News And Views
"Christmas — He No Good"
Editor's Note: The following is taken from The Buckler, bulletin of the church in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. S. Leonard Tyler is the editor. I really like this piece and it fittingly describes the situation. It is a little ill-tinted in its presentation at this time. Anyway, here it is for the pleasure and profit of all.
"Christmas, he come soon now. Holly and mistletoe all over. White man make big medicine. Advertise in newspaper.
Squaw, she buy every place. Bring home heap package. Wrapped in bright color. Tie with red string. Go next day buy more.
Papoose all time talk Santa Claus coming down chimney. Talk about Northpole. Talk reindeer. Talk hanging up stockings.
Brave, he fuss squaw and papoose. He say spend too much wampum. He say what Christmas when all wampum gone? He say, how pay tax when no wampum?
Squaw, she no listen, she buy more. Buy for mama. Buy for papa. Buy for other squaw. Buy all time. She think wampum grow on tree.
Papoose, he no listen. Talk more Santa. Talk more chimney. Talk more Northpole, can't go sleep. Drive brave nuts.
Brave fuss more. Tell squaw she headed for poorhouse. Tell papoose he headed for jail. Tear hair. Jump up and down. No good.
Squaw bring home more packages. Wrap half night. Package under bed. Packages in closet. Packages all over. Can't walk for packages.
Papoose play Santa. Get stuck in chimney. Squaw have fit. Brave have fit. Everybody have fit. Christmas he no good."
What's Happening To Honesty?
I have before me a newspaper article clipped from the Port Arthur (Texas) News of October 16, 1960. It contains some rather shocking revelations.
The first paragraph reads like this: "Cheating has become common-place in American schools. Many students profess to see nothing wrong in it. Some teachers tacitly condone it by doing little or nothing to prevent it."
Here are some quotations from the article: "A high school in the Washington, D. C., area asked its students how they felt about cheating. A slight majority of them said they disapproved of 'habitual' cheating, but only a very few expressed any moral objection to 'occasional" cheating. When assured their answers would be confidential, 46 per cent readily admitted that they had cheated on examinations more than five times in the past year." "Studies in several typical colleges indicate that from 60 to 90 per cent of the undergraduates condone cheating 'when possible' or 'when necessary.' "
This same article points out the fact that many graduate college students hire some disreputable agency to write their thesis (for master's or doctor's degrees) for them; among those who stoop to such unethical levels are many school teachers. Another clipping spotlighted the widespread practice of buying college degrees from bogus institutions; among the takers are not a few preachers.
What is the mold from which all these attitudes toward cheating have been cast? Why do so many public (and parochial) school, college, and college graduate students practice and condone cheating?
Certainly they have learned some of it from observing the attitudes and practices of their parents. Perhaps some of it has come from the fast, furious, flourishing and materialistic age in which they live. Almost daily we are reminded of unethical business practices, deceptive advertizing, political corruption, fixed "sporting" events and TV quiz scandals.
Many do not realize that cheating is a mixture of lying and stealing; many do not care. From parents who steal tools and products from the companies for which they work, who consider a clerk's over payment of change their own gain, who practice "finders keepers," who fail to return borrowed items, who beat their debts when they can, and who do not mind telling some so-called "white" lies, young people are learning all too well.
It is tragic that so many adults consider honesty and integrity old-fashioned and the "golden rule" non-sense. They have brought up and are bringing up children to believe that you must get the best of others before they get the best of you, that you must get even with any who do anything unpleasant to you, and that lying and stealing and debt-beating are not only not morally wrong but socially acceptable if you can get away with them. , Telling the truth, being honest in all your dealings, paying your debts and treating others as you want to be treated are far from enough to get one to heaven, but lying, cheating, beating your debts and mistreating others will certainly get one to hell. You cannot hide anything from God, and he will make final and eternal reckoning at the judgment.
"There isn't as much harm in things going in one ear and coming out the other as there is in things going in one ear, getting all mixed up, and coming out one's mouth." — Via The Gospel Messenger, Orange, Texas
Observations
False teachers many times deceive by trickery of words. The apostle Paul said they use "good words and fair speeches." (Rom. 16:18) Latest flimflam of the Institutional artists is by juggling the usage of the word "home." Like the magicians of Egypt who hardened the heart of Pharaoh, they switched usage of the words beneath their shells and pull their magic enchantments to the deception of the hearts of the simple, and the making stony of the hearts of the proud. There are three common usages of the word "home."
(1) A dwelling house; residence. POTTER ORPHAN HOME is more than a dwelling house. If a storm were to level every building to the ground there would still be POTTER ORPHAN HOME without buildings.
(2) A family unit (such as including husband and wife with progeny, resulting from wedlock). TENNESSEE ORPHAN HOME is not a family unit. "Daddy Booze," the superintendent, can be no more "daddy" to those children than he could be a "hubby" to all the widows in a "Tennessee Widow Home," should one exist somewhere. If every child at Spring Hill could be adopted (that would be the day!), there still would be a TENNESSEE ORPHAN HOME without the children.
(3) A conclave-run human institution. Such an institution is organized under a state charter, controlled by a board of directors, about which the scriptures are silent, which proposes to house, clothe, feed and control children — all upon begged finances.
This third is the real flimflam. The Institutional conclave proposes to do what they insist is the work of churches. But, the work of churches is not to become brotherhood clearing houses, to beg for money, to beg for work to spend money on, to beg for recognition while they beg, and to leave a wake of split churches and broken hearts. May churches with their elders increase; and may every unscriptural benevolent society proposing to do the work of churches, with their human boards, decrease.
When preachers change over from preaching the all-sufficiency of the church to the doctrine of Institutionalism, they do not have to ask me before they change. When they begin to teach that contrary to which they formerly taught and what I now teach, they do not have to ask me. When they begin to split churches with false teachings, they do not first ask me. In the name of common reason, why do I have to ask them if it is permissible to expose them and the doctrine they espouse?
Paul changed, but when he did change, he conferred not with flesh and blood, not even to go up to Jerusalem, before he began to rebuild that which he had once destroyed, (Gal. 1:13-24). Why are we not getting the benefit of the "later revelation" from some of these preachers who admit they have changed over to church support of human institutions? Rather un-Paul like, would you say?
— Harold Savely, Via Tidings, Valley Station, Ky.
Human Societies
Back in my home congregation at Willow Grove, Tennessee, I was diligently taught and duly warned against human societies either larger or smaller than local congregations which might be devised to help do the work of the church.
I was cautioned against little societies, IN congregations such as "The Epworth League" of the Methodist Church and the "B. Y. P. U." in the Baptist Church.
And I was warned against big societies OUT OF congregations such as the "U. C. M. S." of the Christian Church. I learned that any group which was smaller than a congregation and any group which was larger than a congregation designed to do the work of the church was UNSCRIPTURAL and was therefore SINFUL.
In those days people produced a "thus saith the Lord" for what they taught and practiced. We could "speak when the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent." "A way that is right and cannot be wrong," "Make it as sure as you can" and "According to the pattern" were sermon topics we frequently heard discussed.
But, alas, times have changed. And brethren have changed with the times. Brethren looked at the denominations and desired to be like them. We have traveled far and fast. Within the last few years here we have DRIFTED. We now have societies of every description and kind. We have small societies. We have large societies. And we have societies the size of congregations. We have societies in and around and about the congregations.
Societies The Size Of Congregations
As an example of societies "the size of congregations" we have but to point to the SPONSORING churches among us. When a congregation receives and spends money for a multiplicity of churches in a work to which all congregations are equally related, that congregation becomes a MISSIONARY SOCIETY for churches of Christ if missionary work is being done. And it becomes a BENEVOLENT SOCIETY for churches of Christ, if benevolent work is done. Advocates of "societyism" can't change this most obvious fact. This fact was taught by Foy E. Wallace in the Gospel Advocate May 14, 1941. And F. B. Srygley taught it also in the Gospel Advocate Dec. 3, 1931 and Jan. 11, 1934.
Societies Larger Than Congregations
One of the most striking examples of "societies larger than congregations" is the Gospel Press. It is an organization designed to teach God's word. It is larger than a congregation. It solicits money from congregations and spends it in teaching the word. It is NOT a divine institution. Hence every congregation that sends it a dime is doing work through a human institution.
Another example of "societies larger than congregations" is to be found in the YOUTH MEETINGS throughout the country. They (at least many of them) are ORGANIZED. I read recently where young people from 60 churches sponsored a gospel meeting. A youth director was involved in the event. And somebody was chairman for the week. These are societies. They are larger than congregations. No advocate of "Societyism" can change these stubborn facts.
Societies Smaller Than Congregations
"Societies smaller than congregations" include various projects undertaken by various classes within congregations. This particular kind of society is becoming more prevalent and is destined to cause the churches more trouble, perhaps, than many other societies among us. Examples of this type of society are:
1. Various classes (little societies) are urged, by Tennessee Orphan Home, (big society) to "start a stamp campaign." Tennessee Orphan Home wants classes to collect trading stamps and send them to T. O.H. But, if a class can collect stamps and send them to an orphan home, why can't the same class collect MONEY and send it?? They can!! And don't think for a moment the T. O.H. won't "invite" them to collect and send money just as soon as they get the stamps.
2. A class in the Uptown congregation at Long Beach, California planned a bowling party. Then decided that, instead of bowling, they would send the money to some place for "mission work." They "voted" to send the money to the Philippine work. If this is not a "little society" working independent of the church, pray tell me what it is.
3. The ladies class at Stanwood, Iowa is contributing monthly to the support of the Wilkey's in the Philippines. But the class is also sending a monthly contribution to the Choate's in Bombay and the Thweat's in Formosa. Thus, this little society, working independent of the church, is supporting (partially) three missionaries! It ISN'T a congregation!! Well, what is it? It is a society.
4. The most prominent of these "little societies" in the churches is the BIBLE CHAIR. This one might be described as being "within-without-and-an-around" the congregation. The congregation says the Bible Chair is one of the church's main works. Yet it is made up of members from various congregations. And, this little society is "real gone." One recently advertized thus: "Have food — will feed!....We have plenty of coffee, milk, and hot sweet rolls for all of you who can come be with us." Thus it is a benevolent society feeding the hungry. But it is also a missionary society for the announcement goes on to say: "We especially offer you spiritual food in the devotionals that follow at 7:20."
Thus you can see we have societies; little societies, big societies, and middle-sized societies!!
Are You Being Taught And Warned?
Brethren, are you being taught and warned by your preacher and your elders on these matters? I don't imply that your preacher or your elders should say and do exactly as I do in combating these innovations. I make many mistakes and say many things that perhaps I should not say. But, if your preacher isn't warning, almost constantly, of these departures from the Bible, then, as George DeHoff said, "I don't know what you've got, but you don't have a preacher."
Back to my home congregation in Tennessee. If one had suggested to them (back in 1934-45) that a contribution should be sent to Gospel Press to enable it to teach the Bible, they would have "blown a fuse."
If one had suggested to them that a class within the congregation should take up a collection and vote to send it to a missionary somewhere, they would have "raised the roof."
If one had suggested to them that we organize a Bible Chair with rolls, coffee, and hot chocolate they would have "stripped a cog."
If somebody had suggested that the young people sponsor an area-wide youth revival and let some boy preach on "Giving A Permanent Wave" they would have "hit the ceiling."
If somebody had told them it was scriptural for a church in California to collect money from churches all over the United States and then take the money and establish a college in the Philippines and then take some of the money and build houses for people to live in and then take more of the money and pay those people living in those houses to go to that college, they would have "blown a gasket."
Yet some of the brethren from that home congregation have gotten into the DRIFT and have "DRIFTED so far from the shore" that they can't (at least they WON'T) lift a finger nor register even a feeble protest.
God gave us the local congregation in which and through which to do anything and everything He wants the church to do. May God hasten the day when His people will be willing to do His work in His way. Until such times, we can only warn of the downward DRIFT.