Do We Lose By Contending For The Faith?
Recently on "Chapel Time" over station WNAD, Oklahoma University station, the speaker reviewed a report which had just come out. The gentleman who made the report had for many years been a YMCA worker among college students. He had served at several different colleges and universities. His observations were as to the class of religious groups that were growing, and which were losing, and the reasons for the growth, or loss as he saw them.
According to his observations the denominations that were "contentious" in regard to the doctrine of their church were growing. Those who were liberal in their attitude were losing ground, without an exception. He seemed to be shocked that this should be true, but it was, He thought people ought to be liberal, and not narrow, or contentious about matters of doctrine. But, he endeavored to analyze the situation, and to find the reasons for those who stood firmly by their faith growing and those who were liberal losing.
Here were his conclusions. Human beings like to have something to which they can be loyal, and which they feel to be important to the world. It gives to them a feeling of being worthwhile. If a doctrine is believed, and firmly adhered to, the individual has a feeling of belonging to something that is doing a worthwhile task in the world. It makes him a part of something that is big, and fine, and important. There is no appeal to loyalty in liberality.
No person can have a feeling of being worthwhile who believes that most anything is all right, and that he should just leave the other fellow alone in what he believes. People like to have something stable, and secure on which to build their lives. Liberality does not provide this. It is essentially unstable. If it makes no difference what you believe, and you do not render a service by standing for it, then you do not have anything worthwhile on which to build your life.
Of course, we who know the word of the Lord did not need this kind of confirmation of the practicality of standing firmly for the truth. But some of our brethren, who may be inclined toward liberality in matters of faith, need to get the lesson. It seems to me to be a practical confirmation of the principles for which this publication stands.