"I See By The Papers
Billy Graham stated on a recent CBS radio network program, "World of Religion," that Richard Nixon felt that his attendance at church services during his recent Presidential campaign might prove a political liability. It seems that he feared some might interpret his fervor as nothing more than a "political ruse" to gain some sympathetic public reaction. It indeed is tragic when one must be nearly atheistic in viewpoint before he can be unconcerned as to what others might think about his sincerity. The country has fallen to a new low if one's sincere religious views are to be held up to scorn and ridicule.
The Roman Catholic Church is in for some hard times if the suggestion of Jeffrey J. W. Baker is taken to heart by many. (Dec. 28, UPI), "A nationwide economic boycott of the Catholic Church by withholding money from the collection plate to protest against a papal ban of artificial birth control was proposed yesterday."
Baker, "professor of biology at the University of Puerto Rico, told the world's largest science group that the money withheld from the Church should be used to give birth control information to `countries where starvation is already a way of life and death.'
"Baker addressed a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He said the proposed boycott would begin next July 27 because that is the Sunday closest to the day marking the first anniversary of the papal encyclical on birth control."
An Amish minister named Reuban rebelled against his bishop's condemnation of a gasoline-operated barn cleaner and led an entire congregation (35 families) into a new grouping known as the Reubenites, according to Lester Kinsolving of San Francisco.
He also (Kinsolving) made note of the other divisions within the framework of the church founded by Jacob Amman. "There are even some Amish who now drive their own automobiles, but these are known to the original denomination (the old order Amish) as "Beachy Amish." These innovators represent one of several splits in the denomination."
It looks like the spirit of innovationalism is sweeping the country.
"A retired minister of the Presbyterian Church, U.S. (Southern), suggested a split within the denomination, but his proposal was quickly rebutted by a well-known lay leader this fall.
"Dr. Daniel Iverson of the Asheville Presbytery said, 'I do not believe we can sit at the same table and solve our differences by haggling...We have two churches under one roof."
However, Dr. L. Nelson Bell, father-in-law of evangelist Billy Graham and executive director of Christianity Today, said a liberal-conservative split of the denomination would bring "chaos." (Moody Monthly, January 1969)
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