Plain Truth 1973 (Prelim No 10) Nov_w

7/28/2019 Plain Truth 1973 (Prelim No 10) Nov_w

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Personol from

Alarming Rise in Divorce Poses Major Threatto U. S. and Western WorldTHE ALARMING rise in the divorce rate is now a majorthreat to the continued existence of the United States and otherWestern nations. The tragic breakdown in family life is inscribing thehandwriting on the wall of our nations .Just how import ant is marri ageand fami ly life? Some psychiatristsare now saying that the marriagesystem is on the way out. Will marriage totally disappear during century 21?How - when - did the institutionof marri age first start?

Western world - particularly inBritain and America - the familysystem is breaking down. Few parents have themselves been taughthow to start educat ion in the home.Few have adequate knowledge orability to teach their below-schoolage children.The most tragically serious need

in educa tion today is in-the-homeeducation on the basic importanceof the happy family structure in oursocie ty.Minori ty group studies made inthe United States th row significant

light on the vita l importance of a

marches, demonstrations. threatsand violence, but by self-improvement and ac hieveme nt. In th eUnited States. status is atta inedthrough the educational and occupational structure.But the studies show that much, if

not most, of the foundation for th isachievement is a strong family system. Th ese three groups generallymar ry wi th in thei r own ethnicgroups and maintain a tight familyrelationship. In all thr ee gro ups,there is also family thrift - with theparents willing to make great sacrifices for the education and advance


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Controversy and criticism con-tinue to swirl around PopePaul VI. Even his closestadvisers ask: "What does thefuture hold for the CatholicChurch?" Here is a glimpse

into that future.

T HE CATHOLIC CHURCH today isa house divided. "Rome mustdo something, or the Churchin each country will go its own wayand the Pope will become a figureonly for the tourists, or a kind ofDalai Lama." So warns theologianPiet Schoonenberg.The time-honored phrase, "Romehas spoken, the case is closed," hasbeen rendered virtually meaninglessamong 20th century Catholics .The result is a growing crisis ofconfidence and authority facingPope Paul and Church leaders. Thiscrisis has led to an importantchange in Vatican thinking.

A Church in NeedThe Catholic Church finds itselfin need of a political institution to

assist in stopping the spread of liberalism sweeping through it. But theChurch in Europe is not alone insuffering from division. Europeitself is suffering from division political, social and religious. Littlewonder that the Vatican and Europe are therefore moving closer together in a common need forsecurity and self-preservation.

For the first time in 155 years, theVatican papal state has decided tomake its voice heard on an international political platform. Leadersof the Roman Catholic Church havefelt for many years that it was notthe duty of the Church to interferein the political quarrels of the world.But times have changed. Rome andEurope need each other for mutualsurvival.Pope Paul 's unofficial foreign

munster, Msgr. Agostino Casaroli,was directed to head the four-mandelegation to the European SecurityConference at Helsinki. Not since1818 has such an event occurred.But why, we ask, has the pressoverlooked its significance?How the Floodgates ofDissent Were Opened

More than ten years ago the latePope John XXIII was painfullyaware of the divisive forces thatwere building up in the Church. Toheal the wounds then afflictingCatholicism, Pope John called theSecond Vatican Council. Its purposewas first to settle the CatholicChurch's own internal problems."Then after performing that dutifulwork, after removing whatever on ahuman level could hamper a speedier progress," stated Pope John, "wewill display the Church in all itssplendor, without spot and withoutwrinkle, and we will tell all sepa -

The continuing crisis in the


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rated from us: 'See, brothers, this isthe Church of Christ. ' "The dream of Pope John XXIII to

open windows to the world and senda wave of fresh air into a troubledchurch was looked on by many eventhen as a great gamble. John hadone concern. The Catholic Churchwas in a state of deterioration andwas not considered relevant to the20th century. An " even t" wasneeded.Pope John expected Vatican II to

update the Church and fill the 2,500bishops at Rome with a new zeal.In stead , the free exchange ofviews and ideas of bishops from allover the world proved disastrous. Atthe end of Vatican II, the bishopsreturned home , continuing to question and to launch further inquiries.Instead of providing a religious experience and bond of unity, thecouncil opened a Pandora' s box ofcontroversy. Infallibility, celibacy,and birth control were all opened torenewed question.The hope that God would show

his face and renew the CatholicChurc h never materialized. Johnwaited in vain. The divine event did

theologian Ballista Mondin saidthat a number of people have toldhim the Catholic Church in America would be " totally wiped out"within the next twenty years.

Catholic publicat ion s in theUnited State s were denounced fortheir comp licity in the matter. Astheologian Mondin stated , " Insteadof tending to the bleeding woundsof their church, they willingly lendthemsel ves to those journ alistic fabrications which are typical of ourtime." The publicat ion went on tosay that Catholic authors have embarked on a wave of criticism "oftengraver and more offensive than evenProtest ant authors would dare tomake ."In France, the number of adultsconverting to the Catholic faith hasfallen by 50 percent in two years. Inthis nati on where 84 percent of thepopulation is officia lly considered tobe Catholic, the conclusion amongsome Catholic officials is thatFrance is experiencing "a tidal waveof unbelief." In the past ten years,enrollment in French seminaries hasdropped dramatically, signaling nolet up in the dwindling number ofpriests.

heard of in many areas of SouthAmerica. In Argentina, more than500 priests reportedly belong to a"Third World Movement. "Although the Catholic Churchhas publicly favored many of thechanges demanded by the reformistpriests, it has done little to implement them .In Bra zil , th e world 's largest

Catholic country, the problems confront ing the Church range from alimited clergy to a rise of spiritism,voodoo and Pentecostalism. Brazil'smilitary junta has jailed priests,nuns , and lay members for involvement in what they term subversive groups.Even in Spain the demand isgrowing for an immediate end tothe ties between church and state.The .Spanish hierarchy has spokenout against political and social injustice in this most Catholic country.

Enter Pope PaulTh e presen t Pope inherited a

fragmenting Church when he waselected in June 1963. The trend inthe Catholic Church at the death ofJohn was clearly a move away from


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Paul a sho rt time later said that attimes he feels "immensely alone" inthe face of a godless society. Describing himself as a "witness whoshouts in the desert," Pope Paulnevertheless is increasingly leery ofmaking papal pronouncements. Hespeaks in such a low-key effort thatmany of his statements, even thoughsignificant, receive very little recognition.

No United Europe Withoutthe Catholic Church

One way to bring about a unitedchurch is to plunge it into a causethat is bigger than itself. That causecould be the unification of Europe .Despite its internal difficulties, theVatican maintains a vital interest inEurope.According to Malachi Martin 's

book Three Popes and the Cardinal,a unified Europe with Germany atthe center has been uppermost inthe minds of those high up in theVatican. Europe is still consideredthe center of the world by Rome,but a permanently divided Germany has proven a stumbling blockto the kind of unity Rome desire s.

only way to bring about a UnitedStates of Europe is by the bindingtie of religion. With the majority ofthe present nine nations of the European Community being Catholic,such a union is a real possibility.Once formed, this great third forcein the world could rival both theUnited States and Russia in worldpower politics.Europe is moving ponderously

toward full economic union. A common currency is expected 'by 1980.With the international monetary situa tion in disarray, some observersfeel that Europe 's t imetable will besignificantly speeded up .Dr. Otto Von Habsburg, son of

Austria's last emperor, said in aspeech presented at London in1970, " . . . we must admit that thisdecade will be quite a decisive onein the future of this Continent. Wecould even say that at the end ofthis decade it will be al ready clearwhether this Europe will play therole to which it is obviously called inthe world of tomorrow, a role ofpeace , of understanding and ofprogress. Or whether on the contrary we accept to live as we have

Uni ted Europe? According to Dr.Von Habsburg, the fact that somenorthern European nations are Prot estant and that there has been adecline of religion in these nationsin recent years does not portendgreat difficulty for them in bein g integrated into a greater Europe. Hesays, "The ecumenic spiri t hasgained a great deal of ground, evenmuch more in the last 14years sincethis book was published. Of courserelig ion has been in the wane incertain areas. I personally am ratherdubious whether this wane will lastvery long. I rather expect in the future a reverse influence. That is tosay , I expect that within the foreseeable future the influence of religion will become much greater thanit has been in the past."

Big Events in the 1970'sIf the Catholic Church is to playa

major role in the new Europe, powerful and unusual events must takeplace in the 1970's. A revitali zedPope Paul or a strong successor willbe needed to effect this change. Toallow the continuing dissidencewithin the church will bring it to


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advancenewsin thewake of today's WORLD EVENTS

Americans Display Ignorance ofEuropean AffairsCommon Market? Over half of the Americansquestioned in a poll earlier this year confessed they hadneither heard nor read about the nine-nation commercial bloc in Western Europe, otherwise known as theEuropean Community.The shocking disclosure - to Europeans at least was contained in the resulting tally of a Gallup pollcommissioned by the European Community Information Service (ECIS) office in Washington, D.C.Fifty-five percent of the nationwide sampling 1,030 Americans aged 18 and older - replied that theconcept of the Common Market was new to them.In addition, only 5 percent of those who said they

were acquainted with the Community knew that theCommunity 's population was greater than that of theUnited States, that it exports more than the United

nuclear umbrella over the Continent. American troopsand conventional weapons in Europe are viewed bymany Europeans as "benign hostages" insuring that theUnited States would back up its nuclear commitment.Already, growing cordiality between the UnitedStates and the Soviet Union, spotlighted by the NixonBrezhnev agreement in June to work together to prevent nuclear war, has raised European fears of "desertion" by the United States and a "new Yalta." All ofEurope, claim some, is in danger of becoming "one bigFinland," totally at the mercy of the Soviet Union.Viewed in the light of the continuing building ofSoviet conventional military strength in Eastern Europe, nervous West Europeans - especially West Germans - are facing a serious dilemma. At the 'presenttime, there simply is no alternative to the assurance ofU. S. nuclear protection for Western Europe's defenseposture. An Anglo-French nuclear "umbrella," built onexisting British and French nuclear mini-forces , would


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haps. commonly known as Huks. Intimes past, this makeshift, communist-inspired army of over 10,000continually terrorized the countryside, especially Luzon , the Philippines' largest island.Today the Huks have dwindled innumbers and influence, but in theirplace has risen the Maoist-orientedBagong Hukbong Bayan, or NewPeople's Army (NPA). The NPA isschooled II I Maoist thought andpractice with many of its leaders Peking-trained in revolutionaryscience. For years the revolutionaries have been slowly gainingground in central and northern Luzon, from their apparent base in Isabela Province. Number ing only afew thousand in actual numbers,their base of popular support priorto Marcos' declaration of martiallaw was reportedly in excess of500,000 persons in over twenty ofthe nation's sixty-seven provinces.When martial law was imposedlast fall, President Marcos declared:"We've prevented another Vietnamin the Philippines." He asserted thathis action aga inst the guerri llamovement would prevent, in thePhilippines, that which had already

Southeast Asian IIJihad"?Thus far the communist insurgency of the NPA has been essen

tially localized in the northernPhilippine provinces. But in thesouthern region of Mindanao andthe Sulu Archipelago, another evenmore bitter and explosive struggle istaking place.President Marcos went before thenation on April 24 this year to announce that almost one million persons had fled their homes in the faceof brutal fighting between groups ofPhilippine Moslems and Christiansin these southern provinces. Reaching back to Spanish rule in the 16thcentury, skirmishes between theseopposing forces have accounted forwell over three thousand dead overthe last five years. Add to that theinnumerable other losses in injuredand in property on both sides.Often paralleling Northern Ireland in its ugly violence, this bitteranimosity between Moslems andChristians caused mobilization ofopposing rebel forces estimated at14,000 to 16,000 troops. Taking thebizarre nickname of ilagas or "rats,"Christians formed vigilante bands tofight marauding Moslem groups

The Man ila government hasvoiced concern over indications ofinfluence from other nations. Rebelleaders are reportedly being trainedby Maoist elements, and Libya 'sColonel Muammar Qaddafi haswarned that Libya will be forced to"assume her responsibility" if theasserted "extermination" campaignsagainst Filipino Moslems continue.Also, it has been reported that financial and other aid has alreadybeen supplied to the Moslem secessionists from Middle East sources.

Oil a FactorOne of the world's "geocultural"ironies is that here in SoutheastAsia, as in the Middle East, Islamicpeoples are sitting atop significant

reserves of oil. Tests by leading oilcompanies have demonstrated theexistence of commercial quantitiesof petroleum in the Sulu Sea region.Drilling has already begun in selected areas, with more offshore andland-based facilities foreseen in thenear future.Though the full potential of theregion as a source of oil is not yetknown, it is clea r that nature's"black gold" could well become a

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M oS lem children, victims o facute malnutrition, a t a refugeec en te r o ut si de C otabato C ity(upper left) . A t th e Hilton Hotel,young people w it h d eg re es ar ee m p l o y e d for blue-col/ar j o b s(lower left). Highly educated me nan d wo men have difficulty find-ing jo b s . Land o il e x plo ra tio ns inI/oilo are conducted by the Sorianocompanie s under the PhilippineOil Developmen t Corporation (nearleft]. :Romeo Vitug

the next twenty-five years. The massof our people suffer in poverty whileconscious that a happier life-stylenot only is possible but has actuallybeen achieved by societies that weremanaged more efficiently. If we had[only] a hundred more years toachieve . . . self-discipline . . . [but]we do not have a hundred years - itis doubtful whether we have eventen - to provide a larger means ofsatisfaction to our growing population and avert the whirlwind thatforms around a vacuum of unsatis

realizing a family income of perhaps$200 per year. The firmly entrenched land barons have resistedpast efforts to distribute their wealthand extensive holdings more evenlyamong the population. In spite ofthis often formidable political resistance, President Marcos is bankingheavily upon his new martial lawmeasures to supply the vitallyneeded changes in this area.

The particular nature of the Filip inos themselves has often provento be a hindrance to meaningful

often consider themselves privilegedto be able to work as houseboys orbarmen in Manila' s tourist hotels.

Further compounding the problems is the fact that the Philippineshas one of the world's highest birthrates, some 3.4 percent annually.This will produce, at current rates , apopulation of approximately 50 million by the end of this decade and asoaring eighty million by the year2000.

Political Reform


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sure. Said one Manila source: "Thekey to the future is the success orfailure of the President's crackdownon crime and corruption andachievement of his promised socialand economic reforms. If he fails,anything could happen."A local politician in Luzon's Isabela Province sees it this way: "Before the proclamation of martial lawhe [Marcos] was the most popularpresident. But if he succeeds in whathe promises, he will be the greatestpresident."

The Real IssueWhat is at stake is not merely thesuccess or failure of one man or ofone political or governmental system. Martial law is admittedly only

a stopgap designed to give criticalwounds time to heal. Some of Marcos' reforms show encouraging signsof benefiting the Filipino people,while the outcome of other reformsis yet uncertain. However, the Philippines remains a nation that urgently needs help.From where, however, will thathelp come? This is the real issue.

Needed: Positive Action

and parental example that thieveryand violence bear bitter fruits andresult in martial law - and that theages-old principle of "love thyneighbor as thyself" is timely andvalid in today's turmoil.Filipinos, as well as people of allnations, should be willing to pray fortheir leaders and to give constructivesupport to the projects and efforts ofthose in governmental positions.One need not subscribe to a particular political philosophy to be willingto give support to programs intended to develop a peaceful, progressive society.

The Final SolutionFilipinos can do much to improvetheir quality of life now. But no

honest observer can say that the solutions to all problems lie nowwithin their grasp. ~President Marcos is one of manyworld leaders who are proponents ofa strong, worldwide organizationdesigned and structured to promotethe welfare of all peoples . But herealizes, as do most in high office,that the only such organization nowon the world scene, the United Nations, has shown itself unable to

nists, nor by the warring nations ofWorld War II. Also, perhaps surprisingly, it concerns a government significantly different from thatproposed by the many well-intended international "peace-promoting" organizations of both pastand present.Notice these words of the prophetIsaiah about the world governmentthat will save men and nations fromtoday's terrible problems: "And itshall come to pass in the last days,that the mountain [a biblical termmeaning government] of the Lord's[the Eternal God's] house shall beestablished in the top of the mountains [above the chief nations] , andshall be exalted above the hills[lesser nations]; and all nations shallflow unto it .. . . And he shall judgeamong the nations, and shall rebukemany people: and they shall beattheir swords into plowshares, andtheir spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword againstnation, neither shall they learn warany more" (Isaiah 2:1 , 4).Isaiah also wrote that "unto us achild is born, unto us a son is given:and the government shall be uponhis shoulder. .. .Of the increase of

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AN INSIDE LOOKAT WORLD POWER CHANGESACONVERSATION WITH KLAUS MEHNERT

KLAUS MEHNERT, 67 , author, jour-nalist, radio commentator and educa-tor, is recognized as th e foremostexpert on Soviet and Chinese af fairstoday. Born in Moscow of Germanparents, Dr . Mehnert has lived and

traveled in both Russia and China fo rmany years and speaks both lan-guages. He has observed th e two

communist giants fo r nearly half acentury and is the author of numer-

ous books about them, including"Soviet Man and His World" (1960),"Peking and Moscow" (1963) , and"China Returns" (1971). Dr. Meh

nert has held professorships of mod-ern history and political science at

several American. Chinese and Euro-pean universities and is currently

teaching fo r two semesters at Colum-bia University in New York.

PlainTruthThe world is presently ex-periencing a t ime o f detente.

QESTION - PLAIN TRUTH:Numerous political analystssay that President Nixon and

his chief foreign policy adviser, Dr.Kissinger, are attempting to recreate a classical balance of powersituation. In it, the United Stateswould apparently play the role ofthe "balancer." Is this possible inthis day and age?ANSWER - MEHNERT: In the classical concept of the balance ofpower, England, sitting on its island,watched the two main camps in Europe. England decided which one tosupport, often the weaker oneagainst the stronger one, to restoreagain the balance of power so thatthe continental European powerscould neutralize themselves.Today, if you t a k ~ only the SovietUnion and China, plus the UnitedStates, you have a similar situation.


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"The enormous numbersofJapanese businessmenwith portfolios all overSoutheastAsiamakepeople think ofaJapanese economic. . "Invasion.

sians developed nuclear weapons.There were two superpowers. Wehad a bipolar world. Over the years,three additional power centers haveemerged. Japan and Western Europecertainly are giant economic powers,and China, by virtue of its size, canbe considered another power center.How do you view the world's powerbalance now?A . My picture is that we have twotriangles, and the only power participat ing in both triangles is theUni ted Sta tes . First there is the bigtria ngle - the United States, Chinaand Ru ssia. Then th er e is th esma ller triangle consisting of theUnited States, Japan and Europe.This latt er tr iangle I consider veryimportan t, because this is a trianglein which we can - if we agree - dosomething. We cannot influence Peking. We cannot influence Moscow.But Washington, Brussels and Tokyo are more or less free in theirdecisions . If we manage to crea teout of this relationship a functioningtriangle, then it would not be sodangerous if the Red Gian ts movedcloser together aga in within the bigtria ngle. But misunderstand ings, as

Japanese relations. So that wouldmake it 47 years.In 1929, that is 3 yea rs after the

sta rt of tha t research, I visited theSovie t Union for the first time aswell as China and Manchuria (apart of China at tha t time) . Thatwas 44 years ago. I have lived overthese 44 years more than 5 yea rs inRussia and more than 5 years in

China. I traveled over large parts ofCh ina , but dur ing th e longeststretch I lived in Shanghai.a. With this perspective of history,what do you feel is the real rea sonfor the conflict that now exists along

and his interpretation of communi smon the one hand and the Sovietbrand of communism on the other,do you see in the future any healingof that dialectical breach?A. I see one eve nt coming upsooner or la te r, the death of Mao .The ideo logical host ility is, to agood deal, based upon the persona n d views of Mao. W he t he r

Plain Truth

Mao ism, which is very much anti Soviet communism, will continueafte r Mao is a question nobody cananswer. I assume that it will continue. But I would also think tha t itwould be less hostile to the Soviet


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both of these two top men are gone,I am unable to see clearly what willhappen.

I assume that when they passfrom the scene, some kind of collective leadership would take over. Iwould also assume that that collective leadership will for some timecarry the flag of Mao. But the question is: How long will that be thecase? Will other forces which havebeen pushed back by Mao in thelast years assert themselves? Willthey say, "Why should we continueto have bad relations with the country with which we have the longestborder in the world - the SovietUnion? Wouldn't it be better to improve ou r relations?"Q . Are the Soviets anxious for adetente with China?A. The Russians are very anxious toimprove relations with the Chineseif only they would accept Moscow'sleadership in the communist world .But the Chinese, I'm sure, will neverreturn to the subservient position ofthe "little brother" vis-a-vis the "bigbrother," as it had been up to about1957. That makes the reconciliationdifficult.

people. That is, they don't considerthemselves to be in that category. Itreally is a semantic question, a question of words.If we use the word "superpower"without any negative or positivequalifications to it, then I wouldrank China in this group. In talkingwith them, I wouldn' t use the word"superpower" because of the connotations that it has for them. But ifyou use another term, they would

say, "Yes, indeed we are 750 or 800million people, and our country isunited as never before , and ou rideological influence in the world isa fact," and so on. They do not denythat, as far as power is concerned,they are in a class with the UnitedStates and the Soviet Union.Q . Why did the Chinese open theirdoors to President Nixon?A. My answer is very simple. It isthe fear of the Soviet Union. That issomething that I confronted veryoften while I was in China two yearsago. They would speak of one million Soviet soldiers with all the mostmodern equipment of destructionalong their border encircling them.They would speak of the Sovietbuildup of relations with other

prochement between Peking andWashington.Q . Do you think this rapprochementbetween the United States andChina will lead toward a real thaw intheir mutual relationship, or is itmerely superficial?A. It is being taken seriously byboth sides. By the Chinese, becausethis neutralizes to a certain extentthe Soviet threat which they fear.And on the part of the UnitedStates, because it gives Washingtonmore an d better possibilities inworld affairs if it has good relationswith China.I don' t think that this will makeAmerica Maoist, nor do I think thatit will make China capitalist. Thereare no indications of such developments in either of th e twocountries. So there will be two fundamentally different systems, different ideologies, different values. Butthere would probably be more thanjust coexistence (which only meansthat they don't shoot at each other).It might be a political play in whichWashington an d Peking considereach other's interests in order to offset the Russians.


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tumed from a trip to Japan. What doyou believe is the current Japanesethinking on relations with the UnitedStates, China and the Soviet Union?A. Ever since July 15, 1971, whenNixon announced without priorwarning to Tokyo that he wouldtravel to Peking , the Japanese havebeen in a quandary. They are notsure where they stand. Up untilthen , their whole foreign policy wasbased on the fact that the UnitedStates took care of foreign affairs ,and they completely trusted and followed the American lead . They hadalmost no foreign policy of theirown, certainly none that was in anycontrast to the policy of the UnitedStates.They relied on the American military umbrella and concentrated, asthe world knows only too well, oneconomic development and tradeand economic expansion. But thestatement of the President on theevening of July 15, 1971 changed allof this.

It had been agreed earlier thatneither of the two countries woulddo anything with regard to Chinawithout previously informing orconsulting the other. And this was

great need of oil and have to get itmainly from the Middle East. Thatis from very far way.It would be a considerable advan

tage for them to obtain their energyneeds from nearby Siberia.But if they do it, then these pipeswould run through territories whichthe Chinese say the Russians stolefrom them, so that would be considered an unfriendly act by the Chinese. It is difficult for Japan to moveclose to the Soviet Union withoutthereby endangering its relationshipwith China.Q. What about closer ties, then,with China, rather than the SovietUnion?A. I think that is, at the moment,the general trend in Japan . There isa tendency to think very much andvery highly of China now. Also,there is the feeling that Japan hadmistreated China during the SecondWorld War and that one has tomake up for this, as well as the indebtedness of Japan to the greatheritage that Japan has receivedfrom China. So I think the Japaneseinterest in China is probably at itspost-war peak at the moment.Q . The Japanese still do not enjoy

vasion . I find the negative reactionin these countries overdone, butthat's the way it is.Q. The United States has, for anumber of years now, been slowlyencouraging the conventional military buildup of Japan and its socalled "self-defense" forces. Therehas not been too much negative reaction within the U. S. to such a program , but some Japanese haveshown apprehension.A. I came back from Japan with theimpression that there would not bea great Japanese military bui ldup,nothing that will bring the Japanesein the foreseeable future into the bigleague. What will happen someday,I don 't know. But as of now, theyare thinking of only defending theirislands and even that only againstconventional attack on a limitedscale.I do not believe they intend tobuild up a defense force that wouldeven prevent, for example, the Russians from attacking Japan. Theyare thinking in terms of making ittough for the invader after. he getsin, that is, by guerrilla warfare . But Iam satisfied that they neither thinkof an atomic buildup nor of a big


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HOW YOU LIVE YOUR 'LIFEIS THE ONLY RELIGION, Organized religious rituals and dogmas have become irrelevant tomillions. Time-honored moral codes are being questioned. What wereclaimed to be the moral demands of a God are now often looked upon asthe whims of men. In such an age of confusion, how should we live our lives?by Paul W. KrollrSTEN , FOR a moment, to ourworld of contradictory opinions: "Gay is good." "Marriage is sacred." "Stay single andswing." "Occupation housewife ismy goal." "Why get married andruin a good relationship?" "Premarital sex with love is fine." "Sex isonly for married people.""Abortion on demand." "Abortion is murder." "Marijuana shouldbe legalized." "Marijuana leads toheroin addiction." "Drinking is asin." "Gett ing drunk on the weekend is fun." "Drink in moderation.""I'm Catholic." "I'm Protestant."

his own thing ! We don't want murderers, gangsters and thieves doingtheir own thing on us.If we are to accept the statementthat "how you live your life is theonly religion," we must have somekind of standard for outlawing behavior that can hurt people. Butwhat authority is to lay down theright pattern for our lives and why?Should we go back to the socalled good old days when the Puritan ethic was supposed . to havereigned supreme? It is questionable,of course, whether the old days were. really that good or whether most

standing - not necessarily to personal commitment in regard to howone lives his life.Religious thinking and practicehave lost any great moral significance. (This assumes they possessedthis quality in the past.) A personmay even say he believes in God and he may. But seldom is humanlife motivated by any basic standardoutside the indiv idual. People mayhelp other people, but it is becausethey want to. The idea .of any permanent moral code is not generallyaccepted. Churchgoing is meaningless in terms of identifying the


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ally, hesitatingly - but consistently- they have been forced to endorsechanges. Neither approach - oldstyle dogmatism or present-day confusion - seems "r ea lly to havehelped humanity. Few Accept Divine Guidance

It appears strange, however, tosee the relics of religion still hangingon in our ceremonies and institutions.In Britain, the Archbishop ofCanterbury crowns the sovereignDefensor Fidei - Defender of theFaith. He or she is a monarch onlydei gratia, by the grace of God. Inthe United States, the President,with his hand on a Bible, is installedwith an oath administered by theChief Justice. But few citizens really

take their oaths seriously in the ultimate - theological significance. Astheologian Harvey Cox has written ,"No one rules by divine right insecular society."Churchgoing can also be seen as apersonal, not truly religious, desire.American theologian Will Herberghas pointed out that going to church(at least in the United States) is simply one of the values of American

before marriage was "not necessary(70%). But who is right - the 70%majority, or the 30% minority?In another survey, females werestudied at four universities in fournations. Approximately 68% of theCanadians, 78% of the Norwegians,83% of the Germans and 86% of theEnglish girls approved of premaritalsex if the individuals involved "hada relationship of love, protectiveness, loyalty, and trust" and were"chronologically and emotionallymature."However, under other circumstances, such as a no-love relationship , a greater number of girlsmight frown on premarital sex.Then boys might look at the situation differently; so might parents.Who is to decide whether premaritalsex is right or wrong? Or does itreally make any difference? Sex, after all, is basic to human life. Weneed to know what's right if there isanything to be known.If how you live your life is theonly religion, is abstinence or participation in premarital sex "reli- "gious"?

Opinions, Opinions, Opinions

discover how to live our lives, whereis the standard by which to patternthem?What Standard?If there is any sure guide forhuman living, it must relate to survival and happiness in this life; itmust not merely be a stick used topunish posthumously, on the otherside of the grave. We need a more

sure morality than one whichmerely says, "Do because I say so!"or "Society says so!"Are we, then , facing a blankmoral wall? Is humanity left to itself, with each person doing whatever seems right?The long-time reader of The

PLAIN TRUTH knows that this magazine recognizes that there is a guidebook which tells humans how to order their lives. Thankfully; man stillhas that one option open. We canstill ask ourselves if a supreme beingwho has created human beings exists. Naturally, if such a being exists,then logically, would he not havegiven a sort of instruction manual a code of ethics - to his creation?Part of that manual certainly wouldinclude laws and regulations to gov

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nations on the question, "Do youbelieve in God?" here is what was .found: Do n' tYes% No% Know%

Greece 96 2 2f, Australia 87 7 6Austria 85 10 5Switzerland 84 11 5, Finland 83 7 10West Germany 81 10 9Netherlands 79 13 8Great Britain 77 11 12France 73 21 6Norway 73 12 15Sweden 60 26 14Even in Sweden, the majority ofpeople claim to believe in the existence of God . In most Western nations, the overwhelming majority of

citizens hold this belief.Back to Basics

Let us take as a starting point thisastonishing fact: 97% of all Americans and a majority of Danes, WestGermans, Finns, Swiss, Austriansan d Greeks say they believe in theexistence of God. Could it be that ifGo d does exist, he might have revealed a standard of conduct and away of life?

wise, an d consider the Bible as apossible source containing this vitalwisdom.There are, of course, many claimsin this book that it does contain therevealed thoughts of a supremebeing . Fo r example, in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, wefind the following words :" If you will obey the Lord yourGod by diligentl y observing all hiscommandments which I lay upon

you this day, then the Lord yourGo d will raise you high above allnations of the earth, and all theseblessings shall come to you and lightupon you, because you obey theLord your God:"A blessing on you in the city; ablessing on you in the country."A blessing on the fruit of yourbody, the fruit of your land and ofyour cattle , the offspring of your

h erd s an d o f yo u r l a m bi ngflocks. . . ."May the Lord grant you a blessing in your granaries and in all yourlabours; may the Lord your Godbless you in the land which he is

giving you. . . ."May the Lord open the heavensfor you, his rich treasure house, to

If the citizen obeyed - followed themoral an d social code of this God life would be abundant and happy.If the code was not obeyed, thenother consequences, very undesirable consequences, would follow.This God offered the choice offollowing his way of life or rejectingit in favor of a personal code ofconduct. But he did stress the consequences: "I summon heaven andearth to witness against you thisday: I offer you the choice of life ordeath, blessing or curse. Choose lifean d then you and your descendantswill live; love the Lord your God,obey him and hold fast to him . . ."(Deuteronomy 30:19-20, NEB).In a world where many religions,social groups and moral lobbyists

are clamoring for the loyalty of individuals, it is vital that each personcheck for himself. Could the Bible,after all, be the word of a supremebeing who really did create man?We are merely asking a rhetoricalquestion so that every reader canthink this out for himself. As is obvious, this magazine recognizes thatsuch a God does exist and that hemakes many positive promises tothe individual.


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Pa r t 2

THE FIRST EUROPEANby Paul William KrollIn A. D. 800, Charlemagne wascrowned Roman emperor of a newEurope. Some historians view this

provinces located in Africa , theMediterranean area and WesternEurope were lost to Germanic bar-barians. .

brake in pieces.. . " (Daniel 7:7).But now the mighty political andmilita ry compl ex was dead. Or was

it? One leg, admittedly shriveled,


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dred years after Rome's fall beforethat restoration would be .fully accomplished, the power of the Frankswas already growing less than tenyears after Rome's collapse in A.D.476.Years 482-511: The FrankishKingdom. Clovis, or Chlodovech,becomes leader of those Frankishtribes which acknowledged the supremacy of his father. He is onlyfifteen, but within five years , hisforces will defeat Syagrius, the rulerof the kingdom of Soissons.Syagrius is the last independent Roman ruler in Gaul.Clovis' great expansion throughout Gaul brings him face to facewith the Visigoths. The Visigothicking; . alarmed by the increasingpower of Clovis' kingdom, warnshim to proceed no further.Clovis is still a pagan; he is acknowledged neither by the emperorin Byzantium nor the Roman pontiff. Clovis then takes a crucial step.He and his army are solemnly baptized and received into the Catholicchurch at Rheims on Christmas day,496. This unique event marks aturning point in the history of European civilization and transforms the

at Rome has lost his temporalsword. Clovis has led his Franks in aprodigious campaign of expansionacross the Rhine and as far as theAlps and Pyrenees . But his successors are unable to follow up thethrust during the next two centuries.Years 714-741: The FrankishKingdom. In 714, Charles Martel.becomes ruler of the Franks. He begins the reunification of his people.His reunification will culminate inthe reestablishment of a WesternEuropean empire under his grandson, Charlemagne.The situation is desperatethroughout Europe. A new political

and religious power threatens to exterminate Christianity and the culture of Europe. This new powerconquers under the banner of Allah- Islam.As early as 638, Jerusalem falls toArab armies. Within three decades,the forces of Islam sweep awaySyria, Persia, Egypt and North Africa. In 711, the Visigoths are drivenfrom Spain. By 717, Arab armiesare assaulting Constantinople. TheArabs are masters of the Mediterranean Sea, and they take Sicily andCrete and harass Italy. The fate of

and the Carolingian family." Another Anglo-Saxon, Alcuin , will be adominant force during the reign ofCharlemagne. English leaders willhave a great part in solidifying arevived Roman Empire.Years 741-768: The FrankishKingdom. In 741, Pepin the Shortfalls heir to the power of his father,Charles Martel. He further cementsthe kingdom together and paves theway for a greater working relationship with the papacy.. Pepin holds the office ofMayor ofthe Palace under the ancient line ofMerovingian kings established byClovis. Seeing how ineffectual theline is, Pepin sees his opportunity.He wants to depose the Merovingians and establish his own family.Casting about for some justification, Pepin writes to Pope Zachariasin 751. In so many words, Pepinasks, "Would it be sinful to deposethe Merovingian king and take theFrankish throne?" Zacharias, an old

political hand, sees the opportunity.The papacy has awaited this moment for a century and a half. It canonly give Pepin the answer hewants.An ancient chronicler documents


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THE FRANKS REVIVE AROMAN-EUROPEANEMPIRE

the Western nations under the domeof a Christian-Germanic civilization .Pepin and his descendants havebecome kings at the instance ofRome . It is the papacy which provides the legitimizing justification.The Carolingians are to be rituallyanointed in a way in which no Merovingian king ever was.When Pepin is anoin ted king, heis obligated to help the papacy. Hiscall comes when the Lombards areonce again trying to subdue Italy .On November 15, 753, the newPope Stephen II sets out across theAlps to Pepin's winter camp. Heanoints and crowns Pepin rex gratiaDei early in 754 and blesses Pepin'sson and heir , Charles.Under pain of excommunication,the Pope forbids the Franks to everchoose a king from a family otherthan that of Pepin. Pepin, of course,has his part of the bargain to fulfill:render Pope Stephen such militaryassistance as might be required inthe future . . This he does to somedegree. Twice the Lombards assau ltRome, and twice Pepin stormsacross the Alps into Italy. He defeats the Lombards with ease andcaptures Ravenna and several

Maps - Ran LepeskaT he old Roman Empire in theWest lay at death's door inA.D. 476. It was temporarilyrevived in the sixth century byJust inian, the emperor in the East .The empire in the West languishedagain, following the death of Justinian in A.D. 565. Meanwhile, a newpower center was developing inEurope, even as the old EasternRoman Empire was dying of political sickness and military wounds.That newpower center in WesternEurope comprised most of modem 'France and much of West Germany.

I t was the kingdom of the GermanicFranks. In A.D. 496, Clovis, theruler of the Franks, was baptizedalong with his fellow Franks. Theybecame the first barbarians in Western Europe to adopt Catholicism.Thereafter, the Franks looked tothe Church for support in theirexpansionist policies, and the papacybegan to rely on Frankish kings forprotection. I t was a true politicalmarriage of convenience.The Franks continued to expandtheir domains until that centralmoment of importance in A.D. 800

(Continued on page 25)


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768) and Charles Martel (714-741),the Frankish state has greatly expanded in size. Its rulers are successful conquerors, patrons of the artsand learning , champions of theChurch and protectors of the weak.As a result , they are increasinglylooked to as stabilizing and protective forces in Western Europe.Meanwhile, Byzantium finds itsrole as a world power constantlyshrinking. Though still recognizedas the eastern successor of the oldRoman Empire, it is in deep political trouble. Byzantium becomes. more of a Greek kingdom than auniversal Roman empire.The papacy seeks to exclude theByzantines from the Italian peninsula and to establish the pope astheir successor. The at tempt to legalize this concept is seen in an extraordinary document, the forgedDonation of Constantine. The falsification takes place between 750 and

760.In 774, Charlemagne overthrowsthe Lombard kingdom after its twohundred years in power. Charles hasunited Italy for the first time in centuries. He is now the only true sovereign in the West and commands

ribly by a band of conspirators; thegang tries to gouge out his eyes andcut out his tongue. He is then imprisoned and accused of adulteryand perjury.Leo barely survives the ordeal,escapes from prison and calls out toCharles, who is fighting the Saxons.Charlemagne invites the Pope tocome to Paderborn in the heart ofSaxony to explain his case. This hedoes. The image of a pope humblyasking Charles for assistance produces a powerful impression. Angilbert, a court poet writes, "KingCharles, supreme in the world andthe mightiest of Europe." On twooccasions, the poet uses the words"the great Augustus" when referring .to Charles.In the autumn of 799, Charles arranges for the Pope to return to hiscapital , protected by Frankishtroops. Charles will follow in orderto determine the guilt or innocenceof the Pope himself. The Pope is notexonerated until the convening of acourt of inquiry over which Charlespresides . Leo is publicly restored tograce on December 23, after threeweeks of inquest.The Pope's humbling claim of in

behalf of the patriarch of Jerusalem.Significantly, on the same day,Charlemagne has received the homage of both the leader of WesternChristianity and the Christians ofthe East.Year 800, Christmas: Charle

magne Crowned Emperor. The stageis set for the final act in the drama:the imperial coronation. It will bethe quintessence of political legitimacy . Though Charles might wieldimperial power , he is still a barbarian king. This is all to be changedon December 24, A.D. 800 whenCharles is crowned Roman emperor.Charles has come to St. Peter's forthe Christmas festival celebration.He kneels in prayer just before thecelebration of Mass at the "confession" of the prince of theapostles. As he raises himself, PopeLeo quickly approaches and placesa crown on his head. The throng, ina rehearsed tone, shouts three times,"To Charles Augustus, crowned byGod, great and peaceful emperor ofthe Romans , life and victory."Charles is now imperator et au-gustus.The ceremony will be portrayed


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at first he was so much opposed thathe affirmed that, even though it wasan important feast day, he wouldnot have ente red the church thatday if he had known in ad vance theplan of the pope." Th is statementwill ca use confusion amo ng historian s of later cen turies.

Some feel th e papacy simply engine ered th e co r ona tion wi thCharlemagne's probable approval.One historian , F. L. Ganshop, willclaim that Leo III has probablyplayed a croo ked game. The playLeo III and Ch arlemagne ha ve written is ed ited at the last moment byLeo. By crowning Charlemagnehimself, in front of Lombard andFrankish witnesses, Leo has giventhe impression that it is he who invests Charlemagne with the imperial crown. "T here li es , in myopinion," historian Ganshop willsay, " the reason for the great displea sure shown by Ch arlemagne,the reason for which he hesitatedduring several months to adornhim sel f wit h the imperial title. . . th e one which had appeared inth e acclamations : imp erator Ro -manorum.This view sees the pap acy as hav

ing learned a bitter lesson. As an

MAPS CONTINUEDwhen Charlemagne, greatest of theFrankish kings, was crowned as anew, European-style Roman emperor. The old Roman Empire'ssickness and wounds were temporarily eliminated, and the empire

was resurrected to a position ofpower in Western Europe.The Frankish realm continued to

expand until about A.D. 830, whenhidden signs of disintegration became evident. In A.D. 843, th e

(Continued on page 27)


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subsume the authority of the Popeunder his own. For example, a letterfrom Charlemagne simply admonishes the Pope as if he were a subject. "Follow constantly the rulesestablished by the holy fathers,"Charlemagne cautions the Pope, "sothat your life may in every way givethe example of holiness. Let onlypious exhortations come forth fromyour mouth and let your light shinebefore all men."The messenger who bears this lette r, Angilbert, is instructed byCharlemagne, "Admonish the pope

that he ought to live honestly andespecially that he ought to observethe holy canons." Leo III wonders ifhe has gotten a pig in a poke.Charlemagne is gnawing at the vitals of the papal plan to exalt thepapacy above the authority of thesecular rulers.Still, the coronation in A.D. 800

can be seen as, in great part, a papalcoup. The horse may be unb rokenand wild; but the papacy is determined to be the rider and stay onthe mount.Other historians feel that Charlemagne has taken advantage of Leo's

we ak p osit ion. Se ver al o t he r

for thinking Charlemagne does notwant to become Roman emperor.We know that in 803, he stampsRenovatio Romani Imperii on hisseal - "renewal of the Roman Empire." However, in 813 he will stampRenovatio Regni Francorum - "rene wal of the kingdom of theFranks" on his seal.Whatever the truth, Charlemagne

is already appropriating all the prerogatives previously held by the emperor in his rel ations with thepapacy. Charlemagne and his courtare playacting the part of imperialRome . Charles has collected scholars from many lands whose common interest is the revival of Latinliterature and learning.Charles and his closest friendsshare a form of humorous inter

course, giving each other nicknames. Charles is referred to as"David" or "Augustus." Just priorto the coronat ion of A.D. 800, Angilbert composes a poem entitled"Charles the Gre at and Pope Leo."Charles is spoken of as having established a "forum and sacred senate" and a "second Rome."Einhard, a member of the court,will write a Life of Charles the Great,

where." He then cites Charles, thethird member of the triumvirate, asone who "triumphs above the othertwo dignities, eclipses them in wisdom and surpasses them. It is nowyou a lone on whom rests th echurches of Christ."

It is obvious that Charlemagnecertainly does not want anyone tothink he owes his empire to a pope- and especially one who has supplicated Charles for help. Charles isa mili tary man who has won hisown empire. Perhaps that is why onSeptember II, 813, Charlemagnewill crown his son Louis emperor atAachen himself.Year 800: The Legal Implicationsof Empire. Centuries later, historianJames Bryce will call the coronationof Charles "not only the central. event of the Middle Ages" but also"one of those very few event s ofwhich, taking them singly, it may besaid that if they had not happ ened,the history of the world would havebeen different." Although few scholars will give such outstandingweight to this event, most agree thatsometh ing profound has occurredthroughout the last half century ofthe 700's, culminating in the corona


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resurrected Roman Empire, wasshattered.Please see the accompanyingmaps for a sequence of what occurred in Europe throughout these

important. four centuries.

MAPS CONTINUEDFrankish empire was off icial lydivided up at the Treaty of Verdun.The fragmentation continued andwas completed by A.D. 890. Thus,the first revival of Europe sinceJustinian, under the banner of a

Empire." Clearly, what Charles andLeo are after deals with the right ofelecting the ruler of the Roman Empire - and a single emp ire whichembraces both East and West.Since 797, a woman, Empress Ir

ene, having dethroned the legal emperor, has been on the throne inConstantinople. The fact that awoman is on the throne of a secularempire is unthinkable at both Byzantium and Rome. It provides,along with other circumstances, amethod to rationalize the legitimacyof Charles as emperor. In theory,then, Charles accepts the crown fora vacant imperial throne, and hebecomes the heir to the throne ofIrene's legitimate predecessor, Constantine VI.The chronicler of the AnnalesLaureshamenseswill write, "Becausethe name of emperor had nowceased to exist in the land of theGreeks, and because they had awoman emperor, it was seen, bothby the apostolic Leo himself, and allthe holy fathers who were present. . . that they ought to name as emperor Charles himself, king of theFranks, who now held Rome itself,where the Caesars were always ac


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THE CORONATION of Charlemagne by the Pope, from a painting by F. Kaulbach. The Bettmann Archive

phorus deposes Irene and banishesher to the Isle of Lesbos. Charlesthen opens negotiations with Nice

king, rather than he who falselybore that title." From the point ofview of Western European power

Charlemagne. Lothar keeps the titleand dignity of emperor. He also hasa more important share than his two


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II

CHARLES MARTEL defeats forces of Islam at Tours, France in A.D. 732. Culver Pictures

during the worst time of disintegration, the idea of a united ChristianGermanic empire of the West is stillSpoleto. The body of former PopeFormosus (891-896) is exhumed. Itis dressed in pontifical garb and

have risen to power on the bannero f religion, a religion that viewsnon-Islamic peoples as infidels. The


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(Continued f rom page 1)barely more than 20% of the children of the white American majority in the same age group werebeing college educated!But when we consider the fourthminority group, the facts are moresignificant. Family cohesion is lowest of all among Uni ted Statesblacks. A Department of Labor report ti tled "The Negro Family The Case for National Action,"stated that, roughly, one black family in four is fatherless. And that.despite the rising divorce rateamong U. S. whites , was approximately three times the white total!More than half of all black children18 and under have lived at least partof their lives in broken homes. Andwhat were the percentages of blacksin a college or university? In October 1963, only 5.2% of the malesand 4.1% of the females!Great strides in college and university enrollments have occurred in

To them , marriage has no moralor spiritual authority. No laws bindone to it, except those of the state.No moral codes prevent its dissolution. They cannot account for itsorigin. They see no PURPOSE in it no real reason for it.

Animals do not marry. Marr iageis not necessary for reproduction.Animals have NO HOME and FAMILYlife. So when, why and how did ananimal becoming man decide tostart the marriage custom?The old repressive moralitytaught that the only purpose of sexwas reproduction. But if that betrue, NO MARRIAGE WOULD BE NECESSARY. Animals are male and female. They reproduce, but theydon 't have married FAMILY life.

So, why marriage? Those who donot believe in God can see no author ity for marriage - no purpose no meaning!

So a sick and unbelieving worldinvents its "new morality," which ispromiscuous immorality. And thesin of DIVORCE and REMARRIAGEaccompanies it!

But when we come to understandthe PURPOSE for human life on this

good and perfect gift - includingeternal life.But, now - WHY MAN?Is there a reason why God put

mankind on the earth? I have foundthat God never does things withouta purpose!

God, through human life uponthe earth, says that he actually isREPRODUCING HIS OWN KIND!

God designed and made cattle after the cattle kind (Genesis 1:24).He made horses after the horsekind , dogs after the dog kind ,chimps after the chimp kind . ButGod said: "Let us make man in OURimage, after OUR likeness . . ." (verse26) - after the GOD kind!

Man was made to have a closeand special relationship with Godhis Creator. Converted man has actual fellowship with God (I JohnI:3). Animals have no such relationship!

God's PURPOSE is for men to cometo know the true values of life fromthe false - to know the WAY thatcauses all GOOD - that men come torepent of every false way andchoose that right and living way,that they may receive the HolySpirit of God, thus being begotten


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the time of the resurrection, God"shall change our vile body [of corruptible flesh], that it may be fashioned like unto hi s [Christ 's]glorious [spirit-composed] body"(Philippians 3:21). To fully understand, you need our free bookletJust What Do You Mean . . . BornAgain?Then what?Then there shall be a marriage!But how? What kind?God 's purpose involved the raising up of his Church. It is God'sChurch, named after the Father ofthe God family - named theChurch of God. Every one who is arepentant, obedient believer and anovercomer, upon receiving God'sHoly Spirit , is baptized by God'sSpirit - BY GOD HIMSELF - into hisChurch. The Church, spoken of as awoman, is the affianced bride of theliving, glorified Christ.At the time of resurrection andChrist's coming in supreme powerand glory, the Church of God, itsmembers being changed to spiritand made immortal, shall enter intothe Kingdom of God .At that time, Christ shall marryhis Church (Ephesians 5:22-33). At

esians 2:11-19). Israel is pictured asthe natura l olive tree and Gentiles as wild olive trees (Romans II ) . Butbecause of unbelief, the naturalolive tree branches were broken off,and Gentile converts , as branches ofwild olive trees, were grafted ontothe natural olive tree of Israel (verse17). And natural-born Israelites, byrepentance, belief and conversion,are grafted back onto the Israelitetree . The Church is pictured as con-verted Israel - or spiritual Israel(Romans II :23). The New Testament Church is Israel, spiritually!Since Israel's husband died, she isfreed from her Old Testament marriage and is free to remarry. Christ'sdeath paid the penalty of her sins

T he most tragicallyserious need ineducation today isin-the-home educationon the basicimportance of thehappy family structurein our society.

emony, called the kiddushin ceremony . At this kiddushin or weddingceremony, the marriage was bound.Then the husband took his wife tohis own house .

Marriage Covenant Isthe Gospel

Jesus came as the messenger of thecovenant (Malachi 3:I). He was themessenger bringing us the messageof the New Covenant, which is themarriage covenant which will establish the Church in the Kingdom ofGod. Just as Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant, so isChrist of the New Covenant. Thegospel is that MESSAGE! And jus t asthe marriage at Sinai set up theKingdom of Israel, so the marriageof the Church to Christ will set upthe Kingdom of God! So, that marriage IS the gospel!The gospel Jesus brought is the

GOOD NEWS of the coming Kingdomof God.This is a most important truth

which has not been fully recognized.Let's be sure we understand it!The Kingdom of God is the FAM-ILY OF GOD! The Kingdom oflsraelwas the "children of Israel" - as


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put by God's Spirit into the Church,he also automatically has becomebetrothed to the marriage with theliving Christ!And what of that marriage? Will

it be subject to divorce and remarriage? You know that answer is ATHOUSAND TIMES NO! That marriage can never be broken!The bet ro thed wife MUST BE

FAITHFUL in her betrothal! In theexperience of Joseph, the betrothed- yet unmarr ied - husband ofMary, mother of Jesus, he, supposing she had been unfaithful, wasminded to put her away before theBOUND MARRIAGE. If one of us, spiritually betrothed to the livingChrist, becomes unfaithful throughphysical divorce and remarriage inthis Christian life, would not ourespoused spiritual husband, Christ,PUT US AWAY? This sin of unfaithfulness cuts us off from God. Unlessour sin is repented of and forgiven,we will never make it into God'skingdom!What is God 's command to us, in

this regard? It is: "Know ye not,brethren, (for I speak to them thatknow the law.) how that the law

law in the Bible allows it. Any suchlaw would do violence to the humantype of the divine.To be UNFAITHFUL, now, to thebetrothed relationship to Christwould , as we shall show by theScriptures, result in Christ "puttingus away" - before that marriage!Why? Because sin "puts us away."Marriage is a God-plane relationship. Even though a physical union,it is a DIVINE INSTITUTION, ordainedof God. God had great purpose andmeaning in giving it to man. God' sChurch, called to preach Christ'sgospel of the kingdom (to be established over the earth by the MARRIAGE COVENANT with Christ which IS the New Covenant) cannotpollute that very gospel by approving divorce and remarriage!

The True Meaning of MarriageRemember, in this exposition, weare viewing the subject as God views

it. I repeat: Though marriage is aphysical union, it is a divine institution. God does nothing withouta reason - a definite PURPOSE! Tounderstand the "why" of the laws ofGod respecting the marriage in

living faith , and accept Jesus Christas personal Saviour and betrothedhusband, can receive God 's gift ofthe Holy Spirit. That gift imparts tous the very life. essence, nature,mind and power of God! It begetsus, now, as God 's own (yet unborn)sons! And if we grow spiritually(II Peter 3:18), overcome and endure, we shall, at Christ's coming,be changed from mortal flesh to immortal spirit (I Corinthians 15:4454). We, collectively, shall be theBRIDE OF CHRIST!And that is the supreme heritage

of human MAN!Man, now lower than angels, hasa destiny far higher!So grasp this s tupendous truth ifyou can!

For here is the greatest good newsyou can ever know! That goodnews IS the gospel. And that verygospel involves faithfulness in anymarriage relationship now, for it isprepara tion for the spiritual marriage to Christ for all eternity.Man, and man only, of all lifeforms God has created, can be born

into the very God family - theKingdom of God! And as a mostvital part of it, he will enter an eter


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ALONE was created for marriage andfamily life!In the Kingdom of God - in theGod famil y - there will be a mar

riage and famil y relationship - butno divorce!God is consistent!Could we be preparing for that

kind of marriage forever by divorcing and remarrying now?

What a supreme, matchless , aweinspiring potential!You are, if converted with God'sHoly Spirit dwelling in you, the heir

of God , and co-heir with Christ, toenjoy eternally this unbreakable

God, throughhuman life uponthe earth, says thathe actually isREPRODUCINGHIS OWN KIND!marriage and family relationship inGod's kingdom! Even now if youare a begotten child of God, you arebetrothed to marry Christ!

God is the divine FAMILY! The

to teach us to be ETERNALLY faithfulthen, by ruling that we may be UN-FA ITHFUL now, d ivorcing andremar rying? God has given no suchlaw!

One of the most important purposes in our human lives, now, isthat we learn the sanctity, the sacred ness, the permanency of themarriage bond!

Of course, God has not willedthat every human must marry. Th atis made very clear in I Corinthians7. The apostle Paul was not married.Yet, I am persuaded that I, like he,have the mind of Christ, and, afterall , it was God who said , " It is notgood that the man should be alone"(Genesis 2: 18). However, it wouldbe far bet te r to live alone than to beyoked to what might be called a"hell-on-earth" situation.Everyone should take marriage so

seriously that a wrong marriage isnot made in the first place. And ifthis truth were known by all, therewould be few mismated marriages.On the oth er hand , if this truth weremore thoroughly realized, marriedpartners would TRY HARDER tomake marriages happy. Our bookletsays : " Yo u r marr ia ge can be

now! That is the REASON humansare given this God-plane relationship which has been given to NOOTHER species - whether animal orangel. That is God's purpose ingranting hum ans marriage, now. Itis a type! And God's laws DO makethe human type consistent with thedivine antitype.I th ink we ought to reflect on

what a WONDERFUL privil ege Godbestowed on us in giving us theGod-plan e marri age and fam ilyrelationship! And why? To prepareus for the never-ending joy and ecstasy of our spiritual marriage blissFOR ETERNITY in the Kingdom ofGod - in the God family!

And this is real. It is the Creator'spurpose . And all humans are goingto know, in God's due time , that HISPURPOSE STANDS !But most don't know it, now.

Most are no t willing to know it! Mycommission is not to compel any toknow it. It is merely to sta te it - toANNOUNCE IT. Whether readers andhearers believe, it is their decision ,not mine.And of course, in this world ,today, the divorce rate will continue

to mount. More and more families


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what YOU can dO .timely tips andhelpful suggestions for you and your family Conserve Energy, Save on Heating

and Cooling Costs Too!Whether you live in the northern hemispherewhere winter is just around the corner, or in the southern hemisphere where the warm summer months are

just ahead , now is the time to prepare your home forcold and/or warm weather. By following a few household tips, you may be able to lower your heating costsas much as 36 percent in winter, or at the same time, bereadying your home for cooler summer comfort. Andyou will help do your part to conserve energy.

INSULATION: Insulati ng your home with ceiling insulation will lower your heating and/or cooling costsconsiderably. Professional installation of ceiling insulation in an already existing home can be done easily,with relatively little expense. A minimum recommendation is a 4-inch batt (usually a fiber glass pad with paperbacking) or 6 inches of poured insulation.WINDOWS: Don't forget the windows. G lass window panes lose heat, or allow heat in, nearly 14 times

ceilings and floors should be caulked. Also caulk framesof all windows and doors. "The Teeth Are Okay, But

the Gums Gatta Go"A person can have perfectly sound, decay-free

teeth, but still lose them and be in need of dentures!Why? Pyorrhea, or more modernly, periodontal disease.Pyorrhea, not tooth decay, is the number one cause forthe loss of teeth by people over thirty-five.Pyorrhea is 'a disease aro und the tooth, affectingthe tooth's surrounding supportive tissue. It causes thetooth's supportive tissue to be slowly absorbed into thebloodstream, and if unchecked, it eventually leaves thetooth unsupported and unable to be retained in place.Though pyorrhea may be caused by a number of reasons, it is most commonly caused by calculus, or tartar,which collects on the necks of tee th and works its waydown the teeth into gum crevices.

Pyorrhea is relatively painless at the outset , when


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What Our Readers SayComing Wor ld Oil CrisisYour magazine is extraordinari ly interesting as it cove rs such a multi tude y

jects. I just turn ed in the ar ticle p.ertammgto the world oil cris is to my environmentclass at Fullerton College. as it cove red acomplex situation in the most succinct man -ner. Jane Moo

Anaheim. Ca liforniaWhat Happens After Death?I have ju st finished reading an article byWilliam Whikehart, "What Happens AfterDeath?" I am interested and would like tohave the free ar ticles offered. I have beensea rching the Bible for about three yearsnow for the real truth . Much of what wascontained in this ar ticle I have found andmarked in my Bible, but my sea rch is surelymost incomplete. I have read the Bible allmy life. and of course read all these thin gs,but in the last year I have been reading andreally seeing. Needless to say. I am perplexed . upset. and most con fused.Mrs. L. L..St. Lou is, MissouriFactory FarmingThank you most sincerely for sending 35copie s of Famine! Can We Survive? . .for use as class references in our Socia lStud ies programme. Your generosity inproviding these publications free of charge

is very much apprecia ted. A. D. L.,Auckland. New Zea land

General CommentsI should be much obliged if you wouldsend me a copy of your book The MissingDimension in Sex. I am a teacher in thesenior department of Christian Brothers'Co llege. and I feel that a better backgroundknowledge of marrie d life would assist mein understanding their problems and pre-paring them for life. J. C. N;

Welkom, O.F.S ooRepublic of Sou th Africa

Photography and ArtI mu st wr ite to tell you what a beautifulphoto [you had] on page 23 of the.FebruaryPLAINTRUTH . A more poignant picture of ayoung child with an eager. searching. trusting mind I have never seen. A mindjust searching for truth from a loving parent.Too bad all children in this world can' tbe taught God 's word of truth.

W. S. W..Hawthorn e. CaliforniaThe color work in your magazine isbeautiful. I know because I was a colorcorrector for many years on the largestnewspaper in St. Louis. Missour i. You dowonderful colo r preparauon,I hope I get your magazine for the rest of

my life. Pete H..North Hollywood. Ca liforniaA photogra pher friend of mine startedtaking The PLAINTRUTHjust because of thepicture quali ty in the magazine!Lowell S. Boo

she sho uld be able to make the decision.Why should she have to suffer havin g ababy she doesn 't wan t? And the . babywouldn't be loved or cared for once It wasborn .If ever I were pregnant, I would rath erd ie than have a baby. I would probablyhave a mental breakdown. Of course I'monly speaking for myself, bu t I'm sure thatthere are others who would suffe r mentalstress over such an unfortunate mishap .Rita N..St. Petersburg. Florida

I would like very much to receive yourmagazine . I borrowed your last one from afriend and found it a blessing! I was usmg Itfor a reference for a college report andended up reading the whole magazine. Thearticle on abortion was the best one I hadfor the whole report. It was j ust wha t I waslooking for and couldn 't find in any otherbook . Please hurry the information on howto get a subscription. if you can . because. Iam going to be a counselor a t camp inGeorgia. Patty B..

Ft. Myers. Flo ridaYes. I say abortion is murde r. . .. Murderis murder. I don 't care what name they callit. . . . Th ere is one doctor in Portland whoqu it bein g a doctor because he didn 't approve of abortion. f:I e the same: as Ihave been telling; life IS at conception.

Dollie WooGresham. OregonIt is about time that the human male is


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ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO THE PLAIN TRUTH OFFICE NEAREST YOu. United States: P. O. Box I II . Pasadena, Ca lifornia91123. Canada: P. 0 , Box 44, Station A. Vancouver I, B.c. Mexico: Instituci6n Ambassador, Apartado Posta l 5 595. Mexico 5, D. F, Colombia: Apartad o Aereo 11430, Bogota I, D.E. United Kingdom. Europe. India, Africa and the WestIndies: P. O. Box Ill, St. Albans, Hens .. England,

South A frica. Mauritius and Malawi: P, 0 , Box 1060.Joh annesbu rg. Rhodesia: P, 0 , Box A94, Avonda le. Salisbury. Australia and Southeast Asia: G.P.O. Box 345. SydneyNSW 2001, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Isles: P. O. Box 2709, Auckland I, New Zealand. The Philippines: P. O. Box 1111, Maka ti , Rizal 0 -708.BESURETONOTIFY us IMMEDATELYo f any change in your address. Please include your old mailin g label and your newaddress. IMPORTANT! The pu blisher assumes no respo nsibility for return of unsolicited art work, photographs, ormanuscripts.

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Documents

Plain Truth 1973 (Prelim No 10) Nov_w