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shorrcomings of human leadership
worldwide.
Recent surveys of voring behavior
are turning up surprising trends.
Faced wirh rhe mosr difficult prob–
lems in all of human hisrory, rhreat–
ened with urrer exrincrion due ro
nuclear war - and g iven, at least in
rheory, the power ro change sociery
through elecrion
of
public officials
-voters are nonerheless rurning away
increasingly from making their desires
known at the polls.
Today rhere are more vorers rhan
ever before - but fewer, percenrage–
wise, voring. The mood of rhe public
.is increasingly rhar "voting does nor
ger
you
anywhere," rhar rhere are
major crises, but they "can'r be solved
at che polls."
Jaded millíons are wondering if ir
really marters anymore who rhey
elecr. Are rhe problems now so over–
whelming and insoluble thar no man
or government can really deal with
them? And if so, then
what~
Senaror Edward Kennedy has
remarked, "Wherever
I
travel, I find
thar average cirizens - poor or
middJe class or rich; white or black or
brown; city or farm or suburb - have
a profound dissatisfacrion wírh rhe
way we live, and a deep and cynícal
despair that things wi ll ever change."
What Must Chaoge
The greatest shorrcoming of
human leadership may nor be merely
rhar ir has failed ro fulfill irs promise
ro bring a berrer wodd, bur rhat ir
has failed ro admit, or even recognize,
its own human incompleteness.
Governmenr based upon rhe
srrengrh of human leaders is simply
inadec¡uare ro do rhe job. Somerhing
is missing - and given rhe nighr–
marish rimes in which we live, rhat
somerhing musr be found, and fasr.
And rhe greatesr news you or I
could possibly hear is thar rhis miss–
ing dimension in leadership
is
soon ro
be supplied. The source of rhis
dimension will surprise many. But
rhar doesn't change rhe facrs. A new
governmenr is on che horizon, one
44
we need ro be well aware of before irs
establishment even rhough we will
have absolurely no parr in "voring"
ir
inro office.
W orld Goveroment -
Impossible Dream?
Men from rime immemorial have
conceived of one world government
ruling over aU of manki nd. Experrs
rhe world over are convinced ir is rhe
one and o nly means
of
arraining lasr–
ing un iry among narions. Bur rhey
agree as well rhat, given the presenr
circumstances, ir is all bur impossible
ro achieve.
After all, who would be picked ro
rule ic? A frenchman? A German? A
Russian? Or an American? And
where would rhe capi tal be ser up? In
London, or Tokyo? Moscow, or
Peking?
And besides rhese obsracles, what
form of government would be
acceprable ro all naüons?
W
ould che
Chinese, for example, willingly bear
allegiance ro a non-communist
aurhoriry? Or would the United
Srates submir ro a non-democraric
aurhoriry?
How could all the people possibly
be broughr rogerher with one mind,
purring aside rhe selfish intereses of
their own personal modes of life?
Any racional individual can clearly
see rhar in our present sociery any
rhought of mankind coming rogerher
in polirical harmony rhe wodd over is
wishful thinking.
Bu t
l t W ill
H appen!
Yet despi te all ehese obsracles, a
literal world governmenr, geared for
rhe good of all peoples and nacions,
will be a realicy on chis earth wirhin
this very generarion.
Think of ir: one world sysrem
of
courrs and jusrice, one esrablished ser
of laws, one common language, even
one universal religion, all based upon
outgoing concern for rhe common
welfare of al ] men.
And chis government will be
scaffed and ec¡uipped as no orher ro
finally provide rhar missing dimen–
sion in leadershi p: to ral, absolute
authority
of sufficienr srrengrh and
characrer ro bring all narions into
obedient,
happy
submission!
No man or human governmenr
can bring abou r world peace or, for
tbar marrer, even heal divisive ele–
men es wirhin an individual sociery.
The reason is simple. Man lacks rhe
power and aurhority needed ro decree
rhac al! narions and ethnic groups live
rogerher in peace. Man lacks rhe wis–
dom ro devise and enforce a ser of
laws rhat, if obeyed, would automar–
ically bring prosperiry and happiness
ro all people.
Bur rhere is a
way
for us to enrer
inro rhis rype
of
ideal, abundanr
sociery.
History Sets the
Srage
The mosr accurare historical record
goes back approximarely six thousand
years to the point where mankind
began. The accounr is found in rhe
ofren misunderstood Bíblica] book of
Genesis.
According ro chis wrirren record,
man was creared by the great Crearor
of everyrhing rhat exisrs. Man was
offered che incredible opportuniry of
being governed and protecred by rhe
governmenr of rhis all-wise God. But
che first man rejecred char divine offer
- and his ancestors have followed in
his foorsreps ro rhis very day.
Cenruries larer, rhe ancienr narion
of
Israel was given a similar oppor–
runiry. Offered a long list of bless–
ings, such as guaranreed prorecrion
from enemies, bountifuJ barvests and
personal healrh and happiness, ancienr
Israel refused ro obey rhe laws rhar
would auromarically lead ro all rhese
good and rightly desired things. They
chose, instead, a government of men.
In due time rheir men-led govern–
menrs became corrupr, man ipulated
by selfish intereses. Finally rhe divided
narion fe!! into oblivion.
And so it is roday. Tbe Unired
Srares professes ro be "one nacion
under God." Bur God is no longer
PLAIN TRUTH November 1972