The Tribune. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1951-19??, 1952-11-29

WHdt Is TlSnt. Or
again, laws are sometimes re-
pealed. But no one would ever vote
to repeal law il he didn't think
the law was wrong. Good men
sometimes repeal laws; but no
good man ever wanted to repeal
right"
There is a variety Of this idea
which has more truth in it: namely,
that right is the same thing as the
law of God. But God does not make
acts right or wrong simply by
ordering them to be so.
Could God have said, Thou shalt
Kill. thou shalt bear false witness?
Could he have said, Thou shalt hate
Thy God and hate thy neighbor? OF
curse not. He could not have made
Up such nonsense-laws, such wicked
commandments, because he is not
nat kind of God. for one thing, and
or another thing because if he did,
it would have meant the destru>
ton of the human race. Althoug.
right, and the will of God, are really
the same thing, yet an act is nc
right because God wills or con-
mands it because it is right.
How Jesus Looked at 1t
How did Jesus our Lord stand o.
this question? What made a thing
right. for him? He got into trouble
with the lawyers Of his time, ano
he got into trouble with what W.
would call DDS and prominent
preachers and professors of the
ology (the Pharisees); they called
him bad and had him executed
accordingly.
So there was evidently a differ
ence between his way of looking at
right" and their way. It was pre-
cisely on this point that they split
Jesus tried to make clear, though
the Pharisees were too blind to see
it, that the Sabbath law, any law Of
God or good rule OF man, is right
and good only in SO far as 1t pro-
notes the welfare Of man. This is
not setting up man above God, for
God is mans Creator. Right is what
develops Gods children; wrong is
what stunts, deforms, defeats and
destroys them.
To put it in another way: The text
of right and wrong is always this:
Will this thing make people better
and make better people? If so, 1t Is
right. All our laws, institutions and
interests must be brought to the
test Of their effect on human well
fare. And Of course, in Jesus view,
the welfare Of man includes social,
spiritual and mental well-being and
growth, not physical health and
financial wealth alone.
Liquor and Welfare
This being Temperance Sunday,
it Is good time to think about the
liquor traffic in the light Of all this.
Think 1t out for yourself. Remem-
Der, alcohol Is habit-forming drug,
and all talk about liquor cannot
erase that very plain fact.
Now think about the whole bust
ness Of making It, glamorizing it in
advertising, selling It and using It..
Look around you in your home
community, and in our nation at
large. and ask: Does it bring moro
benefit to people In your cennu-
nifty than II brings herm7 II the
purpose Of the business human
welfare?
Ask the welfare agencies In your
communicable Red Cross, the
hospital, the agencies that look
after the poor, the oyphsnage, and
so on-ask these people: Does the
liquor business make your work
easier? Is the liquor trade the ally
of the public school and the church?
Does il make better citizens, better
Christians? II 1t does, and only If II
does, then as a Christian can you
call it right.
tCopyriEht 1859 by shs Division o.
OF the Churches Of Christ 81 the UnItes
states Of Americs. Released ~ WNt
FeatoKss.b
NOTICE 80 Tho TRlBUNl