Is Christianity a Mere Game?
Earnest Worker is a Sabbath School periodical prepared for the
Southern Presbyterian Church, the United Presbyterian Church, and the Re- formed
Church in America. The Northern Presbyterian Church does not participate in this
periodical.
In the issue of February 1958 an article by Dr. Roy E. Grace
is reprinted from The United Presbyterian. Dr. Grace is here defending the merger
of the United Presbyterian Church with the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Such
a defense is entirely appropriate in The United Presbyterian. But since the Reformed
Church in America, a while back, voted down a merger with the United Presbyterians,
and since more recently the Southern Church decisively defeated union with Dr. Grace's
two bodies, one wonders why this article should be included in the Earnest Worker.
Is it the purpose to use Sabbath School literature to stir up agitation and dissension
over again in these other two denominations?
Whatever the ethics of including this article in the Earnest
Worker may be, a more important point is the argument Dr. Grace uses for his decision
to support the merger. Mainly there are three arguments.
The last one he mentions is his observation of so-called splinter
groups in the Philadelphia area. He says, "I do not see them accomplishing
anything very outstanding for the Kingdom of God." It is a fact, however, that
some of these small groups, relatively near to his own church, are doing tremendous
work for missions. Their budgets for missions put most other congregations to shame.
But of course it is hard to make a just estimate of how much any group is accomplishing.
Missionary budgets do not tell the whole truth, much less do the numbers on the
membership rolls. Can it be readily believed that large, fashionable, wealthy churches
are accomplishing great things for Christ, if, when you visit the prominent members
in their homes of an afternoon, the matron meets you with a cigarette in one hand
and a cocktail in the other?
The first two arguments are perhaps but two aspects of one idea.
After making it quite clear that the United Presbyterian Church is being abolished
by a majority vote of 58l/£ (a clear majority, but less than a two thirds or three
fourth vote) Dr. Grace says, "Even children do not like one who will not play
unless he can win." Dr. Grace! Do you mean to say that Christianity is a mere
game? Is the preaching of the gospel a juvenile contest in which each minister plays
to win? Were those who opposed union motivated by a desire to get the better of
their fellow contestants?
And is it Christian courtesy to make these insinuations about
those whose consciences rebel at a modernistic program?
The next argument is somewhat similar to the preceding. Dr. Grace
remarks that when our President, D wight D. Eisenhower, was last elected, the defeated
Democrats did not move to Mexico. Quite true; but what is the implication?
Was the difference between Eisenhower and Stevenson of the same
nature as the difference between belief and unbelief in the vicarious atonement
and the resurrection of Christ?
Even within the sphere of politics Americans do not despise those
who fled the governments of Europe to seek freedom here. Were the Pilgrims
selfish little children who wouldn't play because they couldn't win? Do we today
despise those who are able to escape from communism and come west? And is it not
conceivable that communism might so envelop the United States that good people would
flee to another country, if they could and if there were a free country to flee
to?
But questions of the infallibility of the Bible, of the Virgin
Birth, of the substitutionary atonement, of the resurrection of Christ from the
grave are far more serious than children's games or even politics.
For the last twenty-five years the Presbyterian Church in the
U.S.A. has not insisted on any of these doctrines. The Auburn Affirmationists declared
that all these doctrines were un- essential, and that the first was false. More
recently we have seen approval given to a minister who publicly declared that he
had no truck with any of these doctrines. Is this accomplishing anything very outstanding
for the Kingdom of God?
What can the purpose of a religious organization be, if it does
not insist on the atonement and the resurrection? Whatever the purpose is, is there
any good reason for co-operating in such a purpose?
To my way of thinking, co-operation in such a purpose is not
only a waste of time but a positive service to the forces of darkness. If Christ
be not raised, our faith is vain and we are yet in our sins.
— G.H.C.
No comments:
Post a Comment