The Ohio Independent Baptist, November 1960

~_o_v_em~ be_r_, _1_9_60 __~--------~--------~T~HE=--~O~H~I~O:__:IN~D~EPENDENT BAPTIST ~--------~~=----------~--------------P~a~g~c~T~hr~cc TRUE BIGOTRY SHOWS UP On the eve of the m os t m omentous ·lection since 1860 many faithful Chris– ians are concerned for the continua tio n or their children and grandchildren of >ur American system of separation of ·hurch a nd state. News from Europe tnd South America agrees with the les– .ons of h is tory to give them honest fears, ind yet both parties tell them they must 1ot discuss the issue or they will be >randed as bigots. We ask, Who are he real bigots ? This is n o t a party question , fo r it :· --> .., rl, PS, '"hoever wins Nov . )th, for many years to come. We will irst tell what h as happened to men who lare to discuss the issue of separation of h t1rch and state, and then give a defi- 1ition of b igotry and let our readers judge or themselves. All newspaper reader s know how Dr. :arl M r lntire, Dr. Bob huler , and Rev. -Iarvey Springer have been condemned as 1ate-mongers by Senator J ackson ; but hey are not the only ones. W e will eport what happened to J . Elwin Wrig ht, vho is no friend of the American Coun– il, so n o one can accuse us of defend– ng ou r own kind o f Protestants. He ed in the organization of the Citizen's .. .om.mi ttee for Relig ious Freedom a nd in- 1ited 150 leading Protestant ministers to onsider the question. That was his rig ht, ince our constitution guarantees freedom >f assembly and speech. Yet the reper– ussions to their meeting and resolu tions vere sech that N o rman Vincent Peale >ackwatered, and Dr. Wrig ht wondered vhether his life was in danger . "I did nothing," he says, "fo r several ays . . . excep t answer the phone and ome of the more urgent letters. I was rreatl y shocked at the violent abuse heaped pon me by Catholics, usually in the form ,f obscenities and curses-sometimes with eiled threats. . . . There have been 1umberless telephone calls. . . . M ose ,f these calls were anonymous, with many >f the local calls coming after mid- 1ight. . . . Finally it became n ecessary or the family to stop answering at mid- 1ight, even at the risk of missing im– >0rtant personal calls. The letters were quall y nnmerous and nearly as vi le." A sma ll desk diaionary defines a bigot hus: " A blind, into lerant, narrow-minded dherenr." Who best fit tha t definition - Dr. Wright and many o thers who want \mer1cans to consider the doctrines and >ractices of R ome in open discussion, o r hose who would squelch con sidera tion f the truth? When a Catho lic calls you a bigot, sk him if he will read a n d later dis– ·uss with you a Protestant book if you ,romise to do the same with a ny book he night g 1ve you. The chances are 99 to tha t he will tell you that he is not a l– )wed to read P rotestant books Then iudly remind him that a bigot 1s one vho will not study both sides of a • 1uest1on. Of course there are Protestant bigots lso, who will not li sten ro a Cathol ic rgurnenr, and who even hate neig hbors vho happen to be acholics . Yet tl1ey 1ave tl1at spirit 1n sp1re of the reach – ng:; of tl1eir churcl1, while Catholics are >ften intolerant because of tl1e teachings hey receive W c: real1,e our BaJ)tist protests aga1 n5t he elecr1c,n of a at l1olic llresident n1ay ound very bigoted to our iders. Don'l v • know tl1ac the lOnst1tucion forb1<l~ a rel igious tes t for office? Are we blind to the possibi l ity that a Catholic n omi nee may be a better man than h is Pro testant opponent? Muse Catholics be told that the~e is one office to whi ch they canno t aspire? Our answer is that Catholicism is more than a religion- it is a foreign govern– ment that aspires to rule the world a nd repress dissent ju$t as clearly as the U SR. ~ev~r will a. ~rue Baptist sug– ges t that tt 1s the rel1g1ous bel iefs of a man that disqualify him for office. Much as we objea to the R omish doc– trine of the mass or of purga tory, we h old tha t such belie{s in no way dis– qualify a ma n from bei ng a good presi– den t of our country. H e has as much right to attend a Catho lic church as we have to attend a Baptis t cl1u rch . We have read page after page of wha t is called "hate li terature," and we have yet to read one sentence that shows perso nal ha tred of Catholi c candidates. I nstead they quote the official teachings of Rome to prove tha t i t is a relig io-pol itical sys– tem tha t claims the r ight to control governme nts and to repress al l dissen t. The documentation is so voluminous t ha t if the newspapers dared to p rint it , it would lead millions of Catholics t hem– selves to do just what enlightened Cath– oli cs have done in France and Mexico and Brazil- repvdiace the party tha t fawns on the po9e. W e feel that the A .meri– can people h ave a right t o know what the Catholic Church teaches about govern– ment. If bigotry is a blind adherence to a creed or church without willingness to learn what others believe, th en there is no question as to whi ch denomination is the most bigoced. If a threat of Catholic boycott has so muzzled the American newspapers that they dare no t print what me.n like Carl M cintire or J . Elwin Wrig ht h ave to say, it would appear that the Catholic hierarchy is tl1e one who wants bl indness and ignorance to continue. If Catholic violence and a buse is such that men that speak the truth have to disconnect their phones, it would seem to prove that the violent and abusive are the bigots. We do no t know as we write this who wil l be our next president. Whoever he is, we will respect h im and pray for him. That is the American way. We will try to work with him for the better– ment of our cou ntry. W e will continue to love our Catholic neig hbors ju st as we have done right through che h eat of this campaig n . W e are still friendly o n M a ple Street! Bue one thing we know, and th.at is that life won ' t be very pleasant fo r our g rand children if this country be– comes 75 % R oman Catholic. What we Bapti sts need to do is put on a ten year campaig n to win as m any of them to a saving knowledge of J esus Chrjst as pos– sible. D on ' t a rgue the election with them, but talk of Chris t a nd the way of sal – vation. Urge them ro read the Bible. Give them good salva tion tracts. Be such good n eighbors to chem and such happy Chri stians that they wi ll be im– pressed that our reJ1gion gives peace anc.-i joy. Pray for them daily. They can be won if we real ly try. ------------ T}J ) lt1xt1ry oi httrl f li11gs is 011 110 C l1ristia 11 ea11 ,1fforcl ,vitl1ot1t risk– i11g spiritu,11 bu11krt11JlC)' "fl1 r \aso11 S<)Illt: J)(~c>1)lt\ (lc>1 't sl10,, fortl1 tl1 J __ jg}1t c,1 _,] 11 i~l 1s Ll1at tl1e} dc>11 ,t k I) tl1 rf~1J c~cto1 ' lt.\Llt1. The Ohio Independent Baptist Published Monthly by THE OHIO ASSOCIATION OF REGULAR BAPTIST CHURCHES Publi cation Office l 5 3 outh Jefferson, Berne, Ind. Editor RALPH T . NORDLUN D 586 Maple treet Fostoria, O hio Circ11lation Manager MR . JOHN KAUTZ 4 519 W ell ingtoo Ave. Parma 34, O hio Subscription Rate : Per si ngle copy ------------- $ .15 Per Year ------------------$2 .00 D EADLINE FOR NEW : 15th of each month Advertising Rate: Per Column inch ----------- $ 1.50 Per Half page -------------$21.00 Per full page -------------- $40.00 Second class postage paid at Berne, Indiana. Postmaster : Please send form 3 547 to The Ohio Independent Baptis t, 45 19 Wellington Ave., Parma 34, Ohio. COUNCIL AND OFFICER Chairman Rev. H all D aurel, 1209 econd t. Portsmouth, Ohio Secretary Rev. Adam A. Galt pencer, Ohio Treasurer Rev. T . Fred Hussey 615 Washington Ave. Niles, Ohio Atissionar:y Chm. R ev. Lynn Rogers 7854 . Boyden Nortl1tield, Oh10 l ' 01,th D,rector R ev. Glenn reen,v l 315 ... Ken 1ngcon Pla e pringfield, Ohio Otl;er ,,Ie,,,bers FARL \ I ILLtTI J HN BALY ] I I "''I~RO G ALLAN F 11·~ I DI 'AN ll C R\