The World in Unrest
The situation in the world at present gives cause for serious alarm. Nation rises against nation. The Middle-East is almost continually in a ferment. What shall the end of these things be? Wars and pestilences and famines are promised but there is One that sits King upon His Throne forever. The potsherds may strive with the potsherds of the earth, but the Lord rules over all. In the midst of all the present confusion and unrest, the Lord God omnipotent reigns supreme. Amidst all the dangers, nuclear and otherwise, there is One who holds the reins of the government of the universe and nothing can happen in all His domains, down to the sparrow falling to the ground and to the least of His creatures without His permission. The rulers of Russia, of China, of America may seem to have the destiny of the world in their hands, but these same rulers God has in His hand — even their very breath — so that ultimately the destiny of the world is not really in their hands but His. He can say to this evil ruler or that evil power, “thus far shalt thou come and no further”, and immediately it is effectually restrained. Let us not fear then. God is upon His throne and is King for evermore. Of whom shall I be afraid?
Religious Education in Schools and the Churches
In an address given to the Church of Scotland’s Committee on Education, Mr Alex. Fletcher, Minister for Industry and Education at the Scottish Office indicated his sympathy with those who felt a need to strengthen the teaching of Christian religion in the schools and declared that in the field of religious education it was vital that account be taken of the views of the Churches. He urged the Church of Scotland to continue to make appropriate representations to the Central Committee for the Curriculum on Religious Education, and he hoped that at local level the Churches would continue to take the close interest which they have shown in the past in religious education in schools. Mr Fletcher did qualify his statement by indicating that he had to observe the long-standing tradition by which the Secretary of State refrained from direct involvement in religious education. Notwithstanding this, it is gratifying to know that there are those in the Scottish Office who are sympathetic to the need for a more effective policy in connection with religious education.
One of the main difficulties in the teaching of religious education in schools is the question of what is to be taught. Apart altogether from the attempt to bring in Comparative Religion in place of the teaching of the Christian Religion, there is no agreement among Protestants of what constitutes the Christian religion. Rationalistic and ritualistic teaching has so invaded the Churches of the land that the Scriptural doctrines of true Christianity have been undermined. This makes it virtually impossible to get agreement on a proper syllabus for the teaching of religious education in the schools. The absence of family religion which leads to woeful ignorance on the part of the pupils even of the basics of true religion poses another difficulty. The varied outlook of the teachers also presents an even more formidable barrier to progress. To these problems we see no easy solution until a day of divine power will come enlightening the minds of men in the knowledge of Christ and of His Word.
Housewives Out Working
A heading in the Scotsman of 3/1/80 declares: “Britain tops league for working housewives.” Since 1951, the report — taken from the Quarterly Lloyds Bank review — states, the proportion of married women who go out to work has risen from one-in-five to one-in-two. In 1977, it is stated, 43% of women worked in Britain, a percentage which is not matched in similar European countries. This is a league in which Britain could well afford to take a lower place — best of all, the bottom place.
The practice of married women going out to work has carried over from the time of the Second World War especially but has grown in proportion in recent times. The cost of inflation is no doubt the reason some married women would give for going out to work, but we fear that in many cases lack of contentment with one’s lot is the real cause. Others no doubt would make the excuse of the lack of fulfilment and the need for some external outlet for their energies. Such should have considered before marriage whether they had any real vocation for marriage. While recognising that there are special cases in which it is imperative, through the illness of her husband or other justifiable cause, for a married woman to go out to work, there is little doubt that the procuring cause of much of the delinquency and moral decline among the young at the present time is the simple fact that their mothers went out to work when their proper place was in the home. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” But this cannot be done if the mother is absent from the home. It may well be that not only delinquency of children but also the high incidence of the breakdown of marriage may be, at least in part, attributable to the same cause.
Violent Deaths in Scotland
In 1979 no less than 75 persons died violent deaths in Scotland. 49 of these cases were murder and the remaining 26 culpable homicide. These figures though not as high as the figures for 1976 and 1977, cannot be regarded as other than serious and wholly unacceptable in a civilised community. How many of these deaths might have been prevented had the death penalty for murder been in vogue, it may be idle to speculate, but we have little doubt that the figure would have been very considerably reduced.
A significant revelation is given in the fact that no fewer than 53 of the 77 deaths were in the Strathclyde Region; that is, nearly 70%. In that region is the highest concentration of Roman Catholics in Scotland. If the prisons could speak, they could tell of the high percentage of Roman Catholics which find themselves behind bars on account of murder and other offences. On this matter, the Roman Catholic Church maintains a discreet silence lest it should be thought that there is a direct relationship between the number of Roman Catholics in prison and the kind of morality taught by the Roman Catholic Church. The day is coming, however, when this shall be unveiled for every eye to see it.
The Pope and Prof. Hans Kung
The well-known radical Roman Catholic theologian, Hans Kung, has been declared to be no longer a theologian of the Roman Catholic Church. This has been done by the Vatican’s Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and has the approval of the Pope. As a consequence Prof. Kung may lose his teaching post at the University of Tubingen in West Germany.
Prof. Kung has been a prolific writer and, as a radical theologian, has challenged the Roman Catholic Church on its views on papal infallibility and celibacy and other matters. He has carried on his struggle within the Roman Catholic Church for many years. He is no follower, however, of Luther or the Swiss Reformers of the Reformation period but attacks the Roman Catholic Church from the standpoint of a modernistic theologian. This includes questioning the doctrine of the divinity of the Saviour, Consequently there is little hope of a reformation within the Roman Catholic Church from this source. Indeed, Scripture gives us reason to conclude that the Roman Catholic Church is not to be reformed but destroyed, as is seen in the call to believers within her pale — “Come ye out of her my people and be not partaker of her plagues.”
Rhodesian Settlement
Because of our Mission in what is now called Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, the people of the Church have followed with deep interest the events which have led to a cessation of hostilities in that land. While it is gratifying that the slaughter of so many innocent lives and the cruelties practised have now come to an end, yet the difficulty of obtaining real peace must remain a matter of great concern. The existence of two armies within one State is one major difficulty facing the new Government, and it is not easy to see how it will be resolved. The conflict between capitalist and marxist ideologies is another matter likely to cause serious difficulty.
In view of these and other uncertainties it is the duty of the Lord’s people to continue to pray for Zimbabwe-Rhodesia and to plead that a Government will come to power in that land under which the Gospel will continue to be preached and the Church of God extended throughout the whole of the nation. We pray that all on the Mission may be graciously upheld in these changing times and that they may have the Lord’s protecting care over them during and after the transitional period.