The Overflow
Playing bridge for prizes Some sister wants to know what harm there could possibly be in a friendly game of bridge in which a little prize goes to the winner. Well, we can't undertake to tell her all about it in one short paragraph, but we'll start her off with this little prize from Jack Dunn:
"Her stakes, she says, are not steep, And she doesn't gamble to reap;
But she gambles and gambles, And gambols and gambols, While he rocks their babies sleep."
—O—
Catholic tolerance in Italy One of the workers in Frascati, Italy, received an unsigned letter from some Italian Catholic the other day, saying; in part, "The people of Italy have a holy religion; and they do not want the corrupt religion you have to offer. You need not think that you can buy the souls of these people with shoes and dollars. Go back and tell those that sent you that we do not want you or your religion over here. Frascati is isolated from the rest of Italy; you are cut off from outside help. This is a healthy country, but it might not continue so for you if you stay here. Get out!!!"
—O—
And in America If that letter sounds incredible to American ears, then just consider what Catholicism would like to do right here. For instance, in Wichita, Kansas, only last month, an organized band of Catholic high school students tried to break up a gospel meeting at the West Douglas Church. Roy E. Cogdill was preaching on The Menace of Catholicism" when these students all began stomping on the floor in unison. The service was not broken up, however, and the Wichita Police Department arrived on the scene very quickly. But it was a pointed demonstration of basic Catholic philosophy: control by intimidation and violence. And it is happening in meeting after meeting throughout the nation.
—O—
Bouquets
"I want to commend you for publishing the article by Richard Donley in the October 27 issue. I believe the readers will consider this an example of fairness on your part."
—Geo. True Baker, Kermit, Texas
—O—
"I have been impressed that you are trying to deal fairly with all who are concerned in the matters you have discussed. I appreciate this and am glad to give you the compliment regardless of what may be the outcome of the present problem."
—G. C. Brewer, Memphis, Tennessee
—O—
And a brick-bat
"I have read and enjoyed the Gospel Guardian for some time, but I am shouting a loud "amen" to the verbal spanking administered to you by Wendall Bloomburg in the October 27 issue of the Guardian. I, Too, attended Freed-Hardeman, but graduated from a state college. There is no doubt in my mind which is the "lesser of two evils." If you believe that our Christian schools are scripturally and basically unsound, why not launch a real campaign against them, instead of limiting your attack to catty remarks concerning the personal mental quirks of preachers, who happened to attend them? Surely some encouraging remarks and suggestions from you toward the betterment of our Christian schools would be more in order and do more toward the promotion of real Christian living."
—Dorothy K. McCord, Brownsville, Penn.
—O—
Which we don't deserve Now, really, what will it take to convince some people? How many times do we have to repeat it? We are not opposed to "our Christian schools"; we do not think they are "scripturally and basically unsound." The editor of this paper, the publisher, and all the co-editors went to one or more of these schools. Does it make us "enemies" of the schools because we try to point out some of the things that some of them are doing that are wrong? On the contrary, we are the true friends of the schools; they are enemies who would encourage and condone the schools in practices that are wrong and hurtful. Is that clear to everybody? Oh, yes, one more thing: that remark about our being "catty" wounds our pride; we may snarl and snort now and then—but we don't "spit."
—O—
Gene meets his match Did you see those full page advertisements in the Firm Foundation in which Gene Smith and John Allen Hudson swap punches via their book clubs? Seems Gene is a pretty fast guy with a buck; and he got the idea that John Allen had found some bucks in books, so he barged in with a book club of his own. And now they're swinging clubs (book clubs, that is) at each other with all the gleeful abandon of tipsy sailors at an Irish wake. Well, we'll still swing along with Hudson—on account of his books are priced way under Gene's.
—O—
Bible things by Bible words We choose to speak of Bible things by Bible words because we are always suspicious that if a word is not in the Bible, the idea it represents is not there; and always confident that the things taught by God are better taught in the words, and under the names, which the Spirit chose and appropriated than by those which man's wisdom teaches."
—Alexander Campbell
—O—
Patience—please!
The editor of this paper is in correspondence with Bro. G. C. Brewer, exploring the possibilities of an early, definite, and thorough discussion of the question of the churches supporting the schools. It is our hope that the Gospel Guardian will be able to publish a full and complete debate on this issue, between Bro. Brewer and some able and representative man who dissents from his position. We feel the brotherhood desires, and will welcome such a study. We can only ask our readers to be patient, and give us a chance to try to work out this project. We cannot answer all your letters, nor shall we even try. But we do rant you to know that the Gospel Guardian has no intention of ignoring the matter. We ask your patience and your understanding pending the outcome of our correspondence with Bro. Brewer.
—O—
No classes—with a vengeance!
Down at Brownwood, Texas, Cecil B. Douthitt has been having a little trouble with the "anti-class" brethren. But he is now demanding that they be consistent: if they really believe it is against scripture teaching for there to be any geographical or physical division at all once the church is assembled, then let them stop their preacher and the baptismal candidates from leaving the "assembly" and going into separate rooms when they change their clothes for the baptismal services!