Evangéliumi Hírnök, 1973 (65. évfolyam, 2-24. szám)
1973-03-01 / 5. szám
1973. március 1. EVANGÉLIUMI HÍRNÖK 3. oldal j-PROPH EC Y '-------------------— By Frank What will happen in the field of religion in 1973? Nobody really knows, but here goes! The year 1973 will be a big one in evangelism. Campus crusades and Billy Graham will continue to attract large crowds of people in mass meetings. The 130 religious groups participating in Key 73 will be energetic in their religious advances to disenchanted church members and to non-church members. As a result of the Christian evangelistic effort, the Jewish religious community will react against the whole idea indicating the fact that Judaism is a self-sufficient and complete religion and that Jews fear A Plea for Grace From The Christian Science Monitor How much we could do with a little more grace in our lives. Or, some of us might say, with a return of the graciousness that we used to take for granted. Are we too preoccupied, too busy, too self-absorbed to be gracious? There's the person coming out of a store who fails to hold the door open for the one waiting to go in, the waitress whose manner is so brusque and offhand that she forgets that her first priority is to help the customer, the official who barks out words as though he were training an army platoon__ When we do come across grace— the smiling welcome, the courteous phrase, the thoughful act—we respond as a plant does to water. We cultivate grace by expressing ourselves, by our appreciation of it when others express it to us. There’s nothing time-consuming about being gracious, but the lack of grace leads to stress and tension. The ungracious person hurts himself more than he hurts those to whom he is ungracious. Grace makes human contacts pleasant and joyous. It’s essential to happy living. It’s healing. Let’s use more grace. FOR 1973 A. Sharp--------------------proselytism as a possible strengthening of anti-Semitism. Efforts to secure federal aid for parochial schools will tie increased, with the approval of President Nixon, but even though there is now a more conservative Supreme Court, its decisions will continue to run counter to administration desire and declare much legislation designed to help parochial schools as unconstitutional. There may be a move to change the First Amendment which protects the separation of church and state. Federal tax policies for religious groups may also be an issue in 1973, including a possible elimination of the housing allowance as a tax shelter for ministers. This next year may see more restrictive measures on freedom of the press and of the right of religious bodies to speak out on controversial social issues that are not in agreement with the positions of the Federal Government. Threats of the Internal Revenue Service to cut off tax exemption for contributors and for religious institutions engaged in unacceptable social action may well be increased. This will only be part of a total package of harassment of national radio and TV networks, forcing news reporters to reveal their sources, local TV censorship of national news, wire-tapping of telephone lines, etc. Because of the total conservative trend in American society today, the coming year will be one of emphasis on personal, devotional religion. Social action may be lessened in the coming 12 months because of repressive measures and a social climate unfavorable to its propagation. Where there is social action on the part of the churches it will be concentrated on the environment, amnesty, abortion, aid to parochial schools, and a questioning of business practices in South Africa and other countries where there is racial apartheid. In ecumenical affairs, the mainline Protestant groups will be watching carefully the restructured National Council of Churches to determine whether or not it will be agile enough and responsive enough to meet the needs of minority groups and those who are not now empowered to act through representatives on its new Governing Board. Of critical importance is the financing of the new structure, which calls for increased suppfort by denominations. Without adequate financial support the restructuring far minority empowerment may be a hollow gesture. The year 1973 will see the complete demise of the Jesus Movement among young people. Already in 1972 the trend is downward and 1973 should see its end. The downward trend of financial support for denominations has apparently leveled off and in some demominations has started to climb again. This may portend the return of more confidence in national religious bodies although local projects will receive more emphasis than before. The coming year may be one of genuine seeking for meaning and significance in life. The psychology of striving for materal possessions; the impersonal aspect of modern technology; the breakdown of family life; fear in the streets; and the spiritual poverty of a scientific technology will drive people to look for a more adequate religious outlook that will give meaning and purpose to a pointless existence. Whether the churches can rise to this challenge and provide the answer is a 1973 question. If the churches fail, then the people will turn to fads and non-church, even non-Christian, religious for the answer. The charismatic movement, which last year grew to surprising proportions even within old main-line denominations, will continue to grow and make its presence felt in 1973. (ABNS) "The middle of the road may not be the most exciting place to be, but at least you’ll be further from the ditch — on both sides.” (Which reminds the editor that if you stay in the middle-of-the-road you get hit by the traffic going on both ways.)
