Evangéliumi Hirnök, 1963 (55. évfolyam, 1-16. szám)
1963-03-01 / 5. szám
4. oldal EVANGÉLIUMI HÍRNÖK 1963. március 1. WORSHIPPING AN UNKNOWN GOD The Commandment Given by God. „Thou shalt have none other God before me. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the waters beneath the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them.” Deuteronomy 5:7-9. Worshipping the False Gods God commanded the Jewish peolpe of Old Testament times not to take over the false gods of neighboring nations nor fashion false gods of their own design. Whether these gods were made from stone or formed into shapes of calves, their worship was strictly forbidden. In those days, it was relatively easy to discover who these false gods were and where they lived. The Jewish prophets could give specific warmings about trespassing upon places that were known to be locations and meeting-places for the worship of false gods. With the development of the complex of civilization as we know it today, the problem of discovering specific gods and their places of worship is much more difficult. But these false gods do exist today, and people do worship them. In order to guard against their worship, we must know who these false gods are? Where do they dwell? What is the manner of worship? Three prominent false religions immediately come to mind. Nazism is one such false religion. Its home was in Germany. Its worship was of racial superiority. And its idol was the swastika. Communism is another such religion. Its home is in Moscow and its worship is of the State. Their idol is the hammer-and-sickle. Materialism is the third prominent false religion of the times. Its home is widely dispersed within the Western World, and its worship is of material progress. And its idol is an inventory list of consumers’ goods. Although Nazism, Communism, and Materialism do present competing to the Christian world, the real danger lies in the worship of still another god-one that is relatively unnoticed. It is the worship of this unknown god that has made the rise of Nazism, Communism, and Materialism possible. If Nazism, Communism, or Materialism were completely destroyed overnight, other expressions of the unknown god would quickly arise. The Chalange of The Unknown God It is vital, then, that we know the history, characteristics ,and nature of this unknown god in order that we may guard against its worship. This unknown god has appeared, now and then, throughout history. But it has gained momentum from the 17 century onwards. This false god is neither stone or wood. Nor is it made in the image of any particular thing-living or dead. This unknown god is, rather a certain method of discovering knowledge. It is called science. What is science and how did it become a false god worshipped by people all over the world? Science, basically, is a special method of discovery that has enabled mankind to increase his mastery and understanding over his natural environment. It has made great strides forward in medical science, production of goods, transportation, and communication. But with these great strides forward in the natural world by science, men have been encouraged to believe in it as a supreme power in all phases of life. Men began to increasingly question the natural subordination of mankind to a Supreme Creator. Religion has been challenged as a mere superstition. The bible was rejected as a myth. Some men even dared to believe that one day the power of science would transform them into gods. The popular slogan of the day is: "Science can save us!” "Anything, everything was possible with science”, said men. And science became the most dangerous false god of our times. For it was the blind worship of science and the naive rejection of the belief that the world was created for God’s glory that led to the development of such false religions as Nazism, Communism, and Materialism. How else can we explain the irresponsible extermination of over 5 million Jews by the Nazi’s in the name af racial superiority? How else can we explain the ruthless slaughter of millions of Russians by the Communists for resisting the modernization of Russia into a technological Super-state? How else can we explain the arrogance of Kruschev who said, immediately after the first Russian-made planet encircled the earth: „Now, we are even catching up to God!’’ or the ridicule of first Russian to return from orbit around the world when he said: „I looked above me. I looked below me. I looked everywhere. But I couldn’t find your God; nor the heaven where you say He lives." Unfortunatelly, the worship of science has found its way in the American land, as well. It has made materialism a real threat to the Church’s teachings. It is the most trusted partner of our government. For how else can we explain why, in times of peace, we devote our energies and income to the enjoyment of luxuries? And in times of war we put our trust in science to produce weapons of destruction. Scientific crash programs are our answers to all of our crisis. EVANGÉLIUMI HÍRNÖK GOSPEL MESSENGER Published monthly by the Hungarian Baptist Union of America 225 E. 80th St. New York 28, N. Y. * * * Editor — Szerkesztő: Rev. PETRE M. ADALBERT 943 Merill Ave., Lincoln Park, 25 Mich. * * * Entered as second class matter at the Post office of New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3., 1879 Accepted for mailing at the special rate of postage as provided in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917 * * * SUBSCRIPTION FEE: $3.00 per year Előfizetés, címváltozás erre a címre küldendő: Mr. John SZÁSZ 1019 Edward Ave., N. E. Canton 5. Ohio And has this worship of science saved us? Are we now living in internal peace? If science has saved us then why do wei have over half of all hospital beds in this country being occupied by persons suffering from mental illness? Why do we have 6 million alcoholics in the United States? Has science saved us from external dangers? As a result of numerous crash programs we now have a nuclear force powerful enough to destroy whole countries in one barrage, But we still face war and the possibility that we ourselves will be dest royed by a country who also has used science to produce a powerful nuclear force. In fact we are more afraid of external danger than we ever have been Science has not saved us. It has just made the dangers more acute and the possible destruction more horrible. Returning to the One True God Once we have clearly recognized the inherent dangers of worshipping science as a god and misusing its power over nature, the problem of defeating the false religions of Nazism, Communism, and Materialism will be made easier. In destroying the false religion of science, we extinguish the myth that man himself is god — a god who can impose his will without limitation upon his fellow creatures. In recognizing that science has been given to mankind by God to serve His purpose, we humble man, once again, before the God who created him. We return man and his labor back to the service of God and not rebellion against Him. The truth that life is sacred under God will be reasserted. And science will be properly used for the welfare of man and not for his destruction. By thus (Folytatás az 5. oldalon)
