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giant shadow of the H-bomb. De–
struction could come any day, any
time, any bour. And you and I
would be no more.
Y
es, we have more education and
knowledge today. But that merely
increases our capacity to kili and de–
stroy one another.
Noted American columnist Sid–
ney J. Harris summed
it
up in these
words: "The problem is this: that in–
tellectual knowledge is additive,
while moral knowledge is not. What
this means is that each generation
knows more than the last,
but acts
no better....
"Moral knowledge does not seem
to increase from generation to gen–
eration. All we learn from the past is
to commit the same mistakes in
greater volume and with more con–
sequences."
With the advent of the hydrogen
bomb and guided missiles, this scan–
dalous lack of moral and spiritual
values in modero knowledge as–
sumes truly frightening proportions.
At this point in human history, we
cannot afford to keep making the
same mistakes over and over. The
result - as world leaders admit -
may well be world suicide!
Yet, in spite of having to live with
the ever-growing reality of cosmo–
cide for almost 20 years, modero
education, science, and philosophy
have come up with virtually nothing
to alleviate this dangerous situation.
That is truly catastrophic.
Find the c;:ause
Is there a way that can bring an
end to all war, an end to mounting
crime, violence, broken bornes, teen–
age pregnancies, babies born blind
beca use of venereal diseases,
mounting drug abuse and deep per–
sonal frustrations nearly every–
where?
It sounds like quite an order. But
the genuine solution to these prob–
lems is as absolute as it is practica!.
Many international, national,
civic and prívate "do-good" organi–
zations are busily trying to find solu-
18
tions to the above problems. They
are composed of sincere roen and
women. Often, they do a certain
amount of good - in a very limited
way and for a limited time - within
an overall framework which never
changes. For they are only treating
a few of the symptoms of war,
crime, violence, broken homes, etc.
They are not getting at the real
cause of these tragic ills.
There is a cause for every effect.
So to truly solve the above prob–
lems, we need to find their cause.
Far beneath the immediate prov–
ocations, there is a single, basic
cause or underlying reason for man–
kind's basic ills, as listed above. One
way of putting it would be to say
that human nature is tbe culprit.
And that is true. But let's get spe–
cific. In what way does human na–
ture cause war, crime and other
problems? And is there an opposite
way that would genuinely insure
peace and happiness?
A "Law of Liberty"?
To most people, certainly in–
cluding many in the field of religion,
"law" has a foreboding, depressing
connotation. Most businesses and
organizations publish guidelines or
sorne type of suggested behavioral
code. And the government only uses
the term "law" when a serious rule
involving a penalty for disobedience
is involved.
So, as a society, we tend to have
this negative feeling about law. It
should not be so. For the great Cre–
ator, the God of your Bible, has re–
vealed a way of life based on law. It
is a way that most professing Chris–
tians have heard practically nothing
abou
t.
Yet
it
is, in fact, the way that
is
going to solve the world's major
·problems within the normal life–
span of most of you reading this ar–
ticle!
The Son ofGod, Jesus Christ, was
asked, "Master, which is the great
commandment in the law?"
He answered, "Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind. This is the first and great
commandment. And the second is
like unto it, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself. On these two
commandments hang all the law
and the prophets" (Matthew 22:36-
40).
Notice! All other laws of God
hang on orare outgrowths and rnag–
nifications of these two great spiri–
tual prinicples. There are ten
commandments in God's great spir–
itual law. The first four tell us how
to !ove and honor God; the last six
teU us how to love our neighbor.
Man needs these laws today more
than ever before. Mankind is liter–
ally sick from its ignorance and ne–
glect and consequent disobedience
of these rules frorn our Creator.
Again, Jesus was asked: "Good
Master, what good thing shall I do,
that
1
may have eternallife?"
He answered, "Why callest thou
me good? There is none good but
one, that is, God: but if thou wilt
enter into life, keep the command–
ments. He saith unto him, Which?
Jesus said, Thou shalt do no mur–
der, Thou shalt not commit adul–
tery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou
shalt not bear false witness, Honour
thy father and thy mother: and,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself" (Matthew 19: 16-19).
Notice that Jesus, in answering,
nanied sorne of the Ten Command–
ments - particularly, in this case,
those telling man how to love his
neighbor. For the religious leaders
of that da
y
had become overly strict
with respect to the first four com–
mandments. But they were weak
and lax in regard to the last six.
Whenever Jesus spoke of the law
of God - or "the commandments"
- he was always referring to that
great SP.iritual law, the Decalogue,
or Ten Commandments, which were
set forth at Mount Sinai. He carne to
"magnify" and expound this law to
its full spiritual intent and glory
(Isaiah 42:21).
PLAIN TRUTH February 1973