Reformátusok Lapja, 1970 (70. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1970-06-01 / 6-7. szám

10

REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

Notes on Hungarian Remembrances . . .

(Continued from page 7)

own opinion, not even the judgment of other people, but rather looking first upon God’s face (Luk. 6:26, 1. Cor. 4:3-4, 2. Tim. 3:12). Thus while we do not want to conceal our conviction that both in 1920 and in 1945 great injustices were committed against the Hungarian nation when depriving from its right of plebiscite, contrary to all international laws, the population of two-thirds of its territory was given to the surrounding nations sowing the seed of further unrest, yet in the presence of God we go further and ask: has not the time come when the church should look at the historical events of the past 50 years with the spirit of repentance and conversion? Would it not be a real service of the future if we — regardless how unpleasant it might be — would face questions such as (a) Is it true that in our relationship to the nationalities in the Carpathian basin we have borne testimony always of the power of the Gospel in these years? (b) For the permanent reconciliation of the nationalities in the Carpathian basin do we have a vision that can stand the testing of God’s Word, the nature of the church’s ministry and our Hungarian Reformed heritage? (c) To the healthy solution of this problem have we American Hungarian Reformed people contributed anything of the “American experiment” which God granted to this country for centuries? (d) If our brethren profess with a scriptural conviction that, educated on prophetic examples, Hungaian Christians made a covenant with their government AND the living God who exercises judgment and mercy at the same time, what is OUR scriptural basis when we ask them to change their mind? (Jer. 27, Ez. 17) — In short: when we are so eager to take the speck out of our brother’s eye, do we notice the log that is in our own eye? (Mt. 7:1-5) This is the quintessence of the third question.

Evidently, this article cannot claim to be complete and all-embracing; it only raised questions in order that we may search the scriptures more earnestly as we seek the orientation of our faith in these difficult days. Let us pray that realizing how much our national existence depends on our relationship to God who has the last word in the affairs of big nations as well as in the affairs of small nations, we may turn to Him in true repentance so that we may be blessing even in international relationships for His glory. “Finally, brethren, farewell. Try to correct your lives. Don’t reject my appeals to you. Agree with one another. Live at peace with one another, and the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2. Cor. 13:11)

John Butosi, President

The Calvin Synod

President Wilsons Fourteen Points:

Congress, January 8, 1918

(1) Open covenants openly arrived at.

(2) Absolute freedom of navigation alike in peace and war, except as the seas might be closed by international action to enforce international covenants.

(3) The removal, so far as possible, of all economic barriers.

(4) Adequate guaranties that armaments would be reduced to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety.

(5) An impartial adjustment of all colonial claims on the principle that the interests of the population must have equal weight with the claims of the government.

(6) The evacuation of Russian territory and the free determination of her own political and national policy.

(7) Evacuation and restoration of Belgium.

(8) Evacuation and restoration of French territory and righting of the wrong done to France in the matter of Alsace-Lorraine.

(9) Readjustment of the frontiers of Italy along clearly recognizable lines of nationality.

(10) Opportunity for autonomous development for the peoples of Austria-Hungary.

(11) Evacuation and restoration of Rumanian, Serbian, and Montenegrin territory, together with access to the sea for Serbia.

(12) The Turkish parts of the Ottoman Empire to be given a secure sovereignty, but the other nationalities to be given an opportunity for autonomous development, and the Dardanelles to be permanently opened to the ships of all nations under international guaranties.

(13) An independent Poland, to include territories indisputably Polish, with free and secure access to the sea.

(14) A general association of nations to be formed to afford mutual guaranties of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike.

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