseemotional development and sexual adjustmentis distorted and stultified by theproliferation of pornography.Sexuality is one of the great blessingsof mankind. It is one of the noblest expressionsof the human spirit. A healthysexual attitude, culminating in the harmoniousmarital adjustment of a man andwife, is one of the pillars of our society, forsound family life promotes the welfare ofour children. The national welfare is in thehands of these children, for they will takeour society over from us when their timecomes. The future of our nation depends onour ability to raise successive crops ofhealthy children capable of assumingresponsibility when it is handed over tothem. Can anyone imagine that healthysexual attitudes and emotional balanceare promoted by the sadistic and obscenematerial that engulfs our youngsters?William F Buckley, Jr., in a columnon sex education, criticized those who inour "secularist society promulgate sex asprimarily a physical experience." Heurged that "the sexual experience cannotbe understood except with reference to aspiritual dimension." Buckley's wordsshould be remembered.In the Jewish wedding ceremony thegroom places the ring on the finger of hisbride with these words: "Behold, thou artconsecrated unto me with this ring, inaccord with the law of Moses and Israel."The word is consecrated. In the Episcopalceremony the groom puts it in thesemoving words: "With this ring I thee wed.With my body I thee worship. . " Theword is worship.This is not a matter of religious orthodoxy.Even the atheist, who rejectsreligion, can appreciate and value whatBuckley calls the "spiritual dimension"embodied in the wording of these vows.The moral and spiritual degradationof our society is as great a menace as thepollution of the air we breathe. In focusingtheir attention on such narrow issues asthe rate of sex crime, the members of theNational Commission majority have takena shortsighted view of their task, which isto combat a much more serious evil thatthreatens the future of our people.* Max Levin, M.D., psychiatrist andneurologist in practice in New York, NewYork.Current Medical Dialog"When considering a pastor theaverage church asks in effect 'Is this manworthy to speak to us?' I suppose such aquestion is valid but there is another onemore in keeping with the circumstances. Itis: 'Are we worthy to hear this man ?' Anattitude of humility on the part of thehearers would secure for them a great dealmore light, from whatever sized candle theLord might be pleased to send them. Whena man or woman becomes worthy to hear,God sometimes talks to them through veryunworthy media. Peter, as an example,was brought to repentance by the crowingof a rooster" (Dr. Tozer).APRIL 7, 1971 13