Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Glimpses of the Religious WorldRev. L. E. Kilpatrick, D. D.1031 E. Glenrosa AvenuePhoenix, Arizona 85014WAR CASUALTYLt. William Calley has been convicted of thepremeditated murder of 22 Vietnamese civilians at MyLai, South Vietnam, three years ago. Lt. Calley is a warcasualty. He is reported to have said, "My Lai has happenedin every war. It's not an isolated incident, even inVietnam." It is, however, a rare thing that a countryshould bringit out and spread it on the news wires of theworld, an open admission of guilty injustice and cruelty.Those in our country who are seeking that the cause ofjustice be served, even at such a cost in "face" and worldimage, are joined in this crusade by those who seeknothing more than to weaken the U.S.A. before ourenemies. Such is the "confusion of face" (Ezra 9:7, Dan.9:7,8) to which our sins have brought us."I nope My Lai isn't a tragedy but an eye-opener,"says Calley further, and "I am hopeful that My Lai willbring the meaning of war to the surface not only to ournation but to all nations."Lt. Calley's comment that this is not an isolatedincident is no doubt true. Possibly this four-month trialwill make a little plainer to our generation what pressuresand fears a soldier is exposed to, so that it may have a"healthy" effect. I'm inclined to think that an even moreurgently needed object lesson might be the trial andconviction of a certain type of drill sergeant — and moreaptly still, the commanding officer of such — whodemands shouts and chants of obscenity, along withepithets of savagery, of his trainees, under dread ofphysical and emotional barbarity administered byhoodlums in uniform.With all its attendant hazards, the nation mustmaintain armed force to restrain and punish evildoers, andit is no Christian way out of the danger, to demand that wesimply refuse to fight. When we lack prevailingrighteousness we're not going to have peace. "The fruit ofrighteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace"(Jas. 4:18).HONG KONG BLIND CHOIR IN TAIWANHong Kong (EP)— The Rev. Calvin Chao, executivedirector of Chinese for Christ, Inc. of Los Angeles, hasaccompanied a blind choir in 33 cities and 77 evangelisticmeetings in Taiwan. In December, the Rev. Mr. Chaoaccompanied the choir throughout North America wherethey sang in more than 1000 churches. (They sang inPhoenix, accompanied by Mrs. Faith Chao, who trainedthem.) The Hong Kong Blind Choir is planning to settle inTaiwan and open a Music and Bible School for the approximately40,000 blind people on that island. (3-20-71)YOUNG ELDERSAnn Muilenberg, 19, has been ordained in the LaJolla (California) Presbyterian Church. Kay Stoddard, 18,4has been ordained an "elder" in the U.P. Church ofLiberal, Kansas, while Ann Edgar, 18, is now an "elder" inthe First Presbyterian Church of Hutchinson, Kansas.Terry Daniels, 17, was ordained an "elder" in St. LukePresbyterian Church, along with James Angrist, 19 — whohas since been made vice-moderator of Presbytery, inMinneapolis, Minnesota.It isn't years that qualify one to be an elder (readTitus 1:5-9), though apparently "years" has had a gooddeal to do with this office in the church historically. (Onedoesn't even have to have a beard, though that may beinvolved in the root of the word translated "elder" in theO.T.)Westover Hills Presbyterian Church of Little Rockhas a deacon 16 years old, Mike Mathes. Fred Hartwick at14 is a "vestryman" in St. Francis Episcopal Church in SanFrancisco, and a friend here in Phoenix told of being in alocal Baptist Church as a boy of 10 was ordained.TWO NON-SMOKING FLOORSat Scottsdale (Arizona) Baptist Hospital,representing 25 per cent of total hospital beds, have metwith overwhelming patient acceptance, according toadministrator A.E. Carpenter, M.D.Non-smoking sections in commercial airline planesseem also to have met a need of the public."SILENT PRAYER"The New York state senate has approved by a 39-14vote a bill which provides for a brief period of silentprayer or meditation in public schools. However, theNew York branch of the American Civil Liberties Unionspokesmen have declared that if the Governor signs it andit becomes law, they will consider a suit against it. Evensuch a weak and innocuous proposal has its bitterenemies. The governor of New Jersey, William Cahill,recently vetoed a similar bill in that state.THE A UTOBIOGRAPHY OF A CHINESE CHRISTIANSuch, I believe, is to be the English title of Mrs. Li'sbook of the Chinese title, His Grace Is Sufficient. Wehave learned that printing of the book of more than 300pages, is well under way, and we hope to have it availableby September. Banner of Truth Trust, London, ispublishing the book.INTERPRETING GODS WORD TODAYThe Reformed churches in Europe and America andAustralia are not yielding to the so called "new theology"of Dr. Kuitert and other of his colleagues of FreeUniversity of Amsterdam. A book of the above titlepublished by Baker Book House, is written by sevenprofessors but the reviewer in the Outlook says he wasstruck by "the unity of their thought." There is a unityamong those who hold that the Bible is the Word of Godwritten., . •COVENANTER WITNESS