OUR CHANGING WORLD

 

Ouida is now completely recovered from her recent illness, but the cardinals that I told about last month, who built their nest at our kitchen window, did not fair so well. In spite of prolonged attention the eggs never hatched, except for one that did not live. Ouida was disappointed. It looks as if we are in for a long, hot summer in Texas, and I will be home most of the time helping Ouida take care of Mother Pitts and catching up on work that has stacked up. So, we’ll likely be home if you find yourself coming this way . You will remember that we do not publish in July or August, so we will see you in our September number.

A Roman Catholic source supplies this interesting information: The largest church in the U.S. is the Roman Catholic; the second largest is not the Southern Baptist but fallen-away Catholics. There are 15 million Roman Catholics in this country that have “fallen through the cracks” in one way or another. Those who keep tabs of Church of Christ numbers tell us that in any typical city where we are considered strong we have as many people or perhaps more that have left us or are “out of duty” than are in regular attendance. It looks like both Roman Catholics and Churches of Christ have their work cut out for them. It would make an interesting study to determine why so many leave from both churches. I am suspicious that the reasons might be similar.

One of our Church of Christ bulletins tells a story that should make anyone’s “church jokes” list. When a lady came forward to be baptized she was handed a card to fill out. The preacher noticed that she appeared puzzled, only to learn that he had handed her the wrong card, which was an application for a summer camp. The first question on the card handed her was, “Can you swim?”

Bob Cannon, an Assemblies of God minister who was once with Churches of Christ, sends this report about his mission congregation in Oracle, Arizona: “We baptized three precious souls this past Lord’s Day. We brought a water tank (for cattle) into the building. The water was a bit cold. The congregation loved it. They never had seen anything like it before.”

Norman Lear, producer of such TV hits as “All in the Family”, premiers a new show on June 2 on CBS that is certain to be controversial. It makes TV history in that it deals with a no-no for the industry: it brings up religion. Lear believes people have a hunger for the transcendent, and he hopes to stimulate discussion about things outside and higher than ourselves. He wants to promote such values as awe, goodness, kind-ness, and morality. But he has his critics, including the Rev. Donald Wildmon and his American Family Association, who have called for a boycott of the show’s sponsors. Wildmon says the show will be anti-Christian. He also charges that it trivializes God, with characters addressing the Deity as “He” or”She” or” Someone” or “Chief.” Wildmon also charges that the program will promote New Ageism. Lear, who denies being “a New Age fanatic” and describes himself as “a level-headed, common-sensical lifetime explorer,” has not, to say the least, established himself in the public eye as religious.

The Institute For Christian Studies in Austin, Tx. has moved into an impressive new facility that houses classrooms, offices, and library. The Institute is a college of Bible and religion that offers two bachelor degrees in Biblical studies. It is adjacent to the University Church of Christ, whose elders are trustees. Near the University of Texas, it provides programs in biblical studies within a university setting. Since its inception in 1964 more than 10,000 university students have taken courses at the Institute.