Awake!, July 22, 1948

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SPIRITUAL FAMINE IN CHRISTENDOM

Can you deny it, you face these facts?

Crater Lake, Gem of the Cascades

As viewed by scientist, Indian

Learning a Lesson in Freedom

A commander cf the American Levy on has courage admit a mistake

Perfume Personalities

Many varieties, of interesting history and composition

JULY 22, 1948 semimonthly

THE MISSION OF THIS JOURNAL

News sources that ate able to keep you awake to the vital issues of our times must be unfettered by censorship and selfish interests. “A wake 1” h&a nd fetters. It recognizes facts, faces facts, is free to publish facts. It is not bound by political ambitions or obligations; it is unhampered by advertisers whose toes must not be trodden on; it is unprejudiced by traditional creeds. This journal keeps itself free that it may speak freely to you* But It does not abuse its freedom. It maintains integrity to truth.

"Awake 1” uses the regular news channels, but is not dependent on them. Its own correspondents are on all continents, in scores of nations. From the four comers of the earth their uncensored, on*the-scenes reports come to you through these columns. This journal’s viewpoint is not narrow, but is international. It is read in many nations, in many languages, by persons of all ages. Through its pages many fields of knowledge pass in review—government, commerce, religion, history, geography, science, social conditions, natural wonders—why, its coverage is as broad as the earth and as high afl the heavens.

“Awake I** pledges itself to righteous principles, to exposing hidden foes and subtle dangers, to championing freedom for all, to comforting mourners and strengthening those disheartened by the failures of a delinquent world, reflecting sure hope for the establishment of a righteous New World.

Get acquainted with “Awake!" Keep awake by reading “Awake!”

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CONTENTS

Spiritual Famine in Christendom

“Den of Thieves”

“Teaching for Doctrines

the Commandments of Men”

“They Are Greedy Dogs”

“By Thy Words Thou

Shalt Be Condemned”

“Flee into the Mountains”

Crater Lake, Gem of the Cascades

Crater Dake: to Poet and Scientist

Crater Lake: to the Indian

What Folly Next?

Learning a Lesson in Freedom

Courage to Admit a Mistake

Purges in Greece

“Hypo-Spray” to Eliminate the Needle 1

Rubbing Noses with Perfume Personalities 21

From Bible Times to Modem Times

Composition of These Personalities

“Thy Word Is Truth”

The Earthly Background of Messiah

Tree Tales

Awakaf Goes to School

Watching the World

/AWAKE!

it is high time to awake."—Romans 13:1/ 93

Volume XXIX Brooklyn, N. Y., July 22, 1943 Number 14

SPIRITUAL FAMINE IN CHRISTENDOM

“Behold, the days come, sal th the Lord Jehovah, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst* for water, but of hearing the words of Jehovah/'—Amos 8:11, Am, Stan. Ver.

“MAN shall not live by bread alone,” said Christ Jesus. In these trying days of food shortages and famine some of hasty spirit may retort, “But millions are dying without it.” Sober reflections bring understanding of Jesus’ words. Bread alone keeps no man alive. Time inexorably draws all into the grave. Those filled with bread still march toward death unless they heed the followup words of Jesus: “But by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) Bread may push death farther into the future, but itjs only a matter of short time till faltering steps stumble their way into the grave. Victory over death comes only to those whose steps are guided by “every "word, that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”.

Hence the vital need is for an unfailing supply of spiritual food. Where is it to be found? In Christendom? By the name she assumes, one would think so. By the plenty of Bibles circulating there, one would be reassured. By the hundreds of sects and cults that thrive within her boundaries, one would anticipate full freedom from want of spiritual food. But are the spiritually hungry filled to satisfaction by the religious fodder dished up by Christendom ? Do her hun-JULY 22, 1948

dreds of churches provide wheat m chaff, corn or husks? Is there spiritua famine in Christendom? The international leader of the Salvation Army recently said: “The spiritual hunger foi hope and faith in Europe is greater that hunger for food.” But no need to limi! the verdict to Europe. No more than s glance into Christendom’s cupboard is needed to show that her cupboard is bar« of spiritual food.

“To Be Seen of Men”

But in that cupboard she has abundant stores of folly, For instance, the Greek Orthodox Church has a Feast of the Epiphany, a part of which is diving for a cross thrown into icy water. On January 25, 1948, the crucifix was thrown into the ice-choked waters of the Hudson, at New York city, by Archbishop Sgltas. Four Greek swimmers tried in vain to retrieve it. The folly appears, not in the fact that the feast is held at the wrong time of the year to celebrate Jesus’ baptism by John, nor because the crucifix is stuck in a muddy river bottom, nor because men jeopardize health and life trying to retrieve it, but by the archbishop’s statement after failure to recover the cross. He said the ceremony had “no particular meaning”, had “no

special significance’1. Then why do it? ' Folly is found in the ritual of Roman Catholic churches, such as,recent newspaper photographs of priests blessing horses to “render the animals immune to disease and-prevent their causing injury to human beings”. Not only animals, but inanimate machines are blessed; notable among which were the war weapons of Hitler and Mussolini that were blessed by Cathode priests. Also, the mass production and blessing of medals feed only credulity.

Protestantism displays just as much folly, seeking to be spectacular, “to be seen of men,” “to catch the notice of men.” (Matthew 23:5; Moffatt} For instance, the “Reverend” William Hains-worth, of Michigan, a Congregational minister, advertised himself when, in a spirit of showmanship, he toured several states literally preaching from housetops. He made a mockery of Jesus’ words counseling that wide and open publicity be given the gospel message.

In a similar category was the Texas revival campaign of the “famous cow girl evangelist” Bessie Brufifett. It was advertised as a “heavenly round-up”, and the advance fanfare urged attendance, not because of any Scriptural qualifications, but because she was af beauty contest winner and had been groomed for a movie career. The large picture shows her exhibiting her horsemanship on a Tearing white steed, and she is gaudily attired in the togs of a rodeo cow girl. She was “converted” to this life by mother’s prayers.

At the expense of respect for the Bible and the Christian ministry, a sevenyear-old “child wonder preacher” from America brought the “hot gospel” to England. She is Renee Martz. Her father, a graduate from the Baptist seminary, toots the trombone while her mother blows the sax, and a fourth member of the troupe tickles the ivories. They arrived in England on an around-' me-world tour and claimed to have “jived” the Scriptures to thousands. Renee’s sermon is the typical' chaff of emotional revivalism., and runs somewhat as follows:

What we need is a revival. If we don’t have a revival people are going to perish for their sins. Every one must pray for a revival. Then the Iford will give you everything you want The churches of America .are so dead I hate to peek into them. I would rather have a revival in my mind and a hallelujah in my heart than sit in a church looking like that. And when people have a great revival, they don’t smoke any more, they don’t gamble any more, they don’t go to theaters any more.

Renee’s father, like his daughter, wears cowboy outfits. With revivalists indulging in so much theatrics there could be no need for their followers’ go^ ing to theaters any more. “Reverend” Martz, senior, boasted of the converts his daughter makes; but apparently they are not his chief interest, as he said the ‘‘hot gospel” team would leaye London to return to the northern part of England because they were more of a financial success up there.

Colliers, February 7, informs that “simple tricks of magic are now used by some 200 American ministers to emphasize points in talks to their Sunday school and Bible classes. One trick, for example, is the passing of a handkerchief through a tube marked "Church’ which changes its color from black to white and illustrates symbolically how a blackened soul *may be cleansed of its sins. The clergymen are organized in a 'society, the Magi-Ministers, and exchange ideas in a column of their own in a magic magazine”. The caption under the picture of a Massachusetts minister, garbed and painted as a clown, states: “It’s fun to be fooled when the Rev. Thomas Call of Swampscott, magician and clergyman, is providing the deception.” Many clergymen in Christendom provide deception, even' concerning the Scriptures, find some day persons will awake to realize it is hot fun to be tooled by such religious folly. They will discover that they are spiritually famished.

Seeking attention at any cost is the “Reverend” Charles Bullock, Methodist minister in South Dakota. He was adjudged champion liar upon winning an annual sportsman’s liar contest, and his certificate award declared that he is “a full-fledged liar entitled to every courtesy from liars everywhere and an honorary member of our club for life”. The story he told to win the contest was only a figment of the imagination, but the same can be said for Methodist teachings concerning “trinity”, “eternal torment in hell-fire,” and “inherent immortality of the human soul”. This is not the first time clergymen have been adjudged champion liars, for Jesus said to the religious leaders of His day: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. . . . When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” —John 8:44.

Mention of the lie concerning eternal torment reminds of the title advertised for a sermon to be delivered to the Baptist congregation in Kirksville, Mo., which read: “Why Three-Fourths of the Kirksville Baptists Ought to Go to Hell.” The folly displayed in sermon titles is well known, ranging from absurdities to political meddling. For instance, when the senseless song entitled “Open the Door, Richard” was the rage the “Reverend” Richard Billingsley, of Middletown, N. Y., feared the song was getting more attention than he was; so he sought to cut in on at least some reflected “glory” by titling one of his sermons “Open the Door, Richard”.

In Los Angeles religious folly partakes of commercialism and high-pres-surism. Several churches sponsor spot announcements over the radio, every hour on the hour. Some revivalists"own their stations and pour out their preachments all day long. For example, there are Mster Bessie and Bister Alice, who take turns in emotional outbursts imploring God for special favors for their parishioners. Then Brother Alfred interrupts occasionally to offer praise to God on his trombone. Next, Sister Mary chimes in with her respects to the Almighty by warbling some bird calls. The unending flood of greedy and selfish re-

7quests to God to do this and do that finally provoked I lolly-

A wo°d columnist Jim Marshall to pen a letter, which said:

I was a-sittin’ by my raddio Sunday listenin’ to the preachers a-beflerin’ and a-whinin’ to God A’mighty to give ’em this, that and t’other thing, and hurry up! Some was demandin’ more dough, some wanted a-showerin’ down of more holy spirit "and all of them was after everything from fewer buttons in the collection plate to eternal life.

A few preachers was demandin’ God heal gall bladder trouble and asthma, and one minister was a-eallin’ on God to stop some kid’s diarrhea right away so his mother could get a minute’s peace. Another minister was demandin’ God Jay off everything and disappear a tumor that had been aggravatin’ a parishioner for nigh onto 12 years.

Marshall’s conclusion was that a Give-God-a-Break Movement should be organized, that He should have some peace from the preachers that make “God’s life miserable by a-whoopin’ and a-hol-lerin’ for help every 10 minutes”.

“Den of Thieves”

Such religious folly does twofold harm. It belittles and makes ridiculous in appearance God’s Word and His ministry, sin<;e these preachers claim to be representing God in their foolish antics. Also, it harms in that it poses as spiritual food yet fails to relieve the spiritual famine in Christendom. Nor do religion’s famishing ways end with such folly. When Jesus was on earth He'drove money-changers from the temple and condemned them for making God’s house a “den of thieves”. (Matthew 21:13)

Christendom's churches could also be labeled a "den of thieves”.

Typical of the bingoitis and gambling mania infecting the churches, particularly the Boman Catholic ch-qrches, were recent activities in Milwaukee, Wis. In its August 18, 1947, issue the Milwaukee Journal revealed how the Little Flower Roman Catholic church netted $1,500 at a picnic. In the big tent across the street from the church forty chuck-a-luck games operated. Chuck-a-luck is a dice game that lifts your money with the ease of a professional pickpocket. Also in the tent were gaming wheels, crap tables, dart games, card games and other gambling pastimes where the player had everything to lose and practically nothing to gain. Young high-school girls ran the ehuck-a-luck games. This game is patterned after the “26 game” of professional gambling houses; except that the professional gambling-house game is 6-to-5 in favor of the house, whereas the Catholic-church version is almost 2-to-l in favor of the church.

The money of children is good, hence acceptable to the church. Some of the child-gamblers were so small they could barely push up their noses to the level of the gaming tables. Knowing nothing of the percentages that operate against the player,,the younger set groaned un-philosophically as wheel or dice ate up their spending money. The happy face of a youthful winner was a rare sight.

When the reporter of the Journal looked up “Father” Joseph De Maria, pastor of the Little Flower church, and asked whether he had to get permission from the authorities to run the illegal gambling, the priest said; “No. They tolerate these games, they tolerate them for the church.” When asked -whether he did not fear the youngsters would pick up bad habits the priest replied: "Of course not, my son. These few pennies, it’s just like they were playing in their own homes.” But the “few pennies” totaled $1,500 for the church, which religious

"fathers” extracted from their "children”. Hardly like playing at home, where fleshly fathers do not take back their children’s spending money.

. On September 8 the Journal published pictures of gambling on the parish grounds of the Holy Redeemer Catholic church, showing children, just big enough to stand at the tables, rolling djce. Anyone big enough to hold the dice box was big enough to tangle with “Lady Luck”. As the young rolled out the dice the church rolled up profits. On the 15th of that month the Journal publicized the gambling at two more churches: the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary church and St. Mary’s church, both in the Milwaukee vicinity. At one of these gambling dens churchmen hid gaming devices when deputies approached.

The various priests and bish-’ °PS involved generally refused to talk, but one did defend the dIB 71 gambling by saying: “We raffle a few articles by means of which our people derive pleasure.” One of the signs of the “last days” is that the people love pleasures more than they love God. Another is that religious leaders and their congregations have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. Both of these foretold signs are in evidence in the churches. And to the priest who justifies gambling on the grounds of pleasure we might ask: Does pleasure derived justify adultery? drunkenness? looting? or other sins and immoralities?

Milwaukee's police chief, Polcyn, deplored the church gambling not only because it violated the law but also because “it tended to acquaint children with gambling. Showing children how to gamble just makes more trouble for the police department 10 or 15 years from now. It’s a bad business no matter how you look at it”. Editorially, the Milwaukee Journal hit hard at this “education in law violation supervised by” the churches, and, after mentioning church concern over “juvenile delinquency and adult crime" and preacmng an out ooeervmg the laws of God and man, asked:

How can it square its preaching with its behavior, when it seeks revenue from illegal sources, from activities which may undermine character and do lend the cloak of respectability to the commercial gambling that pauperizes families and, because of the easy money involved, has often led to gang warfare, police corruption and worse? How can the church, indeed, blame people for a growing disinterest in religion itself, when, instead of leading in moral niceties and law observance, it panders to the gambling instincts' latent in all in order to make the financing of its holy work easier and less burdensome ?

An odd remedy for gambling was proposed by the religious leaders of Steubenville, Ohio. Their folly was reported in the Cleveland Press, November 1, 1946, which headlined across the front page: “Give Us Guns, Pastors Demand, to End Steubenville Crime." “Make tfs policemen and give us guns and we’ll clean up this city of vice, crime, gambling and corruption,” pastors, in Steubenville demanded. A local crime wave touched off this showy blast, and the pious pastors clamored that they and twenty war veterans be deputized as a “vice squad to go out and bring in the gamblers and cheaters”. Ah! would it not be a most astounding sight to see this posse of pistol-packing parsons rounding up and bringing in Hie “reverend” bingo-gamblers from the divers and sundry church houses? Or would expediency demand that they wink at this “holy gambling”? However, it-may all work out profitably for the pious “vice squad”, both in publicity and in money.

»will make a movie, “Twelve Against the Underworld.”

“Teaching for Doctrines

the Commandments of Men”

When we look at Christendom’s doctrines we see how very bare of spiritual iooa ner cupooara is. one nas aesxroyea the food supply by destroying respect for the Bible. Modernists look upon the Scriptures as mere myth. Harry Emerson Fosdick, prominent retired clergyman, boasted of not believing in the ransom sacrifice, and added: “I do not know any intelligent Christian minister who does.” Bishop Barnes, -of the Church of England, typified the science-worshipers df today when he wrote: “Belief in miracles has gone from the scientific world.” Many of the seminaries that hatch the modern broods of ministers teach evolution. Assailing the Federal Council of Churches, as the “citadel of modernist denials of God’s Word”, the fundamentalist Dr. Van Gilder said: “It is shocking when the leaders of the largest and most powerful Protestant council in America peddle a brand of infidelity as hostile to the Bible as anything Tom Paine or Bob Ingersoll ever voiced.”

But when the spiritually hungry turn from Modernism to Fundamentalism, are they filled with strengthening food? No. First, many sects destroy three-fourths of the Bible by saying the “Old Testament” no longer applies and is not necessary for Christians. The Catholic Church .deletes from God’s Word the 'Second Commandment forbidding images, by leaving it out of their catechisms listing the “Ten Commandments”. To hide the deletion, they divide the Tenth Commandment into two, to make a total of ten. Moreover, they add to God’s Word several apocryphal books. -Deuteronomy4:2; Revelation 22:18,19.

However, adding to and subtracting from God’s Word are only beginnings for Christendom’s clergy. As Jesus said to the religious leaders, they are “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” and they make “the commandment of God of none effect” by their tradition. (Matthew 15:3,6-9) The Scriptures clearly teach that men should not be given flattering titles, such as “Reverend” and “Rabbi’' and "Father”; that all men are fallible; that God and Christ are separate individuals; that man has no immortal soul; that there is np torment in a fiery hell or purgatory; that the earth will not go up in smoke, but is to abide forever.—For abundant Bible proof see the Watchtower publication "Let God Be True".

Bather than teach these Bible truths, the fundamentalist clergy teach traditions about hell-fire and purgatorial torments, three-in-one God or “trinity”, immortality of the human soul, prayers for suffering souls in torment, papal infallibility, and bestow many fluttering titles upon each other. These practices and teachings are traced by encyclopedias and other historical works back to paganism of long ago. In view of this, the criticism of “Father” White at the army and navy chaplains conference in New York city, May 10, that many commissioned officers were “pagan and immoral” is a boomerang.

Creature-worship is another failing of religion that eliminates it as a provider of spiritual food. The pope of Rome claims to be as God. The priests claim power to bring God down and sacrifice Him on their church altars. Concerning priests the Wayne Independent, June 3, 1947, said: “God has created him a little more than the angels.” This is a take-off of the scripture about Jesus as a man on earth, only the scripture says God made the man Jesus a little lower than the angels. Thereby the priest is hoisted higher than Jesus and the angels. More arrogant belittling conies from “Father” Feeney, of Massachusetts, when he declared that Christianity is “primarily and centrally the love of God as a baby”. He claims that the crucial question to be propounded sinners at God’s judgment seat will be: “What did you think of me as a child?” Christendom’s blasphemy-mounts.

"They Are Greedy Uogs"

Jehovah’s prophet Isaiah said that under inspiration about false shepherds. Do facts in Christendom make it applicable now? Let us see. Every church member and attender knows the fervent zeal with which the collection plate is passed and repassed, and the needs of money for this and money for that that constantly arise. “Father” O’Bryan, of

Somerset, Ky., even bragged one time concerning his extrac-tion of money from his parish-<A^jlioners: “I have bled them white.”

A lucrative source of revenue is the “purgatory” doctrine, with its companion doctrine of “prayers for the dead”. A Catholic leaflet described "purgatory” thus: “It is a spiritual laundry where souls are cleansed and made perfectly ready for the vision of their God.” This same folder contained an article entitled “Cry from Purgatory”, which, started out: “I died at 11:15 last night! Today I ant alive in purgatory!... I am buried in an ocean of fire, searing and tormenting yet not consuming or destroying.” After many excruciating tortures .described and heart-rending cribs addressed to his surviving family, the sufferer implores the living loved ones: “Every little act of sacrifice offered for me dull the intensity of the flames that are forever torturing me. . . . Offer the holy sacrifice of the mass for my imprisoned soul!” And the saying of masses or prayers for the dead costs money.

Hence the priests not only make God out to be a fiendish torturer, but also picture Him as a receiver of bribes of filthy lucre, in return for spiritual blessings or mercy. They have thereby turned many honest persons away from God. They know “purgatory” is not once mentioned in the Bible. It is an ancient pagan doctrine. The heads of the Roman Catholic Church know this, and admit that the Catholic Church does “transmute the very instruments and append-

ages of demon-worship to an evangelical use”. They justify these paganisms on the ground that they are “sanctified by their adoption into the Church”.—Cardinal Newman, in his Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, pages 355, 371, 373.

Now brace yourself to hear the very pinnacle of blasphemy for money reward. It comes from the Catholic province of Quebec, Canada. It is a first mortgage on the kingdom of heaven. Printed in legal-looking dress, the mortgage has attached several leaves of coupons that require 25-cent remittances weekly, for fifty-two weeks. While paying in this $13 for the year, the payee supposedly receives spiritual benefits, not described.

The bond purports to come from the Dominion of Heaven, Province of Charity. Its name is First Mortgage Bond on the Kingdom of Heaven, the Community of the Reverend Jesuit Fathers of Villa Manrese. The corporation’s business office is supposedly at Villa Manrese, incorporated by a statute of Paradise, and promises a hundredfold return to the holder of the bond. Its issue is “$100,000 at 100-percent interest redeemable at the Bank of Heaven”. It promises that on the first day of eternity the “Eternal Father, Head Trustee of the Popular 'Savings Bank of Paradise, promises to pay to the holder of this bond” the sum of $13 in “legal tender of Paradise bearing interest eternally”. The bond is issued by “an assumed law adopted by the Board of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, at the Good Works deposit bureau, and is guaranteed by Saint Yves, the patron saint of lawyers”. The Jesuits issuing this bond say that they have caused it to be signed by “the Eternal Father, Head Trustee of all spiritual credit, and by Saint Peter, Manager, assisted by Saint Matthew, accountant and income tax collector”. At the end are signatures of “Father” Pare and “Senator” Vaillancourt.

Though the brain be racked, no words can be found to describe this bold and brazen blasphemy. This fabulously rich religious organization has gobbled up many of the choice spots on earth; now it extends its real estate activities into heaven. Psalm 115:16 states: “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s : but the earth hath he given to the children of men.” However, these cunning Jesuits presume to oust God from His heavenly habitation and take over ownership thereof. They claim to have title to heaven and the right to issue mortgages on the realm of heaven, for which they receive the money, but whose repayment must be made by God.

Surely it is as the prophet Micah said: “The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us ? none evil can come upon .us.” (3:11) Yes, it is even as the prophet Isaiah said: “They are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.” (56:10,11) And certainly it is as the apostle Paul bluntly put it, at 1 Timothy 6:5 (Knox Catholic Translation): “Religion, they think, will provide them with a living.”

“Ye Are of This World”

. Jesus said: “My kingdom is not of this world.” No Christian “entangleth himself with the affairs of this life”. (John 18:36; 8:23; 2 Timothy 2:3,4) But Pope Pius XII said, on March 16, 1946: “The separation of religion and life, the church and the world is contrary to the Christian and Catholic idea.” Pope Pius XI said: “The pope . . . must deal even with the devil.” (May issue of ’48) He said this to justify his dealings with the Axis dictators. These papal pro-

iwunceinents are only typical of the political character of the majority of the churches of Christendom, The churches believe they must convert the world. As the “Lord Bishop” of London, Wand, put it, to make the world “become a little more like the kingdom of heaven”. But Jesus practiced no such polities, and the p'olitiealism of Christendom’s churches only heightens spiritual famine.

The clergy are useful to the political leaders of this world. They keep the people docile under misrule, saying the politicians, and not Jehovah and Christ, are the 'higher powers” of Romans 13: 1 to whom every soul must be subject. This deliberate scripture wresting leads to absurdity in wartime. The “higher powers” in one land fight against the “higher powers” in another land, and Christians must be subject to both, yet the “higher powers” themselves bring civil war to God’s organization according to the clergy reasoning. Actually, the clergy are as weathercocks that swing into line with every wind of public opinion._ In wartime they are for war; in peacetime their oratory against war bursts into full bloom.

Prior to World War II the Baptists opposed war. During the war they conveniently discovered, “God has a stake in this wTar.” The same situation obtained with the Methodists, and now that the war is over and peace hysteria has supplanted war hysteria, the Methodists can again be righteously indignant with war. Hence the general conference of the Methodist church, on' May 7, denounced the “sinfulness of war”, declared that “Christianity and war are utterly opposed”, that the church must “not become the agent of any government for its furtherance”, and that the task of the church was healing and that hence it could not become “a partisan in international conflict and destruction”. From England comes an April dispatch that the Church of England commission has justified the use of atomic bombs. As for* the Catholic Church on atomic warfare, on May 1 “Father” Barrett, a Jesuit and former army chaplain, gave the Virgin Mary a new title, namely, “Our Lady of the Atom.” Jehovah God says, “I change not.” And of Christ it says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8) But the clergy of Christendom are 'unstable, double-minded and wavering, like a wave of the sea driven and slapped and tossed by the changing wind’.—James 1; 6-8.

Communism is the pet crusade-theme for the churches today. '“Reverend” Fifield, of Brooklyn, declared recently: “One of the reasons for the gains of Communism is the weakening of the church and the weakening of the hold of spiritual strength on the lives of the people.” And to note the titles of his sermons week by week gives explanation for the spiritual weakness of the people. Between worldly book reviews and political “sermons”, no room remains for spiritual food on the menu.

To be truthful, religion has done more to turn the people away from God than Communism ever has. Religion itself has become materialistic, a doubter of the Bible, a worshiper of science, a worker of folly, and a grasper for money and political power. Religion has turned its back on God’s Word and starved the people spiritually. During May the Federal Council of Churches in a peace program quoted Stalin as saying Communism struck when opposing forces had “exposed their practical bankruptcy”. Religion is supposed to be the opposing force, and it certainly has exposed its bankruptcy and failed to spiritually strengthen the people to withstand the onslaught of atheistic Communism. Reporting on the spread of Coiqmunism in Latin America, the Latin American News Letter, No, 26, February, 1948, said: “It has filled the vacuum caused by the failure of established religion.” Communism thrives on spiritual famine, not physical famine; and religion must bear responsibility.

“By Thy Words Thou Shalt

Be Condemned?*

Even the clergy themselves admit the failure of their churches. Lutheran minister Stoughton, of New York city, declared, on January 18, that whbn church members fail to do God’s work the "church becomes no better than a social club”. On May 24 "Reverend” Keegan, prominent Baptist, lamented the modern church’s substitution of "ritual for righteousness”, bemoaned the fact that "we [clergymen] have dared to set aside Christ’s counsels for our conveniences” and that mankind are as “scattered sheep without a shepherd”, and hit at the clergy’s practice of orating on far-flung world affairs while the spiritual needs of the local congregations were forgotten. One day later, at the Northern Baptist convention Dr. Dahlberg told the 5,000 delegates that the churches must "cease being just a bunch of fiddles, flutes, trumpets and drums tuning up continuously and competitively in a program of discord”. And next day “Reverend” Rutenberl told the convention: “What we have called Christianity in this country is an uneasy amalgam of Christian faith, profoundly mixed with worldly ideas and secular ideals.” The retired minister Harry Emerson Fos-dick wrote in the April, 1947, Ladies' Home Journal: “The world is certainly a mess, and whether or not we like to face the fact, religion helps to make it so.” When Minister Leon C. Burns lec-tured at War Memorial Auditorium, Nashville, Tenn., on May 19, 1946, he placed the blame for Christendom’s apostasy where it belonged. He said:

The church, that once was a mighty bulwark against sin and crime of every sort, has lost its appeal to the people. . . . There was a time when the members of the church, by the very lives they lived, constituted an influence for good, but this is no longer true; for the simple reason that the man of the world can visit almost any church and find members, and even leaders of the church, who are guilty of almost every crime in the catalog. Preachers no longer cry from their pulpits against divorce ' and adultery, because when they do they realize they must look into the faces of mkny of their best-paying members who are guilty of these sins. The greater responsibility for such conditions in the churches must be placed at the feet of the preachers. . . . Too many of them are inter-ested in holding a job rather than in preaching the truth of God. Money and the desire to be popular rule the pulpit, and hence the Devil has taken his place in the front pew.

So be it. It is as Christ Jesus declared: “Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee.” Or again: “By thy words thou shalt be condemned.” (Luke 19:22; Matthew 12:37) By their own words and acts Christendom’s clergy have convicted themselves guilty of folly, guilty of gambling, guilty of paganism, guilty of discrediting the Bible, guilty of a burning love for money, guilty of conducting a social club, guilty of creature-worship and assuming flattering titles, guilty ot political meddling, and responsible for much of Communism’s successes. By fleecing the flock instead of feeding the flock, Christendom’s clergy have caused spiritual famine. They have only chaff and husks to offer from their spiritual larder. They have starved the people to the point of spiritual death, Isaiah truthfully said: “Their religion is a mockery.”—29:13, Moffatt.

Hence, how wrong President Truman was when he said, on March 12!—"It is becoming increasingly apparent that religious faith is one of the most essential factors in the building of a world structure for peace and co-operation. . . . There is thus no greater need thap the advancement of the cause of religious faith among the peoples of the world, no matter what that faith may be.” He only high-lighted another of the popular follies of Christendom, namely, that it is eno matter what the faith may he’. All are different roads leading to the same place, they contend; and, of course, that one destination, we are to. believe, is heaven. This, too, is unscriptural. Instead of many true faiths, the Bible says: "One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.” Also, Jesus spoke of a broad and well-traveled way to destruction, but a straight and narrow path to life, found by only a few. —Ephesians 4: 5, 6; Matthew 7:13,14.

“Flee into the Mountains"

Because Jehovah’s witnesses call notice to religion’s failures, some hasty ones accuse them of conducting a hate campaign. Instead of peddling hate, Jehovah’s witnesses show love by taking the nourishing spiritual food of God’s Word, the wheat and corn, to persons in starving Christendom. These true Christian ministers allay the famine “of hearing the words of the Lord” that the prophet Amos foretold. (Amos 8:11) An illustration may clarify the point.

Suppose a dam has broken and a mighty wall of water rumbles toward a community in a valley. Atop the mountainous sides of the canyon-valley stand Jehovah’s witnesses. They see the approaching destruction, and they shout out warnings. But the leaders .of the world community below tell the people to march along the level canyon floor, which is broad and easy for travel, allowing of many parallel trails for many to go abreast. The community rushes along the canyon floor to gain safety; at their leaders’ insistence the people ignore the warnings from the hills above, and refuse to take the straight and narrow and steep trail leading up to these heights. Those above can see something those below cannot: the canyon floor farther down suddenly drops off into a yawning chasm. The blind leaders lead the blind people along the many roads pn the easy canyon floor, telling that all the roads lead to the same place, salvation from the raging flood waters. But they all lead to the ditch of destruction. (Matthew 15:14) There is only the one narrow, steep trail that leads to safety, to the heights above the flood waters. Many take the narrow way, but they are few in proportion to the ones misled down the broad, easy way. And all the while the warning is faithfully shouted out from the little group of Witnesses on the heights, and they extend helping hands to the few climbing up.

Mountains symbolize Christ’s kingdom. (Isaiah 2:2; Matthew 24:16) Those there are instructed by God’s Word. It is an understanding of the prophecies of the Bible that gives them vision to see the coming destruction of Armageddon. They call out the warning, and urge others to join them in the safety heights. They do it in obedience to God’s command; they do it out of love for their neighbors. They serve others with the spiritual food from God’s Word to strengthen them for the hard climb up the narrow trail to safety and salvation from Armageddon’s flood of destruction.

Many persons of good-will toward God are in the world community below. Should the informed Witnesses allow these good persons to be fooled and led to the ditch of destruction just to spare the religious susceptibilities and reputations of sensitive clergymen, who are either fooled themselves or interested only in self-gain? No; to do so would be showing hate for them. To cry out in warning, to help honest ones to a knowledge of God’s truth, to point them the way to safety at all cost, all this is showing love and not hate for the peoples of Christendom, both the leaders and the led ones. Those who are wise will heed the warning, will feed upon the substantial spiritual food of God’s Word, will be strengthened, and will wak up the narrow trail that leads to eternal life in Jehovah’s new world.

s

an infectious

66/'^* OLD fever!” Like

Vr disease it took its toll in the early

days of the western United States. Thousands of gold-mad pioneers poured into the Golden West in a search for the precious yellow metal. Of all the tales of lost mines that circulated among those gold-struck miners, perhaps the most famous was the myth of the “Lost Cabin Mine”. For many years miners had scoured the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains in search of the elusive “lost cabin” wealth. In 1853 eleven Californians undertook once again the search for that fabulous mine. And again they had come into the Klamath region in the southern part of the vast, unexplored Oregon country. But, with all their secrecy, their quest became known to pioneer-miner John Wesley Hillman. In haste Hillman organized a group of Oregonians, and soon they were off, trailing the Californian prospectors into the hills, intent on sharing their possible “find”.

The spirit of “finders keepers” undoubtedly induced the party from California to split up in two groups upon realizing they were being followed. However; the counter-spirit of “share and share alike” prompted the Oregonians to do likewise. Day after day the grim game of hide-and-seek went on in the wilderness of Oregon. Soon, with plies nearly depleted and many

sup-men

.from both groups deserting, the two parties joined forces, only to find that during their wild chase they had lost all sense of direction. Of necessity they resorted to the age-old method of climbing high peaks so as to establish their whereabouts. Thus it was that on just such a mission John Wesley Hillman, leader of the combined group, made a “strike” more precious than the ore of “Lost Cabin Mine”, a “find” over which he could truly cry “Eureka!”

One day as he rode—but wait, let Hillman tell of his discovery in his own words: “Suddenly we came in sight of water. We were much surprised, as we did not expect to see any lakes and did not know but that we had come in sight of and close to Klamath lake. Not until my mule stopped within a few feet of the rim of Crater Lake did I look down, and if I had been riding a blind mule I firmly believe I would have ridden off the edge to my death.” John Hillman and his party, on that day in 1853, were the first white men to discover what was, in 1869, officially named Crater Lake.

Perhaps Hillman descended the wooded slope a short distance within the rim of the lake to what is now named Victor Rock, for from that vantage point an excellent general view of this profoundly impressive sight is obtained. Without doubt one of the first sights capturing the gaze of the awe-struck Hillman was the more than twenty miles of unbroken cliffs remarkably sculptured from grotesquely contorted and twisted lava formations ranging from 500 feet to the dizzying height of 2,000 feet. It is this spectacle that encircles in cauldronfashion the deep, unbelievably Prussian blue sheet of placid water, in which the mirrored walls vie with the original in brilliancy.

As miner Hillman stood in the midst of this fantastic fairyland, drinking in its beauty, his gaze fell upon irregular, unusual and volcanic Wizard island nearly two miles away on the western margin of the lake. But Wizard island was not the lone island on this “sapphire sea”. Lying at anchor within the shadow of Dutton Cliff was a craggy little islet. Its rugged hull-like base, with rocks towering like the masts of a ship, suggested its present name, the Phantom Ship. A phantom indeed, for it actually disap. pears from view when observed in certain lights from the western rim of the lake.

What confused emotions and thoughts deluged the breathless Hillman we shall never know. Did he gaze in wonderment and admiration? Was he cut to the ground with a recognition of his own insignificance and the majesty and glory of the Creator? In any event, of this one thing we can be certain; His discovery made known to white men one of the great contributions to earth’s natural beauty, Crater Lake.

Crater Lake; to Poet and Scientist

Poet Joaquin Miller, moved by the rapturous beauty of this “lake of mystery”, mused:

The lake? The Sea of Silence? Ah, yes; I had forgotten—so much else; besides, I should like to let it alone, say nothing. It took such hold on my heart, so unlike Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, when first seen, that I love it almost like one of my own family. But fancy a sea of sapphire set around by a compact circle of the great grizzly rock of Yosemite. It does not seem so sublime at first, but the mote is in your own eye. It is great, great; but it takes you days to see how great. It lies 2,000 feet under your feet, and as it reflects its walls so perfectly that you cannot tell the wall from the reflection in the intensely blue water you have a continuous unbroken circular wall of 24 miles to contemplate at a glance, all of which lies 2,000 feet, and seems to lie 4,000 feet, below' Yet so bright, so intensely blue is the lake, that it seems at times, from some points of view, to lift right in your face-

“To the scientist," commented Congressman Sinnott in the House of Representatives on August 20, 1918, “[Cra-'ter Lake is] a mighty volcano collapsed within itself, Mount Mazama, 15,000 feet high, telescoped.” Imagine, if you can, a majestic mountain peak rearing its hoary head heavenward for 15,000 feet, seemingly praising its Creator. That was Mount Mazama, once a mighty volcano ranking with the largest of them, Hood, Rainier and the other volcanic monarchs of the Cascades. But that was ages ago. You see, no human eyes ever beheld Mount Mazama, but scientists have given us this mental picture through their meticulous study of Crater Lake’s geological history, history which witnessed one of nature’s strangest phenomena, Mazama’s destruction and the birth of Crater Lake.

Long before man came the entire upper part of great Mount Mazama in some titanic cataclysm collapsed in upon itself as if gluttonously swallowed up by a subterranean cavern, leaving its crater-like lava sides cut sharply downward into the central abyss. Think of it! An underground cavity so immense as to

swallow the entire upper part of a 15,000-foot peak. The first awful depth of this vast hole no man can guess. But the angry volcano was not satisfied. It belched up through the seething pot of molten lava in three places, making lesser cones within this yawning crater, none of which were as high as the encircling rim nearly 4,000 feet above. Years, perhaps centuries, passed and gradually the dethroned volcanic king accepted his doom, namely, inactivity and extinction. The fires ceased.

In the years that followed mountain springs emptied their sparkling water into the vast crater, and thus began the tremendous task of filling this giant caldron with water. A co-laborer in performing this duty was the mountain precipitation in the form of snow and rain. In due time these allies completed their task by filling the phenomenal crater with 2,000 feet of blue, blue water. That day so many centuries ago saw the birth of Crater Lake, one of the wonders of the natural world.

Because of the way it was formed, is it any wonder that geologists find Crater Lake of special interest? Many volcanoes have “blown their tops”, such as Mt. Rainier in Washington state, but no other in the United States has fallen in, collapsed, telescoped, like Mount Ma-zama. There are crater lakes in other lands, Italy, Germany, India and Hawaii; and although there are thousands of craters in this country, some even containing small lakes, there is but one great caldera in the world, and that nurtures the Crater Lake. Regarding its most interesting geological history, Joseph S. Diller, notable geologist of the United States Geological Survey, stated:

Aside from its attractive features Crater Lake affords one of the most interesting and instructive fields for study of volcanic geology to be found anywhere in the world. Considered in all its aspects it ranks with the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, the Yosemite Valley and the Falls of the Niagara, but with an individuality that is superlative.

Crater Lake: to the Indian

A lake of mystery it was indeed to its true discoverers, the Klamath and Modoc Indians. Around Crater Lake’s mysterious atmosphere grew many ancient religious Indian legends. The lake itself was revered by the red man, for according to the legend it was the mystic land of the Gaywas and the home of the great god Liao. His throne in the infinite depths of the blue waters of the lake was surrounded by giant crawfish, his warriors, who were able to lift great pincerlike claws out of the blue deep and seize inquisitive enemies who dared to venture too near the lake’s edge.

Legend tells us that war broke out between Liao and Skell, the god of the neighboring Klamath marshes. Skell was captured and his heart was cut out and used for a ball by Liao’s monsters. But an eagle, one of Skell’s faithful, captured it in flight, and a coyote, another of the god’s devotees, escaped with it. Skell’s body grew again around his living heart and once more he was powerful, and once more he warred against the great god of the lake, Liao.

Skell obtained his vengeance by the eventual capture of Liao in a counter-offensive. But Liao was not so fortunate as the restored Skell. Upon the highest cliff overlooking the lake his body was cut in pieces and cast into the water and eaten by his own monsters, who were deceived into thinking that it was the body of the enemy Skell. However, when Liao’s head was thrust into the lake his servants realized whom they had devoured and refused to touch his head. To this day Liao’s head lies afloat in the lake, says the legend. The white men call it Wizard island.

Through his religious superstition the Indian also conjured up the legend of a beautiful Indian princess of centuries gone by who pilots the eerie Phantom Ship on nocturnal excursions when the moon hangs bright in the night sky.

Wild Life amid Flowered Loveliness

To the wild-life enthusiast the Crater Lake region is particularly interesting, since the fauna is found in abundance. Bears are numerous and unafraid. The Columbia black-tailed deer and antelope are seen occasionally, but do not become tame, since they spend the cold winter months below the boundaries of the park. Now and then the alert visitor will spot a coyote, wolf or cougar. Whistling marmots are very numerous, together with the prickly porcupine, and sly marten and weasel. The thrifty squirrel and the pert chipmunk are established residents of the area, and many are tame. It is not unusual to have them feed in one’s lap if the victuals of their choice are being served. Bird life is also to be found. The park teems with over 70 species of bird life, running from the lordly eagle to the petite hummingbird. Fishing is excellent in the lake. It is interesting to note that originally there were no fish of any kind in Crater Lake; but rainbow and black-spotted trout have been introduced and flourish.

As for the flora, the Crater Lake region is a veritable fairyland with over 400 species of wild flowers having been classified. But take note: Crater Lake does not flaunt its floral beauty before the careless or indifferent. The flowered loveliness of the region is largely reserved for those who leave the beaten path and follow the winding mountain trails through untouched meadows, along babbling brooks and up the pumice slopes. In such tucked-away gardens one will find the avalanche lilies of creamy softness, the fiery-red Indian paintbrush, the earth-hugging pussy’s-paws, the purple aster, and many, many more. At blossom time a riot of vivid color greets the eye of the interested visitor.

cWhat Folly Next?

'g Under the headHne “Tokyo Gourmets Pray for Souls of 25,000,000 Eels” the Chicago Daily Tribune, June 1, published the following Associated Press dispatch of May 31, from Tokyo: “Restaurant owners and gourmets held memorial services

yesterday for the souls of 25,000,000 eels, eaten last year in Tokyo. Two hundred cafe proprietors and eaters stood reverently as priests chanted prayers.” Six weeks earlier Japanese whalers had chanted in a Buddhist temple for the souls of the 1,321 whales caught last winter. A weather-beaten old whaler explained: “Their souls must be con

soled and rest in nirvana because they are mammals and akin to us.”

Crater Lake National Park

By an act of Congress on May 22, 1902, the Crater Lake region became Crater Lake National Park, with 159,360 acres set aside from the public domain and dedicated to the park. In 1907 the first auto was driven to the lake’s rim, and since that time thousands of tourists have relived Hillman’s discovery. Many improvements have been made in the past few years for the convenience of the lake’s many guests. Not only can the gem of the Cascades be reached by many modern highways, but a 32-mile paved boulevard encircles the lake, with many vantage points along the way. Equipped camping grounds are provided for those who care to “rough it”; and a modern lodge for the traveler who desires the comforts of home.

Regardless of the unwanted and unappreciated intrusions of civilization upon its natural beauty, Crater Lake remains silent, tolerant, peaceful with all men, and a compliment to its Creator.

IVE instruction to a wise man, and

VT he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning?’ This principle expounded by wise King Solomon (Proverbs 9:9) was to a degree exemplified recently in Toledo, Iowa. On April 18, 1948, a public Bible lecture was scheduled by Jehovah’s witnesses. They informed the officials, for a similar meeting had been disrupted there in May, 1947. Nevertheless, the proposed meeting of April 18 was also broken up by rowdyism sponsored by the American Legion and condoned by city officials. A lesson in freedom of speech and worship and assembly was needed. It was given. It was learned. As a result, Toledo officials and Legionnaires are wiser in freedom’s ways and are now a credit to their community.

First, to get the picture of the rowdyism that prevented the Bible lecture and necessitated the lesson in fundamental freedoms, read the following report sent to the Civil Rights Section of \ the Department of Justice, in Washington, D.C., and submitted by the traveling minister of the Watchtower Society.

The following is a report of an assault and organized attempt to break up, and which did break up, a peaceful assembly of Christian persons gathered on the Tama County, Iowa, Courthouse lawn to hear an advertised Bible lecture on Sunday afternoon, April 18, 1948, at 3:00 p.m.

During the week preceding the Sunday of the lecture, the mayor of Toledo, Iowa, Charles Gary, was notified of the proposed meeting as was also the sheriff of Tama county, Harry Sharp. The city of Toledo lies in Tama county. Both of these officials were reminded of the threats of violence that disrupted and prevented a similar Bible meeting last May, 1947, and of the likelihood that the same instigators of riot would again attempt to deprive the Christian group of persons known as Jehovah's witnesses from lawfully assembling and exercising their freedom of speech and worship. Protection was requested for Jehovah's witnesses in the exercise of these rights, the attention of the sheriff and the mayor being called to the Circuit Court ruling (No. 13,500, Eighth Circuit) in the notorious Lacona case. [For details see Awake! of November 22, 1946, and of December 8, 1947.] Also, a letter was dispatched to the Director of Public Safety of Iowa, requesting* protection in the event of violence.

When Jehovah's witnesses began arriving at the Courthouse Park there were some boys batting a ball around on the east side of the park, by the bandstand. The west side was absolutely vacant. Not to disrupt the boys’ playing, the witnesses and others who came to hear the talk began to assemble on the vacant and unused west side of the square. Then more balls and bats were distributed by one, Harold Jones; a loud-speaker was set up across the street and another man, James Locke, speaking through the sound system began calling the teen-agers down where the witnesses’ meeting was assembling and inciting them to drive the balls hard and fast around’there, with the obvious purpose of preventing the meeting from being held. Many of those seated to hear the talk were forcefully struck with the hard-driven balls, and the young hoodlums would rush in after the balls to retrieve them and then hit them back into the group. All the while the loudspeaker, with James Locke at the microphone, continued to encourage the youngsters, Urging them on to greater boldness and vieious-ness.

Now the east side of the courtyard, on the other side of the courthouse itself, was completely bare and empty of persons, as Locke had the ballplayers come over to where the Witnesses had gathered on the west. The latter persons, realizing the1 impossibility of holding a meeting and listening to a lecture under those circumstances, decided to transfer back to the vacant east side, where no one now was, and there Jiave the meeting. As this was being done, Locke's voice sounded Over the loudspeaker telling the young peace-disturbers to quickly spread out all over the park, “don't stay in one place, let's go J Step it up in there! Spread out, all over!" The excited youths eagerly complied, and as the Christian assembly once again began to get underway the yelling, screaming, wild-acting boys and girls renewed their assaulting activities, Another adult ringleader, to whom the young persons gave heed readily and who was very instrumental in the disgraceful disrupting of the meeting, was “Coach” Irving Thompson, who kept telling the players not to gather anywhere but to keep spread out.

Meanwhile Kenneth Holms, one of Jehovah’s witnesses, went to notify the mayor and sheriff of what was happening and to request them to take the necessary steps required of them to prevent the peaceable assembly from Being broken up and to restrain the peaceviolators, Sheriff Harry Sharp lives directly across the street from the courthouse square. He wasn't home, but Mr. Holms met him in a car a block away and requested he come down to the square and enforce the law against the responsible ones. He refused, saying he had another call which he had to attend to first and that he would take care of Holms' request later. Holms endeavored to reason with him and urge him to take immediate action, but the sheriff declined and went off in the opposite direction. The mayor, Charles Cary, wasn't at home. A call to the State Highway patrolman, Robert Grossniekle, resulted in his saying the matter was out of his jurisdiction.

Back at the-park, the lecturer, Frank May-kut, a representative of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc., began his talk of the afternoon. About the seated listeners, several of the male Jehovah's witnesses stood to shield the group from the hard-hitting balls which continued to be driven fiercely at the assembled group. The loudspeaker steadily blasted out encouragement to the ballplayers^ the childrep wildly yelled, and cars began to blow their horns, and after several minutes someone cut the electric wire leading to the sound equipment employed by the Bible lecturer giving the address. When he went on with his talk without the aid of such equipment, the noise and devilishness reached a new crescendo, making it all but impossible for the speaker to be heard. Even after the severed wire had .been repaired, the conditions rendered it impossible to go any further with the meeting, which was halted to see whether the local officials were available to restore peace and order. However, as referred to above, Mr, Holms’ efforts to arouse the sheriff and mayor had been in vain.

The names of the teen-agers and youths responsible for injuring the persons listening to the lecture were obtained, among whom were the following: Thomas Kubik, Sally Culbertson, Laverne McColiister, Melvin Kupka, George Rosenberger, Gloria Applegate, Katherine Whalin, Shirley Brown. Others can be identified from pictures that were taken at the time. Those named are all of Toledo, Iowa.

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