Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

alike."security."approval."curse."Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Quakers in GermanyThe Quakers in Germany have appealed to the leadersin government and church saying that "the dividing line cutting Germany in two is more than that (partisan politics),being also the dividing line of two groups of political powersengaged in unprecedented armaments which can only leadto death and destruction, annihilating victors and vanquishedThey not only want the dividing line eliminated andthe rearmament race stopped, they want a united Germanyto do three things: 1. "Declare peace and its willingness todare henceforth to lead an unarmed existence"; 2. They decline to enter "any alliance which would entail military,political or economic participation in any war, directly orindirectly"; 3. They affirm that it "will try to use all its material, spiritual and intellectual resources in the service of allnations for the fight against famine, distress and ignorance,and to create a universal feeling of trust andA Great Buddhist CenterThe Buddhist Great Council is in session the purpose ofwhich is to' make the life of the Orient a vast Internationalwarmth and comfort of their homes, or their rooms in thehotel and tune in from coast to coast around the world! Thatis why the wet cause is triumphant today with its mountinggross and per capita consumption of alcoholic liquors andfor which its victims will go through hell and wet weather toget."Do you want the news of the day? Beer will follow itwithout time to reach the radio. Are you interested in music?The sound of the Symphony has not died down and beer ofevery brand, locally and nationally, floods the room and placesa mortgage on the children who learn to repeat the wet jingles.Are you interested in the great American Game of Base Ball?Anheuser-Busch, makers of Budweiser, have purchased theSt. Louis 'Cards', and booze is soon to control the popularsport by subsidy or purchase .... No place, no hour, nooccasion and no event is immune from this insulting invasionto extend the consumption of the world's greatestThewriter goes on to tell us that radio and T. V. "will sell theirmonoply of the greatest discovery and invention of the agesto the devil to intoxicate the nation. Some way and soon, mustbe found to silence the rum radio or we will become a naInstitute for Advanced Buddhistic Studies to be located attion of drunkards." Mission in South IndiaRangoon. This is expected to be a center for all southeastAsia. Half a dozen of its buildings have already been completed and are being used by the Buddhist world assembly. It isexpected that the whole group of twenty-five buildings will becompleted by the time the council adjourns in May 1956. Asover against the influence and growth of Christian missionsthe Buddhists are trying to bring about a revival of theirreligion and to perpetuate it in a great central university.The devil misses few devices to try to perpetuate his empire, but the promise still remains that Christ should bruisehis head.German Theological StudentsIt was impossible a year ago for young men who wishedto study theology to get permission to go to West Germanyto study, but now 13 students have been given permissionto attend Hamburg Theological Seminary.Solomon's MinesThe American School of Oriental Research has rediscovered the ancient site of Ezion Geber, the Red Sea portwhich was used under Solomon's reign. There were copperrefineries there and this has stimulated the development ofSouthern Palestine. Numerous ancient mining sites have beendiscovered between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. Americanmining engineers are on their way to Israel to assay the rediscovered iron and copper beds of Solomon to determine whetherthey are commercially profitable at the present time. Againthe Bible has been the guide to scientists in seeking to dervelop the natural resources of Israel.Pigs, Poultryand MenOne of the professors at the University of Illinois, Dr.A. C. Ivy, says: "The meat, pork, and poultry producers wouldquickly eradicate anytoxic agent which would produce asmuch disease, crippling and misery among. their cattle, pigsand chickens as alcohol does among human beings."Liquor on the RadioThe National Voice quotes Progress as saying: "This isthe age of the radio and television! People remain in the146The Christian Reformed Church has been conducting foreign mission work in a field in South India for some years.Their recent Synod engaged in a prolonged discussion as towhether to continue this work which had been started and,as we understand it, owned by a "faith" missionary. Some oftheir missionaries returned because theywere not able towork in harmony with Mr. Ramiah, the "faith" missionary.The editor of The Banner (Christian Reformed) says:"Synod was convinced that it would be best for the Churchand for all directly concerned to withdraw from South India."He then draws some lessons from the experience of theirchurch, stating: "This is a lesson which manyof our .peoplemay well learn. Too many of us imagine that missions, orphanages, and other religious institutions which claim to beoperated by 'faith,' which have no income guaranteed by definite commitments of responsible bodies, but say they dependentirely on prayer, are superior to those that have the official backing of churches or other organizations. It has oftengrieved us to see how readily and even eagerly some of ourpeople contribute to such 'faith' institutions when those incharge can do as they please with the funds they receive andgive an account to no one of the manner in which they administer the affairs of the institutions. . . . Wedo hope ourpeople will be less emotional, less impulsive, and a little lessgullible in their support of outside religious institutions. If wewant to be sure that the best possible use is made of the money we give to the Kingdom we do well to confine our givingto institutions or agencies which open their books to inspection by the Church and are ready to ask for synodical investigation andOther LessonsThe editor of The Banner continues : "A second lesson wecan learn from our experience in India is that it is not thebest thing for individuals or groups in our churches or for asingle church to commit themselves to the support of a mission field which is not of our own denomination. .(Continued on page 151). .COVENANTER WITNESS