Queen’s Speech Lacked Religion
Although we do not recognise what is called the festival of Christmas, yet the most of those who profess the Christian faith in England and now also in Scotland, celebrate Christmas by attending religious services and engaging in many frivolous and worldly activities. Christmas Day is supposed by these people to be the day of the year whereupon Christ was born. The Royal Family have always shown a great interest in Christmas, so much so, that the Queen has continued the practice of her late father by making a speech to the people of Britain and the Commonwealth on that day. Of course many millions throughout the Commonwealth are not Christians, such as Jews, Moslems, Hindus and so on. Now these speeches by the Queen made on a day when the Church of England especially, celebrates in the way they do, the birth of Christ, have contained little or no reference to Christ, Christianity or Christmas. The reason is obvious, that a vast number of Her Majesty’s hearers are non-Christians.
We have noted since many years that speeches from the British Throne, on varied occasions, which were broadcast to the world at large, have in their terms been sadly lacking in definite references to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Christian faith as such. Now we read that The Church Times, a Church of England newspaper, has recorded criticism recently of the last Christmas speech by Her Majesty. In an editorial The Church Times states: “Christians could wish that Her Majesty had been able to include more specific mention of the religious significance of the day on which her speech was put out. But the political exigencies of a Commonwealth which includes powerful non-Christian members have unhappily to be taken into account.” We would substitute for the editorial terms, “political exigencies,” the words “religious beliefs,” because these we deem to be the main factor in influencing Her Majesty, the head of a professed Christian nation, to leave out of Her Majesty’s speeches specific references to our Lord Jesus Christ and His blessed and holy religion.
Although, as we have said, we do not recognise what is called Christmas, yet Her Majesty does, and yet fails seriously to commend to the world the Christian religion in deference to pagans, heathens and atheists, etc. No wonder The Church Times proposes that the Queen’s speech be broadcast on New Year’s Day, a day which has no relation to any fundamental Christian belief. How different was Paul when he declared, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.” It is indeed lamentable, that few, if any, in places of eminence today within our realm, are prepared to openly and boldly witness for Christ. This is one evidence of our decline religiously as a nation.
The World Situation
We offer but a brief word on the present unprecedented state of the world, while there is no world war in progress. One nation after another seems to be subjected to internal conflict, tension, turmoil, confusion and bloodshed. Algeria, Laos, and nearer our shores, Belgium, have all been affected. Then the Congo is still a seething mass of bitterness and confusion. Everywhere throughout the nations there are men in open hostility one to the other. No doubt from certain points of view there are political, economic and racial reasons behind much of the turmoil. But depraved human nature and the activities of Satan are deeply involved.
Men and nations without the gracious influence of the glorious gospel of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are a prey to sin and Satan. The Lord taught His disciples to pray: “Thy Kingdom come,” and all who truly fear and love the Lord and have a heart-felt concern for His honour and the spiritual and temporal welfare of their fellowmen, will surely have this petition frequently at the throne of grace in these times.
Lord Teviot and Debate on Book by D. H. Lawrence
Lord Teviot, opening a debate in the House of Lords on the verdict of the court on the novel “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” firmly denounced this book.
He asked whether the Government would “take steps as are possible to ban for all time writings of this nature . . . What are we coming to?” he asked. “This is a very serious matter. We have the verdict of a British jury which many of us deplore . . . It is a very serious issue we are facing today. It appears we can think, we can write, we can print, we can publish, act and recommend whatever we like. This is not a question where liberty comes into it at all. It is a question of license. I hold strong views on giving unbridled license.”
He stated that he was afraid the world would come to have a reputation which was depraved and indecent. He stated further, “These writings are quite terrible in my view.” He had received letters from all parts of the country, and the public generally were horrified at what had taken place. He revealed that the same author had written another book, the theme involving the Lord Jesus Christ in a profane and blasphemous manner. We are relieved to read of Lord Teviot’s strong denunciation of this evil emanating from the printing press, and that he discharged this duty in the House of Lords.
Legal Measures in Spain Condemned
Last November, lawyers from Britain, the United States, Venezuela, Argentina and Chile issued a statement in Paris, after visiting Spain regarding legislation in that country. They expressed the view that Spanish legislation hinders the exercise of essential rights, such as the right of meeting, association, of the Press, etc. They concluded: “There is evidence that in Spain the rights of man and of the citizen guaranteed by universal law are not respected.” This is an indictment by lawyers, as such, and not from a purely religious point of view. But the criticism is nonetheless serious and condemns the governing authorities of Spain, who are linked up largely with the Roman Catholic Church. Those who suffer in Spain, such as Evangelical Protestants, will not easily understand the friendly approaches to the Vatican by the Archbishop of Canterbury, when the oppressive influence of the Roman Church is so severely felt by them in Roman Catholic Spain. The following is an oft repeated question, but still pertinent in the light of the Lawyers’ Statement—Would the Roman Church exercise the same oppressive measures directly and also through the Civil authorities, in Britain, if they had the same power over non-Roman Catholics in Britain? The answer from even Roman Catholic sources is “yes.”
They aver that they can have no tolerance for those whom they consider heretics, and for what they deem heresy when they have power. But the Roman Church demands tolerance and more for itself in Britain where there is a regard for the rights of every person and true freedom. The Reformation in Scotland and England did indeed bring freedom from the yoke of bondage.