Clerical Wishful Thinking

AMONG the foibles of human nature is that of wishful thinking. Thus the man always in debt likes to think of the time when he will be rolling in wealth, and the lass with plain features, of the time when all the world will admire her beauty. This human vanity is not altogether lacking among the foremost clerics of our day. How so?

Well, proud of being the bitterest foes of communism are the Roman Catholic clergy of the United States, foremost of whom is Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. Writing in The American Weekly, August 9, 1953, he told of “The way to convert a Communist.” Briefly his points were: do not argue; do not discuss conditions in Russia; do not hate the Communist.

Mr. Sheen is very proud of his success in converting a few Communists, but what is the record of the rest of his church?

The National [U. S.] Catholic Almanac for 1953 shows Italy as being 99.7 per cent Catholic, and according to the New York Times, May 21, 1953, “Italy has the largest Communist party in the world outside the Soviet bloc” and “would have a Communist regime but for”—the help of her multitude of Catholic bishops such as Fulton J. Sheen?—no, but for the billions of dollars that the United States has poured into Italy.

But perhaps the Catholic bishops in Italy are not as astute, not such clever showmen as is Mr. Sheen. Can it be that they have not heard of Sheen’s marvelous method? Or could it be that they have tried it out but found it wanting?

But in spite of the fact that the Catholic Church is gradually receding before the Communist threat in Italy, Mr. Sheen wishfully assures us: “Inevitably the day will come when the teachings of Christ and Peter will again prevail in Russia. Russia will return to the faith. And after this conversion what will Russia’s role be? I am convinced that Russia then will become an apostle to the rest of the world.”

But Mr. Sheen! When did the teachings of Christ ever prevail in Russia? Has that nation ever recognized Christ as her head? Russia will return to the faith. What faith? The Greek Orthodox faith which is now practiced there? The Roman Catholic faith which has so signally failed to stem Communism in Italy? Or the faith of Christ and his apostles?

And how will all this come about, Mr. Sheen? Really, it is not at all clear from your article, for you go on to say: “Russia has fire. Communism has that. The great shame of the world is that we have the truth but not zeal. The Communists have zeal but no truth. Communism is like a fire that is spreading itself over the world and that fire is already in their hearts. Our Western world lacks fire. We lack it obviously. Where is the fire of patriotism? The fire of men who are kindling the sparks of love in other men? We of the Western world are rather cold and dull and apathetic.”

And why does not the Western world have any fire? Why is it cold and dull and apathetic? Because it has the truth? No, nor in spite of its having the truth, because the West does not have the truth. The eternal truth is found in God’s Word and the wise men of the Western world have rejected it. (Jer. 8:9) They lack fire because they do not have the truth and they have a suspicion that that is the case.

Another correction, Mr. Sheen. Communist Russia does not have fire either. If it did it would not need the Iron Curtain; it would not need to resort to blood purges. If it had fire it could grant its people freedom of worship, of speech, of assembly and of press. Why do stark fear and terror stalk throughout each Communist land? Because its people have fire? No, but because the Communist hierarchy on top knows that it cannot trust its people, it knows that the great majority have no sympathy with the totalitarian rule over them.

Oh yes, a few intellectuals and misguided liberals in Western lands may have zeal for communism because of their lack of knowledge or want of logic, and so blindly prescribe communism’s lethal totalitarian potion for democracy’s ills; a witch doctor’s concoction to a patient deathly sick; ready to jump from the frying pan into the fire; failing to note that man’s only hope and remedy is not democracy, not communism, but the kingdom of God for which all Christians have been praying for nineteen centuries.—Matt. 6:10.

Communism thrives on misery, on the ignorance and poverty of the people. That is why it won out in Russia and China, why it poses such a threat in Italy and is growing in India. Communism thrives where people are so miserable that they will barter their freedom of mind and spirit for a full stomach.

When a people have the truth they do have zeal. Jeremiah had the truth and he could not keep still. (Jer. 20:9) He had to speak. So did Elihu, Job’s real comforter. (Job 32:18-20) The apostles had the truth. They likewise could not keep still even though threatened with imprisonment. Said they: “We cannot stop speaking about the things we have seen and heard.”—Acts 4:19, 20, NW.

The shame of the Western world lies not primarily in its inability to speak out eloquently but in the situation that gives no inducement for eloquent speaking forth. How can its people get eloquent? What do they have to be eloquent about? The musty religious traditions and the blood-red history of the Dark Ages? The political corruption of the five and four per centers?

But there is a people that do have fire, that have eloquence, confidence and freeness of speech, and that is because they have the truth. They know the Bible is God’s Word and they stand foursquarely and consistently upon it and follow its principles. It is the New World society, whose recent convention at Yankee Stadium caused the world to sit up and take notice. But with all their fire they do not presume to prophesy the conversion of communism: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?”—Jer. 13:23, RS.

No, Christ Jesus did not send out his followers to convert the world, including communism, but to bear witness, to bring comfort to men of good will, and to honor his Father’s name even as he had done. (Matt. 5:3; 11:28-30; 24:14; John 17:4; 18:37) In God’s due time he will make an end to communism and all other ideologies that fail to take cognizance of the rule of his anointed Son, Christ Jesus. (Ps. 2:12) And that is not wishful thinking!