Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 21
September 18, 1969
NUMBER 20, PAGE 4,9a

Editorial Potpourri

Editorial

So many things are happening so fast in this kaleidoscopic world that an editor sometimes finds himself in a dither as to what is most urgent and demanding of his editorial responsibilities. And often when he writes he probably leaves his readers (if any) even more confused and dither-ish. But, just to give you a for instance,' here are a few of the items that we felt this week ought to have at least a passing notice on this page:

New Printer.

This is the first issue of the Gospel Guardian to come from the presses of our new printer, Jesse M. Kelley. Brooks Webb took over the task of printing our journal some four or five years ago when his printing business was located in Lufkin. He made a marked improvement in the paper's physical makeup and appearance, and we were deeply gratified by such. But when he moved his base of operation to Memphis, Tennessee, publication became more difficult, and many problems arose. One entire issue was lost in transit, and Brother Webb had to work around the clock for two days to replace it. He was a faithful and ever willing worker, and all of us are grateful for the fine service he has rendered these past years. Jesse Kelley will have his printing firm in the same building with the Guardian, and we look forward with confidence to a tighter operation in every way.

Alcohol.

There is a certain irony in the Kennedy tragedy. If it had not been for Joseph Kennedy's making such a tremendous fortune out of the whiskey traffic, it is highly possible that the Kennedy name would never have entered into national politics at all. And now the last of the Kennedy men in public life, Ted, will probably owe his political demise to — liquor. By all accounts available it would appear most likely that alcohol was the most important single factor leading to the death of the young secretary; and the promising career of a young man whose name was 'political magic' with millions of Americans has been irrevocably clouded, and perhaps ended. This somber tragedy has all the dark overtones of an ancient melodrama from the Grecian theater.

A. D. Williams King.

While we are on the subject of alcohol: Martin Luther King's younger brother, a co-pastor in the Baptist church in Atlanta, was found dead in his swimming pool on July 21. Blood samples taken from his body showed a level of alcohol content three times that needed for a drunken-driving conviction under Georgia law. King, 38, apparently drowned during a solitary late-night swim.

Poor Jimmie!

Jimmie Lovell, as everybody knows, wants to be friendly with just about every hue and stripe of human beings, and particularly with everybody who has ever been baptized. He regards them as his "brothers" in Christ, and seems inclined to fellowship all of us, regardless of color, creed, or other circumstance. But one of his readers really 'socked it to him' in a letter the other day, complaining: "You ran an article by Yater Tant and said some nice things about Gospel Guardian." Wow! If that doesn't cook Jimmie's goose with some of his readers, nothing will! For Jimmie to `say some nice things about Gospel Guardian' is just about as depraved as a man can get. But Jimmie did say them, and he will just have to suffer the consequences.

Give Satan His Due.

The above paragraph reminds us of a story H. Leo Boles used to tell his classes. It concerns the lady who like Jimmie always found something good to say about everybody, no matter how hard she had to work to find it. One day her son complained, "Mother, I think you could even find something good to say about the very devil himself!" To which she instantly responded, "Indeed, I can! And how I do wish you, my son, would work like the devil. He is always on the job, and never quits!"

Brother Pat.

According to a statement from Waymon Miller, preacher for the Park Plaza congregation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a group of preachers in Tulsa sent Pat Boone a telegram prior to his appearance on the Oral Roberts show appealing to him not to participate in the well-known "faith healer's" program. They felt this would seriously hurt the cause of truth. Pat did not answer their letter. He appeared on the Roberts extravaganza, joined with Roberts in his "healing" prayers, and prayed that God would bless the program, bless Oral, and "bless me and Shirley", and said he was grateful that they could have a part in the program. Miller said that such an alliance with error was "virtually inexcusable." We find it hard to be as charitable toward the episode as Miller was.

"The Greatest Week."

Our respected President Nixon declared that the successful mission of Apollo II marked "the greatest week since the beginning of the world, the Creation." That this was a fantastic scientific achievement, no one would deny; but that it deserved THAT evaluation seems to us a bit of an over-statement. Do you suppose the next thing in order will be to change the world's method of reckoning time into BML and AML — Before Moon Landing and After Moon Landing?

Our Baptist Friends.

We get several Baptist papers, one of the best of them being the Baptist Bible Tribune, edited by Noel Smith. In a recent issue Editor Smith had this comment on Adam Clayton Powell, one of his fellow Baptist preachers: "We have just looked at a picture of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., who is a minister in good standing in the American Baptist Convention, and who has just been restored to his seat in Congress by the Earl Warren Supreme Court. The Rev. gentleman is standing on the steps of the national Capitol, and is holding a copy of the Bible to his heart. It is depressing to see a copy of the Bible held to the side of a bucket of slop."

"Going To Law Against A Brother."

We publish this week the first in a series of three articles by Gordon Wilson setting forth an exegesis of I Corinthians 6: I — 8. Departing from the usually accepted understanding of these verses, Brother Wilson gives the whole subject a careful and thought provoking analysis. Whether you agree with his thoughts or not, the articles are worth serious study. The two others will follow in succeeding issues of the Guardian.

F. Y. T.