Magyar Egyház, 1966 (45. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1966-10-01 / 10. szám
8 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ theology” which arose from the marxist historical philosophy smuggled into the church. It stipulates that the church’s reason for existence is to evangelize the world and that the church could never resign from this function under any circumstances. Then, in the relationship between church power and political power, it stipulated that the church owed obedience to the worldly power in only those matters that do not conflict with God’s laws. Finally, it insisted on the restoration of the synodical-presbyterian form of church government. It is to this characteristically evangelical and Hungarian Reformed attitude that we may attribute the fact that in the Hungarian Reformed Church the revolution happened well before October. October merely furnished the opportunity to put into practice the principles expressed in the confessing movement’s declarations. The revolution and the freedom fight of the Hungarian nation failed ten years ago. The Hungarian people were abandoned; it did not get the support it rightfully hoped from the world’s free nations and powers. Thus it could not possibly win against a great power of 200 million. Because it had risen for its liberty it paid with thirty thousand dead, two thousand sentenced to death and executed, and two hundred thousand who fled. The Hungarian peasants were flogged out of their age old way of life and driven into kolchozes. This contributed greatly to the breaking down of the biological strength of the Magyar people. Youth flees the villages nowadays. Bulging cities scarcely furnish sleeping room for them, let alone family nesting places to produce children. The Hungarian birthrate is the world’s lowest. Authors and poets, most sensitive to this, speak of the nation’s coming death. For the time being, the confessing movement of the church faltered too. During the first few months after the revolution the Church has tried to have the state accept the principle of “a free church in a free state.” But the state itself is not free: it is a colony belonging to a foreign power and it does not tolerate a church which is not under its surveillance and direction. And yet the revolution did not happen in vain. The seeds sown in 1956 are gradually producing a crop. The dictatorial power of the state is getting looser, it is forced to make concessions. Eastern European nations take more and more steps as dictated by their own interests. It is becoming evident even in the Soviet Union that four or five decades are not sufficient for the building of a system that annihilates human liberty, and that strives for absolute power over souls and intellects. Human love of liberty, which has enticed the youth of 56 into martyrdom, is stronger than the strongest weapon. Thus in Hungary too, some favorable changes have since occured which indicate a relatively greater freedom in social, economic and church life. In spite of all this the country is not independent to this day. A well equipped Soviet force of 80,000 keeps it under surveillance. The nation is unable to exercise its right of self government: it may vote for those placed in power by a foreign army, but it cannot elect. Though all-encompassing terror has vanished, there is no freedom of opinion, freedom of speech or freedom of press. Even religious freedom exists on paper alone. True, they do not take those that practice their religion and faith directly to account, but they do employ the multilayered, subtile forms of economic and social punishment. The Church is not allowed to evangelize; the ruling system keeps it hermetically separated from the youth; the Church is not allowed to live in its own order of synods and presbyteries as before. Therefore, the Hungarian Reformed Church in America proclaims on this tenth anniversary of the revolution that it feels a responsibility for the fate of the Hungarian nation, present and future. It will not cease to work and fight for the principles the martyrs of 1956 sacrificed their lives for, namely for independence and the right of self-government. Feeling a responsibility for the universal Hungarian Reformed Church, to which it belongs through the bonds of a common past, fate, tradition and heritage, it will not cease to fight for the principles that the Hungarian Reformed confessors of 1956 proclaimed. The Church asks God’s mercy and blessing that its weapons may stay pure in this battle, and that the battle may arrive at its final goal when there will again be a free church in a free state of Hungary. DO NOT FORGET November 6 is MISSION SUNDAY. Bring your Mission Fund donation to church. The churches, in turn, should send the collected contributions to the treasurer of the Mission Fund, Mr. Albert St. Miklossy, 23 Evergreen Avenue. Fords, N. J. 08863. THE CHRISTMAS STORY Compiled by Ákos G. Papp This Christmas story should be presented in the church. Props and dresses are optional, important are young people with good diction. While the characters are speaking the church lights should be put out and a spotlight used on the speakers; for the carols the church lights should be on. We print this Christmas story now in the hope that our churches can use it for their Sunday School Christmas Program. CONGREGATION (singing) : It came upon the midnigh clear, That glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth To touch their harps of gold: Peace on the earth, goodwill to men, From heav’ns all-gracious King; The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing. Still thro’ the cloven skies they come, With peaceful wings unfurled, And still their heav’nly music floats O’er all the weary world; Above its sad and lowly plains They bend on hov’ring wing, And ever o’er its Babel sounds The blessed angels sing. And ye, beneath life's crushing load, Whose forms are bending low, Who toil along the climbing way With painful steps and slow, Look now! For glad and golden hours Come swiftly on the wing; O rest beside the weary road, And hear the angels sing. For lo, the days are hast’ning on, By prophet bards foretold, When with the evercircling years Comes ’round the age of gold; When peace shall over all the earth Its ancient splendors fling, And the whole world give back the song Which now the angels sing. JOSEPH: Jacob, did you hear the news? JACOB: What news? JOSEPH: A decree went out from Ceasar Agustus that all the world should be enrolled. JACOB: How do you know? JOSEPH: My neighbor told me that it was announced yesterday. He is already packing. JACOB: I know that periodic enrollments have been customary among our people, especially, when an army had to be raised. But we aren’t going to war, are we?
