Britain Signs Treaty of Accession
On Saturday 22nd January, the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. Edward Heath M.P., signed the Accession Treaty to the Common Market on behalf of the British Government. This is a further step on the road to full membership of the European Economic Community. There is but a short breathing space left—during which time the Government will have to pass the enabling legislation to give effect to the Government’s decision to join the Common Market—until Britain finally joins the Community on 1st January 1973 (D.V.).
Jonah’s message to Nineveh was: “Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” The effect of that warning is well known. May our nation be similarly aroused. We would urge our people to continue instant in prayer till the threatened danger is averted. The deliverance which the Lord gave to Nineveh, He is able to give again if we truly humble ourselves before Him. He alone can interpose to save our nation out of our imminent danger, and can do so even at the eleventh hour.
A United Ireland—the Aim of the Papacy
The recent serious events in Northern Ireland have brought to the surface the real aim of the Roman Catholic Church in the Northern Ireland conflict. That aim is the re-unification of Ireland. We pray, too, for the re-unification of Ireland—but not in the way Pope Paul envisages. We pray for the day when the oppressed Romanists of Eire will be liberated from the galling yoke of the Popish Anti-christ and come to share the freedom which the Protestants in the North have long enjoyed. “If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
John Knox Postage Stamp
A postage stamp, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of John Knox, was banned by the Post Office in case it would inflame the Ulster situation. An attempt is now being made to make the Post Office reconsider its decision. We hope that this will result in the eventual appearance of the John Knox commemorative issue.
Educational Institute of Scotland and Drink
Scotland’s largest teachers’ union, the E.I.S., recommended to the Clayson Committee, presently engaged in reviewing the Scottish licensing laws, that it should be lawful for parents to purchase liquor for their children in a bar, if accompanied by them. The reason they give is that this would enable parents to give some guidance and example to their children in the proper use of alcohol.
It is regrettable, in our view, that an educational institute, instead of lending its weight to discouraging young people from taking liquor, should be advocating increased facilities for the young. We view this attitude as most irresponsible, particularly in view of the increasing addiction to alcohol and the increased incidence of alcoholism throughout Scotland.
Superstition
Some years ago, the present writer was very interested in a statement made by Rev. A. Ndebele in an address given in Glasgow. He mentioned that he had been sharing a room with a young fellow-African at Salisbury University. Although this young man held University degrees (one of them from America), he was tremendously disturbed when a bird flew in and out of the room. Despite his education, he was still a victim of superstition and a believer in the idea that the bird was the spirit of one of his ancestors. This incident came back to mind when reading the following interesting note from Faith and Thought, the Journal of the Victoria Institute.
“In the Western world it has long been taken for granted that education is the best antidote to superstition. In the dark lands of the earth, where superstition is rife, all that was necessary was a thorough academic training. Science was taken to be particularly important in this respect: as science is taught so superstition will disappear.
“In 1969 Gustav Jahoda put this pre-supposition to the test, using students of the University of Ghana as his guinea pigs. It turned out that belief in witchcraft was not diminished by education and that, by comparing faculties, those who studied science were as prone to put their faith in the witch doctor as those who studied humanities. In addition, no correlation was found to exist between low intelligence and belief in superstition (Nature, 1969, 220. 1356).
“Similar work is now reported from the University of Pennsylvania where a survey of graduate students was conducted by C. Slater and L. Routledge (Nature, 1071, 232, 278). Here the tests concerned not witchcraft but belief in the supernatural in general. Again it turned out that education had no effect: such belief was as widespread among the graduates as among the population at large and the scientists were, if anything, slightly more inclined to believe than the non-scientists.”
The glorious gospel of the blessed God is the true antidote to the superstition and spiritual blindness of the hearts of men. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” (Prov. 9, v. 10.)
Donald MacLean.
Pearce Commission on Rhodesia
In a report from Salisbury entitled “Pearce getting greater ‘Yes’ response”, Ian Colvin, correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, refers to the support given to the Commission by one of our African ministers. He says: “Another African voice is that of the Rev. Aaron Ndebele of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland who has appealed to the Pearce Commission from Nkai tribal trust land to ‘rescue Rhodesia’s Africans from economic and political suicide of a No vote’.” (Daily Telegraph 15.2.72.)
The Pearce Commission is at present attempting to assess Rhodesian African opinion towards the proposed Rhodesian settlement. Notwithstanding the difficulties it is facing it is continuing to pursue its task and hopes eventually to be able to complete its work. For our part we hope that opinion in Rhodesia will favour the proposed settlement. While the settlement does not concede all that Rhodesian Africans would desire it is a large step in the right direction and, if the engagements entered into are faithfully honoured, could lead to progressive African advancement in a united and prosperous Rhodesian nation. It is an atmosphere of racial harmony, and not of disharmony, which would be most conducive to the spread of the Gospel in Rhodesia and it is this we desire above all else.