Evening star., 1948-01-06
Our Church and Our World
The Place of Active Religion in Human Affairs and It's
Prevailing Difficulties

70 the Editor Of The Star:
AL across the Nation there Is new interest
in religion which cuts across denominational
lines What causes 1t?
Undoubtedly the first Cause Is the peoples
fear that the challenges which are being hurled
at our Christian culture today may be sum-
GENTLY serious to destroy 1t unless they are
met and overcome. People know that our
world is badly OF the track, and they wonder
what can be done to save it.
It was my privilege to be invited to lunch-
con OF Presbyterian lawyers in Syracuse, N. r.
The whole luncheon was devoted to . consid-
Grafton Of conditions in the world and the
relevancy of the church to them. In brief sum-
mary here are the conclusions there reached:
l. The world is In = bad mess.
:. It cannot be gotten out Of It's mess by
hatred or by fighting.
:. The answer lies in changing the attitudes
Of men and women.
L. This is q spiritual job which only the
church can do.
5. This makes our ministers the most i'm
portant people in the world-more important
than generals, more important than Senators.
for only spiritual leadership can save the world
and only the ministers can give it.
8. The ministers cannot do the job alone, any
more than general can win battle alone.
7. Therefore there rests upon the laity .
heavy responsibility for helping to get our
lost world back on the right track.
OF all the challenges that are being hurled
ct our Christian culture today none Is 80
serious Is totalitarianism-w whether in the form
Of communism or fascism-that awful glacier
which moves onninously across our world,
crushing millions beneath its weight, denying
God destroying human freedom, telling men
what to think and where to work, regimenting
men from the cradle to the grave, and making
ths government the master, instead Of the
servant Of its people.
Conflict Between Church and Dictatorship.
This pagan and ruthless theology runs right
up against the Christian religion, and the clash
is terrific. For while totalitarianism reduces
man to . point where he Il . mere cog in =
gigantic slperstate machine, Christianity ele-
Yates him to the status Of = child Of God. And
while totalitarianism throws God out, Chris
tianity makes Him the center and the source
Of life.
It is because We have builded on God that
our Nation today is the leader among the
democracies Of the world. Americas leader
ship is not An accident-it is attributed to two
factors which have run through our national
history from the frst day when log cabin
was built on the shores Of New England. The
first factor is the Bible-for the Pilgrims
brought their Bibles with them. and trust in
God and acceptance Of Jesus Christ as Lord
and Master have been the very corner
stone of our national life.
Equally important Is the other factor. .
flaming belief in the dignity and the sanctity
of men and = veritable passion for human
freedom.
Both OF these factors which undergrad our
beloved Nation and account for her greatness
would be destroyed under totalitarianism. and
our whole Christian culture would be lost.
1t Is this danger that causes church people
to look upon each local church as an important
fertilization on the Christian battle line. and