Dear Seers-Through-A-Glass-Darkly:
Crystal-ball-gazing is on the increase! Seers of the future like the phenomenal Jeanne Dixon, the unpredictable Criswell, the astrological Carroll Righter, and numerous roadside gypsies are flourishing. But for my money none of these can hold a bell, book, or candle to the Rev. Richard P. Buchman when it comes to foretelling the future. Check some of his “Fearless Forecasts” for 1967, published in The Messenger of Brooklyn’s Cadman Memorial Church (Congregational):
1. Early in the year “a justly unknown theologian from the Marksman School of Theology (‘We Aim to Please’) will discover that God is a red-and-white petunia. The New York Times, titillated, will interview Reinhold Niebuhr, Norman Vincent Peale, and an ecstatic PR man from Burpee’s, who will agree that God does sometimes show himself to men in funny ways. Before the end of the month twenty-nine Ph.D.’s will react in print to the discovery, thereby stoking up the theological discussion groups for another year.”
2. “On Race Relations Sunday, 33,148 ministers will say: ‘Eleven o’clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of the week,’ believing as they say it that no one has ever said it before, and further that by saying it they will be effecting major changes in the attitudes of their listeners.”
3. “At the Annual Pow-wow of the Consultation on Church Union, a spokesman will declare at noon on Monday that ‘the obstacles we face are insuperable.’ At two o’clock he will report breathlessly that the Holy Spirit has overcome all the obstacles. At three, he will predict that Church Union is twenty years away—ten at the very least. At four, he will announce that everything is ready for referral to the churches. At five, in lieu of referral, the Holy Spirit will cast one vote in favor of the plan.”
I’m not one to dabble in the occult, but I suspect that come 1968, we all will be convinced of Buchman’s oracular powers.
Remembering that the future lies ahead, EUTYCHUS III
Final Word On The Final Third
Since I read CHRISTIANITY TODAY primarily for balance—against the opposite theological extreme of humanism—I do not expect to agree with everything that you publish. However, I wish to compliment you upon the excellent symposium of January 20 about the “final third” of our century. Particularly did I find significance in what Mark Hatfield said about war and peace, Bishop Kennedy about intra-Protestant ecumenism, and Kenneth Scott Latourette about world revolution and Communism.
The most un-helpful contribution, in my opinion, was by a man identified as a professor of philosophy. In view of what he said, one must wonder about his qualifications to teach “love of knowledge.” ARTHUR O. ACKENBOM Grace-Frontenac Methodist Churches Pittsburg, Kan.
Crime protected by the Supreme Court and the lower courts with their criminal sympathies is an understatement by writer Gordon H. Clark, philosophy professor at Butler University.
KERAL CARSEN
President
Association for Social Psychology
Ottawa, Ont.
I have just finished reading the paragraphs on “situational ethics” by Thomas B. McDormand.…
The true situationist continues to take law quite seriously, but he also remains sensitive to the contingencies of any given situation. He is not afraid to supplant the ethic of law with the ethic of love when the situation so demands.
That Jesus was a situationist should be obvious from his attitude toward the woman taken in adultery, his healing of a man’s hand on the Sabbath, and his willingness to touch a leper. It is not, therefore, surprising to read that he was criticized by the legalistic religious leaders of his day, who found his actions threatening. Although we do not have these criticisms preserved for us in detail, I rather suspect that the reasoning behind them was similar, in many respects, to some of that presented by Mr. McDormand.
BYRON BURCH
San Anselmo, Calif.
Voicing A Very Strong Hatred
I believe the Berlin Congress broadened and deepened the involvement of the participants with Christians outside the immediate fellowships, and I am enthusiastic about Berlin’s potential for enlarging the ecumenical dialogue.… I consider adherence to the infallibility of Scripture demonic. My Miami Beach speech was simply a spelling out of this conviction in the context of the Berlin Congress and of Billy Graham’s presence at Miami Beach.
Anyone who thinks my paper does not reflect an authentic ecumenical view has a romantic notion of “ecumenical.” The word is not a synonym for “conciliatory.” “Ecumenical” rather means that Christians in one place and in many places take each other seriously enough to enter into dialogue with the intention of together worshipping God and witnessing, in deed and word, to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ecumenists often suppress differences so as to establish fellowship and mutual action. In certain circumstances, this may be responsible behavior—for the Holy Spirit often finds ways to outwit intellectual differences when Christians are together in fellowship and service. But hatred for the doctrine of the perfect book is very strong in a very large segment of ecumenical leadership, and I can hardly be considered irresponsible and ecumenically inauthentic in voicing this hatred.
WILLIS E. ELLIOTT
United Church Board for Homeland Ministries
New York, N. Y.
Humorless Humor
Usually I enjoy your “What If …” cartoon, but somehow the one in the February 3 issue gave me a jolt. The Garden of Gethsemane to me is a place of holy mystery.… Somehow I can’t picture my Lord laughing at this cartoon. Can you? or your kin?
PHYLLIS C. REISIG
Redondo Beach, Calif.
I strongly object to the cartoon.… It is absolutely tasteless!! You have published excellent cartoons, but this one—No!
SIGMUND H. KRIEGER
Oberursel, Germany
I enjoyed reading Eutychus and his Kin until lately when a different author took it over.… In any other magazine Eutychus III would be an instant hit, I’m sure, but I don’t think he has any place in your magazine, which otherwise seems to be written by devout men of God.… Humor and cynicism are two different things.
MIRIAM BURTSCHE
De Bary, Fla.
The Catholic Mind would like to reprint your delightful “Eutychus” feature, “Dear Verbal Militiamen: …” (Dec. 23).
EILEEN TOBIN
Editorial Asst.
Catholic Mind
New York, N.Y.
I always look for your cartoon in each issue of CHRISTIANITY TODAY with alacrity. Keep up the good work.
ROBERT H. COUNTESS
Lookout Mountain, Tenn.
One of the features of your valuable magazine which I always enjoy is the series of cartoons entitled “What If.…” So often they seem to hit the nail on the head.
JOHN ELDER
Waverly, Ohio
The Idea Seizers
In “Two Times at Once” (News, Jan. 6) you ask the question, “Why haven’t big denominations … seized the newspaper idea?”
One has! The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod publishes the Reporter.
WALTER E. ROSENBERG
Stewardship Counselor
The Atlantic District
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
New York, N. Y.
Inactive Meddling
I read your February 3 editorial, “NCC Opposes Loans to South Africa,” with considerable interest. It appears to me that you believe that the National Council is meddling only if it speaks against the policy of the Chase Manhattan and First National City Banks. What you fail to realize is that silence in the face of the activities of these banks is also “meddling.” I believe that you have forgotten that the villains in the Parable of the Good Samaritan were not only the robbers who attacked the man, but the priest and the Levite who walked by on the other side of the road and did nothing.
ROBERT S. BEAMAN
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Englishtown, N. J.
In practical terms I would suggest that every denomination in the NCC and WCC begin immediately to submit in three-year cycles a referendum to the local churches as to whether or not they wish to have the denomination remain in affiliation with the NCC and WCC.
JAMES MILLER
Montclair Community Church
Denver, Colo.
Is It Contagious?
Your editorial criticizing Representative Adam Clayton Powell missed the crucial problem. Far more important than the irresponsibility of one man is the question of why the people of his district continue to send him to Congress even though the facts of his misbehavior are well known. His re-election by an overwhelming majority is an indictment either of the representative form of government itself, or of the moral corruption of the people of his district, or of both. Whichever it is, democracy will be in deep trouble if the sickness of the Harlem community should ever spread throughout our society.
HENRY WILLIAMS
Bloomington, Ind.
The Shape Of Art
What Mr. Leitch is discussing in “For the Sake of Art” (Current Religious Thought, Feb. 3) is neither drama nor the desire to present realism, but simply an excuse to engage in and promote wickedness under the disguise of being something respectable and artistic.… His comments were excellent.
JAMES W. BOYD
Red Bank Church of Christ
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Mr. Leitch says, “In any case, great literature is not only a reflection of life but also a creator of life.” I understand this to mean that the literature influences the thoughts and behavior of the reader or viewer.…
If you can find any Christian sociologists (or non-Christians) who would agree, we could re-convince the Christian community that laws against pornographic literature and topless dresses make a difference.… In a recent three months around the country I found that my very fine, consecrated, evangelical friends … are not convinced that the above idea is true.
WILLIAM F. CAMPBELL, M.D.
Roanoke, Va.
Mr. Leitch identifies Jews under the rubric of nation and race. Do you really believe that Jews are a race?… Let it suffice to suggest that any “racialist” compare an American Jew with a Yemenite Jew, an Ethiopian Jew, a Chinese Jew, etc., and then report on their common racial characteristics.
ALFRED RUSSEL
Editor
Education in Judaism
The American Council for Judaism
New York, N. Y.
Assigning Labels
The liberal theologians are the Sadducees, the seminary professors are the doctors of the law, and the so-called evangelicals are the Pharisees (ultra-orthodox in doctrine but in works they deny Him; in fact, many would fight to prove they are right). In fact, is not this the purpose of all these who have judged themselves worthy to speak with authority in matters pertaining to God?
I thank God that there are many little people carrying out the commission of the Lord Jesus in going and making disciples and living humble lives, probably set at naught by the great organized forces of Christianity, yet are faithful to the Saviour, to the Bible, to his Church.
STERLING P. KERR
First Baptist
Wilmington, Ill.
Readers Say
Your fine magazine is a great thing for a layman like myself.…
However, could you couch the articles in plain, ordinary language so a fellow like myself does not have to read an article with a dictionary in the other hand …?
WALLACE G. HIGGINS
Philadelphia, Pa.
It has been a real pleasure for me to read the discussions on theology. While it takes some time to digest them, the meat is of real spiritual value to a preacher who is seventy-two years young.…
W. L. SWARTZ
Flint Springs Cumberland Presbyterian
Cleveland, Tenn.
I find that CHRISTIANITY TODAY is one of the most stimulating journals of its type available, even though as a Catholic we differ widely in many areas, especially the doctrine of the nature of the Church.
I am glad to see evangelical Christianity speaking to the issues.…
HARRY W. SHIPPS
Vicar
The Church of the Holy Apostles (Episcopal)
