Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

name!"gifts"Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Mission Problems in IndiaThere have been various reports about the difficultywhich missionaries have been having in India, or getting intoIndia. The Evangelical Christian has the following to say inthat regard: "The going has been increasingly difficult forforeign missionaries in India ever since she gained her independence in 1947. Indians for the most part are only contentto have the missionaries engage in medical, agricultural, educational, health and social welfare work. But they feel thatevangelism, one of the foundations of mission work, shouldbe left to Indians. Prime Minister Nehru himself declared hisopposition last month to evangelism byoutsiders. He believes,as do many government officials, that Indian Christians arebetter able to instill a sense of nationalism into tribes whoseassimilation into the country is far from complete. The result of this discord between Indians and missionaries has beenin many instances, the refusal to grant or renew visas.In an attempt to resolve the differences, Indian Christiansand missionaries last month proposed setting up a committeeto handle problems arising between the mission groups and thegovernment. It is acknowledged that many denominationalmission boards have been successful in obtaining visas fortheir missionaries; and a total of 4.683 missionaries are nowat work in India ; while only comparatively few have been denied visas.Crowning a PictureFor a Sober ChristmasWriting in United Evangelical Action under the caption,Christmas for Christ, Mr. Blackmore says: "In Chicago thehead of a big advertising agency was astounded when his staffby unanimous vote, decided to kick out the usual rumsoakedChristmas party and invite a crowd of orphans in foran old-fashioned Christmas tree instead.In Pittsburgh one of the biggest business machine corporations decided to sponsor a family party at Christmastime, ruled out all "bottleand turned an annual headache into one of the best public relations investments of theyear.In a small Iowa community church, leaders met withcivic groups to plan for a special Christmas campaign thatwould eliminate the liquid conviviality that had caused anew high in traffic accidents the year before. Special advertisements hit the newspapers askingtownspeople to remember that Christmas was a Christian observance; suggestingthat they leave liquor out.The writer continues :"Americans are getting fed up withthe over-commercialization and intoxication of Christmas.Churches, civic groups, law enforcement agencies, business organizations are all working together to remind the people ofobservance."their communities that Christmas is a holyCertainly, so far as it is observed, Christ should be kept in theforeground of men's thoughts'It was reported recently that the Pope crowned a pictureof Mary before a vast crowd in Rome. Even if Mary hadpower to intercede in a special way with Jesus, how rediculousit is to crown a picture which is only animaginary likenessof her! An article in The Converted Catholic shows how thetheory of the power of Mary has grown in successive dogmasof Rome. The writer quotes the president of St. John's University, John A. Flynn, as saying before a Catholic Convocation that it is not unlikely that Mary may be proclaimed"CoRedemptrix of the human race; that next, the dogma ofMediatrix of all graces may be promulgated; and that finallythe definition of her Queenship as participating with her Sonin the power of ruling the world may beproclaimed."He predicts that these three new dogmas will be announced beforeanother centuryto honor Mary in the way the Scriptures present her.passes ; and ends with a plea for all ChristiansThe editor of The Converted Catholic comments on this:"How humiliated, how embarrassed Mary would be if sheknew what is done in herPhone Orders on SabbathThe Lord's Day Alliance has protested to four of themajor department stores of Philadelphia for accepting telephone orders for merchandise on Sabbath. The General Secretary said in his letters to these stores (amongwhich wasWanamaker's and Gimbel's) that the acceptance of telephoneorders on Sabbath was "another entering wedge being made bygreedy people who are not content with six days of businessbut insist upon Sabbath."encroaching upon the ChristianModernism RebukedIn an argument which has become known as the "Hell-Dispute"in Norway Bishop Schjelderup stated that "thedoctrine of eternal punishment is not at home in a religion oflove."In the course of the debate the Bishop was accusedof "denying the Church's Confessions" and "placing himselfoutside the Church." He demanded a ruling by the h:ghestauthorities. The king of Norway is regarded there as the highDamage in Hong KongA recent typhoon in Hong Kong has done much damagethere. Dr. Mary Stone says that there was heavy damage totheir buildings. Half the roof of their library was blown awayand all the superstructures on top of Hughes MemorialChurch are gone and all the windows on the north side oftheir buildings are broken. Their new buildings which areunder construction are now delayed. She has not lost herfaith and still believes in Rom. 8:28, and that all will workout for their good.322est authority in the State Church and he issued a verdict whichwas favorable to Bishop Schjelderup.Thirty- four leaders of Christian voluntary organizationshave signed a joint statement in which they urge a strongerstand against those who dispute the teaching of everlasting.punishment.They exercise an important influence in Norwegian church life. They affirmed that the "teaching ofeverlasting punishment (in Hell) for the unrepentants cannotbe abandoned as a part of the ChristianConfession,"and that"both denial and false interpretation of this teaching is unfaithfulness to the message of the Church."COVENANTER WITNESS