The Birth of a Son to Her Majesty
On Monday evening, the 9th of March, 1964, there was born to Her Majesty The Queen, a son; an event which has given pleasure to the people throughout the Nation. God in His providence has been kind to Her Majesty and to His Royal Highness the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in adding to their family and in the fact that Her Majesty and her son are well. Royal parents as well as others are, in a Christian nation, enjoined by the Word of God to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. May the Royal children be brought much in contact with and under the influence of the Holy Scriptures.
Arab Opposition to Israel
As is known the world over, the Jews in Israel have been working steadily to build up the economy of their country in every possible way and have been very successful. It seems to us, that apart from other reasons, this has stirred up a great deal of jealousy and hatred in surrounding Arab countries, including Egypt especially, toward Israel. The most recent cause of Arab opposition has been the Jewish project to divert and use some of the water of the River Jordan to irrigate a large barren area called the Negev. On this account the Arab League decided recently to send 13 Foreign Ministers of its member states on a world-wide anti-Israel tour. Herein can be seen the enmity of the Arab to the Jew, God’s ancient people. The Jews even when favoured in the divine providence by a return to their land and otherwise, at the present time, are meeting with difficulties and trials, and are surrounded by unfriendly nations. All over the world there is the spectacle of one nation living in active hatred to another. But Israel seems to be more on the defence than engaged in any hostile activities to those around her. The Messiah is still rejected by the Jewish nation and the gospel is unacceptable within her borders; and so there is a tremendous religious lack in the midst of increasing temporal prosperity. But in God’s time they will be brought under the power of the Holy Spirit and will weep over their rejection of Christ, and then the Redeemer will become precious to them as their Saviour and Friend, whoever will be their enemies.
Demands By Betting Agents
There are now, since more liberty has been given to open betting shops, 15,000 such shops in Britain. They can open from early morning until 6.30 p.m. in the evening. But the bookmakers, the men who run these shops and live on the gambling of others, wish now the Government to allow them to keep open till 9.30 p.m. as there are horse-racing meetings in the evenings during the Summer. Their professed plea is that they are concerned in Scotland with the stamping out of illegality because, if the shops are not open at night, betting will be carried on in a way which is not legal. They are concerned about making money from miserable gamblers in a way that is legal, and are against others who will make money from miserable gamblers by illegal methods. Legal or not legal—gambling however practised is a curse and a plague throughout Britain.
The Young and Drunkenness
At a Police Court in a Scottish North-Eastern town, a boy aged 16 years and a girl of the same age were charged with being found in a drunken state. They were separate cases. The boy had been found drunk on a previous occasion. These are not the only cases in recent times in the northern parts of Scotland. This conduct on the part of the young is intensely disturbing. Parents have much to answer for before God as to their lack of regard for the moral teaching and discipline of their young children. But homes without the Bible have no proper guide for parents or children.
Malta Constitution
We have commented here several times on the difficulty that Mr Duncan Sandys, Colonial Secretary, seems to have in framing, with others, a new independent Constitution for Malta. The point that he is not facing up to, in our view, is the demand by Mintoff, the Leader of the Labour Party of Malta, that there be inserted in the new Constitution that the Roman Catholic Church of Malta be forbidden to interfere in the political life of the island and in Elections. For recent discussions, the Archbishop head of the R.C. Church in Malta was invited to London to take part in these discussions. We do not like this step by Mr Sandys. Mr Mintoff was a Roman Catholic and belongs to Malta, and he should know the evil of priestly interference with the people and their politics. The priests may aver that Mintoff is a Communist in order to discredit him. But he is not. He has seen through the oppression of Rome. May he obtain from our Government what he desires and demands of right. It will be a disgrace if he fails—a disgrace as to Mr Sandys’ handling of the matter.
Disagreement Between R.C. Archbishops on Attitude to Apartheid
The claim of the Church of Rome to possess unity of belief and outlook upon fundamental issues within her borders, is shaken by the following press report from Johannesburg, South Africa, on 21st February, 1964:—”Two archbishops of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in South Africa yesterday denied that views on apartheid expressed by Archbishop William Whelan of Bloemfontein on Tuesday constituted the official views of the Church. Archbishop Dennis Hurley, of Durban, and Archbishop Owen McCann, of Cape Town, said Archbishop Whelan was acting in his personal capacity. Their comments followed widespread publication of Archbishop Whelan’s statement that there was no teaching of the Church opposed ‘to the idea of a state composed of a number of national or racial groups maintained in their separate and distinct identity by the state of which they form a part.’ Archbishop Hurley’s statement said: ‘Any reports that this is the official attitude of the Roman Catholic Church are completely erroneous.’ In Cape Town, Archbishop McCann, chairman of the South African (Roman Catholic) Bishops’ Conference, said the statement had not been issued by the conference. Last night Archbishop Whelan again said he had issued his statement with the knowledge that he was director of the Press, radio and cinema department of the Administrative Board of the Southern Africa Catholics’ Conference, and not in his private capacity as Archbishop of Bloemfontein.—Reuter.” This report reveals that controversy can arise, as it has frequently done in the past, among the leaders of the R.C. Church. Rome frequently points to the divisions among Christians outside her pale and to the unity prevailing in the R.C. fold. Apartheid will present a difficulty to the Pope, who will never give a clear declaration upon it, there being different opinions on the issue, strongly held by Roman Catholics all over the world.
Brazil’s New Literacy Campaign
An estimated 40 million Brazilians, more than half the total population, cannot read or write. The Government hope to increase literacy rapidly by means of a special system devised by a Professor of Pernambuco University. Three thousand teachers will take classes of 30 adults each, receiving a low rate of pay for their work. Many have offered their services free for the privilege of assisting in the solution of one of Brazil’s most pressing problems. Some critics are said to object to the campaign because they think it is being used to spread Communist ideas. The day may come when the ability to read will be devoted to reading the Bible, the word of life, by many of the people of Brazil. Satan would like to keep as many as possible incapable of reading the Holy Scriptures. We are indebted to The Scotsman for this report, and there is no hint in it as to whether the Church of Rome was involved in opposing this merciful work for the uplifting of millions. But when that Church has power, the education of masses of poor people in backward countries has not been encouraged in the past.
Gambling Casino for Glasgow
The evil of gambling is increasing in Britain and being increasingly encouraged. The findings of a Customs and Excise inquiry into the extent of gambling in Britain, revealed that more than 1,600,000 people belong to gambling clubs. They pay over £14,000,000 just to take part. This outlay is especially in connection with what is called “Bingo.” Now gambling casinos like those on the Continent are being opened all over the country. A new gambling casino which, it is claimed, will be the largest in Britain, will be opened in Glasgow at the end of April by a Cypriot-born man, who has been in Glasgow for 21 years. A manager is wanted at a salary of £9,000 a year, and another official has already been appointed at £7,000 a year. The money of fools will contribute to the paying of these extraordinary salaries; money diverted from homes, from the payment of debts and charity toward needy fellow-men. From the Christian point of view such a place as this Casino will be a menace and danger in the City of Glasgow. Truly the god of this world is extremely active in our midst.