Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Safe-Driving DayThe Action Committee for Traffic Safety was set up byPresident Eisenhower. This Committee has designated December 15 as S.D Day (Safe-Driving Day). Every motoristand pedestrian in the U.S. is asked to act according to theGolden Rule on the streets and highways with the objectof eliminating all traffic accidents for that day, and withthe hope that it may be an example for the days to follow.The Governors of the various States are issuing Safe-Driving proclamations.The Late Governor of Iowa, Governor Beardsley, hadsuch a proclamation on his desk at the time of his deathwhen he was killed in a traffic accident. He was drivingfrom Ames and was two miles out of Des Moines when,as he came over the hill, he ran into a light truck thatwas going very slow. The driver of the truck was stoppingto help the driver of a car which had stopped on theshoulder of the road. No one has been blamed because ofthis accident, and there was no evidence of drink on thepart of the parties involved. It is possible that the Governor was driving too fast for night driving. However, hewas killed outright at once, his wife was injured and nowis partly paralyzed.Accidents Last YearThe number of accidents, the injuries due to them, andthe deaths caused are greater than the casualties in ourmost recent war with Korea. During the past year therewere almost 10,000,000 traffic accidents. The death toll was38,300 which means that one person was killed in a trafficaccident every 14 minutes. There was an injury every 23seconds, and the total number of persons disabled beyondthe day was 1,350,000. Along with every fatality, one ormore persons were permanently disabled. The cost of traffic accidents during the past year has been estimated atfour billion dollars, including medical expense, property lossand other costs. Such enormous figures present an astoundingpicture to the sane-minded citizens of our land.How Reduce the Death Toll?In order to materially reduce the death toll due to trafficaccidents we need much more than a Safe-Driving Day,or many of them in succession. The greatest cause of serioustraffic accidents is evident to observing persons. It isDRINK! The proportion of deaths or severe injuries dueto drinking drivers is at least 50 per cent. Some estimatethe percentage lower than that and some prominent officials claim that as high as 80 per cent of the serious accidents in their city is the result of intoxicating drink. Evena drink or a few drinks of beer impair a driver's judgmentand reaction so that he is much more liable to cause anaccident. Whether it be the reckless driving, of a teen-ageror a mature adult, drink in the majority of cases is thecause of death on the highways.Our newspapers and radio announcers tell us of accidents, but they rarely give the underlyingso frequently alcohol. We are told in Scripture that "moneyanswereth all things," and the income to the papers, thecause which isstate and the nation is so large that those who representthese organizations do not want to offend the liquor interests. When will our officers and reporters awaken totell the public the whole truth about alcohol at the wheel386and cry out against it? Beverage alcohol is a reaper ofdeath in every place, but nowhere more so than on theaccelerator and at the wheel of a speeding automobile.Those who appeal for Safe-Drivingshould also appeal foran awakened conscience in the mind of the public and forPROHIBITION of the sale and use of intoxicating beverages.Bible for the NavajosThe New Testament for the Navajo Indians is now inthe hands of the printer. The complete manuscript of thisTestament was brought to the Bible Society by Mrs. E.Dalton, a Navajo Indian. This language is exceptionallydifficult, and it has taken a long time to prepare the manuscript for publication. It will be a great blessing to the75,000 Navajo Indians who live in Arizona and New Mexico.Private SchoolsThe Departments of Commerce and Labor forecast thatthe construction of non-public schools, that is of parochialand private schools, this year will reach the great sum of$560,000,000, and in 1955 a new record of 650,000,000. Theobject back of much of this expenditure is the promotionof sectarian teaching. However, a considerable proportionof it is to permit religious teaching in private schools. Itis a sad situation in our so-called Christian land that wecannot have both Bible reading and teaching in the publicschools. This would bring the pupils a far greater blessingthan much of what they now receive, or at least it wouldbe the best additional curriculum that could be introduced.Armenian ChurchesMany Armenian Evangelical communities in the MiddleEast have started a movement to build or purchase churchesof their own. This is to end the longtime practice of conducting worshipin hired halls. The First Evangelical Armenian Church in Beirut is one of the largest in Lebanon.Much of the money for this structure was provided byArmenian Protestant churches in the U. S.(Continued on page 393)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Hoard of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street. Newton. Kansas orthrounh its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue. Topeka. Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine. Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and TuitionsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writer-* ;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing Ed;tnr-Frank F>. Allen. D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo T. Robb. I). P.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdsrarMrs. J. O. EdsrarMrs. Ross T.ntime>Subscription rates: $2.50 tier year: Overseas. $3.00: Sinule Copies10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A.. Limavariy. X. Ireland. Ajjrent for theBritish Tsles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton. Kansasunder the Act of March 3. 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS