Hungarian Church Press, 1968 (20. évfolyam, 2. szám)
1968-06-01 / 2. szám
HOP Vol XX Special Number - 34 - (07675) 1968 No 2 cialist October Revolution of 1917 changed not only the forms of political life, then, after World War II, the emergence of the socialist world order has not only brought about profound changes in the international order and in inter-state relations but has had its effects on all the realms of human life» We live in an age in which f irrespective of their state forms and social systems, all nations must make their choice between the peaceful coexistence cf the peoples and the awful possibility of a nsw world war with its threat of total destruction« In this respect, the A bombs dropped in 194-5 on Hiroshima and Nagasaki opened up a new era which is most commonly called the Atonic Age0 Hence there is a very great emphasis on the responsibility of the Christians as citizens, and the question is: what is our task in this situation? What are we to do as citizens and as members of the Church? We must distinguish between the states in which those in power wie3d the power and assert the law of the state against the people add states in which the people themselves exercise the power over their country and make and enforce its laws« The historic greatness of the socialist states is manifested in the fact that, on the one hand, they ideologically regard the state, as an organization of force, a transitional affair, and, on the other hand, in the development of building up socialism, the state is progressively assuming an administrational character, expressing the totality of the people0 In all the fields of our state life, beginning with the smallest cell of the state apparatus, the village council., to the parliament, we make the experience that those in office consider their office service and actually do their duty in this wayc We cannot enumerate the various opportunities of Christian cooperation for this would lead to an undesirable casuistry c But, in a summary mariner, we may witness to the fact that since cur churches recognized the State of the Hungarian People?s Republic as their own ’/civil authority, on the basis of theological decisions in faith, they are now in the position, in mary fields of public life, to give their specific spiritual support, moral cooperation and help to the endeavours for the realization of the various objectives by our Statec Christians as citizens actually make their responsible contribution and carry out the in cooperation in the life of the state when they try to display their loyalty as citizens, their trustworthiness, theirhonesty in their respective vocations: Lea-zing aside again the way of a casuistic treatment, let us investigate in detail some cf the problems cf Christian cooperation»
