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blame for the secularization of
Australia or any other nation ? And
what does all this say about the
quality of traditional Christianity?
After all, if what is commonly re–
ferred to as the Christian church
had been teaching the full and
abundant way of life J esus taught,
industrial development would only
have enhanced that abundance.
God and industrial progress are not
necessarily incompatible. A gen–
uinely Christian society would have
directed industrial development
and made it work to the betterment
of all mankind.
The truth is, it is institutional
Christianity that has left a vacuum
that is being filled by materialism.
The Christianity of the world has
not shown how God is relevant.
It
has not explained what life is all
about.
It
has not made known
God's master plan for mankind. I t
has not preached the message of
the government of God. "My peo–
ple," God says of this very
predicament, "are destroyed for
HELL
(Continued from page JO)
The Creator of heaven and earth
is now permitting man to sin and
suffer in order to learn cer tain les–
sons. lf man will accept God's truth
as it is revealed, and learn these
lessons God intended, he will be
given eterna] life in God's kingdom.
But if he stubbornly persists in
12
lack of knowledge" (Hos. 4:6).
The Australian Dlsease
Australians are known as a fun-lov–
ing people. One observer has re–
marked that "the most common ob–
jection of the ordinary Australian to
religion is that it spoils his fun."
True Christiani ty does not spoil
any legitimate fun. The way of life
Jesus taught provides an under-
"A
society
which rejects aU
transcendent moral
values has nothing
by which it can
judge either good
or evil. That is
fast becoming the
position in
irreligious
. . .
Australia."
standing of what real fun is. And a
deeper enjoyment of it. It's too bad
the ordinary citizen has never been
shown that way.
Dr. Hans Mol , who conducted a
major study of religion in Aus–
tralia, concluded: "The fact that
such a large percentage of the Aus–
tralian population does not worship
regularly but still 'believes in God
without doubt' and still holds the
churches and the clergy in high
esteem [not being aware of an al–
ternative to traditional religion],
fits the picture of ambiguity.
"As in Britain the goodwill to–
wards religion is counterbalanced
go ing the way that leads to
wretchedness and misery for him–
self and others, God in his merey
will cut off his life by casting him
into the lake of fire-which is the
second death.
Untold suffer ing and mental
anguish have been caused by the
false doctrine of an angry God
plunging everyone who did not fol–
low certain denominational teach-
by a massive woolliness of thinking
about it. Australia seems to be
a
Christian nation in search of a
religion;
or a heathen nation in
flight from one. Most Australians,
like Englishmen, are obviously hea–
then, but wish they were not"
(Re–
ligion in Australia,
page 302).
T his "massive wool liness of
thinking," this disease of the spirit,
has been brought on by the fact
that the churches of this world not
only cannot agree among them–
selves, but they have been unable
to make their doctrines agree with
the verities of life. What theolo–
gians have made clear what God
expects of Christians? Or, rather,
is it that they "have not distin–
guished between the holy and un–
holy, nor have they made known
the difference between the unclean
and the clean" (Ezek. 22:26, Re–
vised Authorized Version)?
Doubt that the irrelevant God
depicted by traditional religion can
survive in Australia-or anywhere
else-is fully justified. There is,
however, another God now living
in Australia-living, that is to say,
in the lives of a small but growing
number of individuals. These peo–
ple have forsaken the world's way
of doing things. They are learning
a new way. God's way, as revealed
in his spiritual law- the Ten Com–
mandments. They not only profess
to be Christians, they live the
Christian life as taught by Jesus.
They are happy, fun loving and
at the same time sober minded be–
cause they have a serious mission
in life- to prepare for the soon–
coming kingdom of God and the
restoration of God's government
and his laws over all nations. They
have, in fact, made tbis mag–
azine- The Plain Truth-possi–
ble, and free of charge. Their God
shall survive in Australia- with no
diffículty at all!
o
ings into a terrifying "hell fire" of
everlasting torments.
Most people
~ave
been bound by
denominational teachings, and too
few have been willing to study all the
scriptures on the subject to see what
the Bible really says. But Jesus said
of those who were willing to contin–
ue in his word, "And ye shal l know
the truth, and the truth shall make
you free" (John 8:32).
o
The PLAIN TRUTH