Evening star., 1952-07-29
Lutheran PreIafe
Says Welfare State
Usurps Role Of God
BY the Assoeiated Press


HANOVER. Germany, July 29.-
Bishop Evind Berggrav Of Norway
told the Lutheran World Fedora
tion Assembly today that the
church and the modern welfare
state "are approaching a gigantic
struggle"
In one Of the major addresses
here before Lutherans from "a ma
tions, the Norwegian churchman
said: "The state which we see de-
veloping today attempts to take
the place of God by substituting
welfare for God and faith"
Bishop Berggrav, former pri-
mate Of the Church of Norway,
was famed leader in his coun-
try's resistance movement against
the Nazis in the last war. He
told the conference:
"The slogan is: The welfare
state takes care of all problems
arising in the life of it's citizens
to toothaches and bath water
Difficulties for Church.
Many Christians are tempted
to say: Under such conditions
there is no room left for the
church and for the practice Of the
love Of Christ But this is wrong
The love of Christ will always 1ndI
ways Of expressing itself even inI
o rigidly controlled welfare state.
"The new situation will createI
great difficulties for the church.
Its sphere of action is being re-
Stricted more and more even now.
The state strives to assume CONTROL
OF one field after the other. It'll
cares for the poor and the aged,
it provides for the treatment of
the sick.
More yet. the state seeks to
gain exclusive control over the
mental and social life of the peo-
pie and especially over the educa-
ton of the young.
In all these areas, the church
at one time had done the pioneer
work, but now its activity is grad
ually becoming superfluous. |
Speech Draws Cheers.
Bishop Berggrav, cheered several
times during his address, said the
specific characteristic of the well
fare state is this:
"On the one hand, it is totally
secular and does not in any way
whatever acknowledge God as the
Lord Of all life. On the other
hand, it acts as though it were
Providence itself and assumes the
right of entering into all the
spheres of human life.
1.-The welfare state does not
shrink from violating the secrecy
of the individuals conscience. It
seeks to exercise total rule. The
welfare state aims at being a
unified state, a unity state. Be-
cause it knows the great impor-
tance Of personal conviction. 1t
sees to it that all its citizens are
provided with the proper kind Of
personal conviction"
Estonians Report.
Meanwhile, a report Of the
Estonian Evangelical Church in
exile told the conference that the
Communist Party in Estonia is
warning churchgoers they may
come to be classified as disloyal
to the (Soviet) regime and
enemies Of the people"
The report, released at the as
sembly here. said that at present
So Lutheran clergymen and IA
curates are working in -Estonia.
which was incorporated into the
q S. s. r. a decade ago. The re-
port said data reaching the exile
group from behind the Iron Cur
tain told of the threat to church.
goers.
mo Soviet citizen can afford to
disregard such a warming" the
report added, land quite naturally
many a man and woman feel it
Is too dangerous openly to show
their adherence to the church byl
attending divine service"
The "very existence Of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church" in
Estonia is now threatened, the
report said, adding that "a con-
siderable number of Evangelical
Lutheran churchmen have been
deported to Russia and confined
In concentration camps"