The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-23
War We Talk Rcoaar4di9n And Ld 1le S !
 J His JesusC WUH No ReonSuazony!
-DR. JOHN M'NEILL

i trey believed more; and it is intensity of conviction and belief that make the preacher Says David in the Psalms: I believe, therefore have 1 spoken" '"
 And what has been the result of the war on religious conditions in Great Britain?" I asked
 T wish l could give a favorable ac- count" Dr. McNeill answered thought fully and gravely, "but up till now, it is l impossible with truth to say that there has been any general improvement re- ligiously. If people, soldiers and civilians. were really going back to God, one of the signs would be coming back to God 8 1 house. Great Britain so far as I knt,w has manifested no general Improvement. l know not how it may be with you in the United States as regards church go- ing. since or during the war, but I hope ] things have improved
 So much has been written about God s responsibility for the war and that sort | of thing, what do you think regarding this idea?'' I asked.
 I'd rather have God in the war than to put God out of it. I don't think God asks anybody to be nervous about His | share in it; He will justify himself when l He is judged. If not a sparrow falls to the ground without Gods knowledge, ! then millions of men didn't fall without | Him."
 For my own part before the war; pr. McNeill continued, 'I might have doubted if God really did govern the world. He did govern old Israel as a nation and if they sinned they suffered l for it. But 1t almost looked, before the ! war, as if either there was no God who ruled among the nations or He had changed and was not so particular as He | fn he foif in Cnd a ruling among the nations Is confirmed: | 'Verily, there is a God that judgeth and ruleth the nations and national pride and deceit and arrogance are not allowed 4o pass unchecked and unpunished.' "
 q am also sure of the founding. dir Gods national dealings in the Old TeA lament and history, since then." Dr. Mel Neill said, 'that the nation which a nation most sincerely repents of national sins and all forms of sin in business, in politics, in domestic life, in social and pleasure seeking life, I say that nation which most truly repents and most truly turns to Him and produces the fruits of His gospel, will most quickly recover from all disastrous effects Of the war. This applies to Germany and Austria, as well as to all other combatant nations. '"rhe short road to reconstruction" Dr. | McNeill declared, ''is to get back to God as recorded in the gospel of His Son. Jesus Christ. There will be no reconstruc- | ton otherwise.
 'As regards reconstruction" 1" Dr. McNeill further said, 'I take some of our modern prophets very calmly; the destruction was upon us and they never gave a word of warning. They talked peace and safety and culture, or Ku1tur-whichever you like-and new ideas of the kingdom of God, that made preachers like me old fogies and back numbers and that is why I say I take some of our modern prophets very calmly, when they talk re- construction, remembering how they cracked up Qs that the way you'd ex- press itO German destructive scholar ships. I think they should be a little more nnodestY'