All Articles For Editorial

*The Christian Laborer in the Industrial Struggle, p. 29. Let us consider the first point of the principles adopted by the last synod of the Christian Reformed Churches on the Unions. We quote it here again: “Church membership and membership in a so-called natural labor union (CIO and AFL) are compatible as long as such union gives no constitutional warrant to sin, nor shows in its regular activities that it champions sin.” Now we may pass in silence, or at least just mention in passing, some of the minor objections that may be raised against this “principle.” The Synod here...

Permit me to continue my quotation from “The Gospel,” to demonstrate how little ground Van Til has for his indictment that I really make God the subject of man’s obedience or disobedience: “What then is the fallacy of Heyns’ reasoning? When, on our part, we deny the doctrine of the two wills, we deny the theory that God can will two exact opposites in the same sense and with respect to the same objects. This is what Heyns teaches. He claims: 1. God wills that all men shall be saved. 2. God does not will that all men shall be...

Let us take a little closer look at what the Synod had to say on the question of corporate responsibility, and its application to union membership. We find this in “principles” 2 and 3: “1. The Biblical doctrine of corporate responsibility and the Biblical teaching of the Christian’s separation from the world make it imperative for members of neutral labor organizations to discontinue membership of such unions whose common practices are clearly in conflict with the principles of the Word of God. “2. The doctrine of corporate responsibility does not imply that membership in unions which have engaged in sinful...

That Van Til has no ground whatever for the accusation that we present God as the real Subject of man’s actions, and that, on the contrary, he had plenty of material in his possession to convince him exactly of the opposite, may become still more evident from the following quotation from my The Gospel: “Of a similar nature is the objection of Heyns’ that our view presents men as being passive. Man, Heyns teaches, must do something to be saved. It simply will not do just to tell him: you have to do absolutely nothing! No, he must believe and...

From K. Heersema of Redlands, Calif. I received the following communication: “I am coming to you with a question for the Standard Bearer that has to be answered sooner or later in our circles here. Therefore, I bring it to you as a thing that is preached in your churches. For me it is an issue as I see it now. So, kindly receive it, and if you think it worthwhile, please, place it as it is timely for Redlands. “Many a time I heard this taught and practiced: pray not for the world; based on John 17:9. “Chapter 17...

We received the following question: “In behalf of the Roosevelt Park Men’s Soviet; I have been asked to present to you the following problem. “At one of our meetings, the verses 27 and 29 of Eccl. 7 were discussed. After considerable discussion we have not been able to come to any satisfactory con elusions as to the true meaning of these verses. I was then decided by the society to request of you v clarification of this passage, providing you can find time to do so. “We would very much appreciate having you give the reply in the Standard Bearer....

The editor of The Christian Labor Herald reflects upon our article on the Union question in The Standard Bearer of Oct. 1, and expresses the opinion that “the editor (of the SB) is hardly justified in concluding that the Synod by that expression also declared that the existing so-called neutral labor organizations (CIO and AFL) do not necessarily give constitutional warrant to sin, nor show in their regular activities that they champion sin.” The editor states that he is under the impression that I quote from a “press report on the decisions of Synod,” and later in the editorial that...

(Continued from Issue 2, p. 26) 2. It appears rather clear from the “principles” adopted by the Synod of the Christian Reformed Synod in “neutral organizations” that Synod, although it ostensibly adopted the principle of corporate responsibility, does not consider mere corporate responsibility without personal participation in the sinful practices of a union sufficient as a basis for ecclesiastical censure. This seems to be the implication of conclusion 3, although it must be admitted that here too the language of the resolutions is ambiguous, and in need of commentary by Synod itself. However, it seems rather plain that this third...

The USA is rushing to ruin, a ‘victim’ of her own out-of-control passions for sex, violence, lies, godless pleasures, and every form of wickedness. Some might say she is going to hell in a handbasket, but that sounds to be making light of a very serious matter. Our society is plunging herself into ruin, asking for a tsunami to overcome her from both the Atlantic and Pacific. Recently, some in our society have been pushing back against a few of the evils that most disturb them. The media and others who have a voice in our society have been complaining...

(Continued from p. 73 in the previous issue). The question is: does corporate responsibility imply that a church member is liable to ecclesiastical discipline, if the union or association to which he belongs is or was engaged in sinful practices? The Christian Reformed Synod replied: not necessarily; it all depends on the degree of guilt. The correct answer to this question, however, is and must be: most assuredly! Let us first of all dispose of the question of “degree of guilt.” Whether or not a sin is censurable cannot be made dependent upon the degree of guilt, or the degree...