in other nations of the world. The time has come when we must
reach beyond the necessities of life which our national abundance
affords us. We must think beyond a job, a square meal, an automobile,
a house in the suburbs and concern ourselves with such things as im-
proving our character and our society. It is time for us to add some
vision to our lives, remembering the words of Solomon that "where
there is no vision, the people perish. "
In an age of material opulence—with wonder drugs, airplanes that
fly faster than sound, spacecraft that land on the moon and circle the
other planets, hydrogen bombs with the destructive force to wipe out
mankind—our real problem is to know what to do with what we have,
how to learn to share our abundance with others, how to emphasize the
things of the spirit which we have neglected to get ahead, how to turn
our minds to the primary purpose of our existence: To live in har-
mony with the laws of nature and the laws of God.
We should think more about such things as education and religion,
which stress intelligent and noble living. We should turn our thoughts
to such social needs as better planning for our cities and suburbs, de-
cent housing, improvement of the lives of the sick and the aged, at-
tainment of equality of justice for all men, and so on. We should
place more emphasis upon spiritual things and learn to value peace of
mind and spirit above physical comforts and pleasures.
For my part, I believe that the most effective way to handle the
problems which confront us is to return to the faith and the ideals of
our forefathers. The philosophy of Christian idealism guided the think-
ing of the men who founded this Republic. And this philosophy, which
shaped the fortunes of this great nation, was as Christian as the Sermon
on the Mount. It was the philosophy of brotherhood, of equality, of
freedom, of the dignity of man. It was the philosophy of the Man of
Nazareth....
We Christians have found Christ the answer to our personal problems.
It seems logical to me, then, that we ought to heed the advice of Franklin
and attempt to solve our national problems by an adherence to "the
principles of primitive Christianity. " As a Christian, I believe firmly
that the introduction of Christian principles into the affairs of the na-
tions of the world will stave off the evil forces that threaten us and
will preserve the civilization which we have built up so painstakingly
over the years. I believe, too, that the new era into which we are
moving will be a golden one if we can be persuaded to return to the
"principles of primitive Christianity" which Franklin spoke about—
501
|
 |
