underdeveloped society.” Where did the Puritans get that doctrine? From the Bible.

The United States Congress voted two million tons of wheat for starving India in 1951, which provided temporary relief. In view of the foregoing might not the question be asked, Was India starving because of its bad weather and insect scourges or because of its bad religion? And therefore may not two million Bibles have done more toward permanently remedying the situation than two million tons of wheat?

BIBLE’S SUPERIOR WISDOM

Let Universalist minister, Roman Catholic priest and university professor of world religion and church history keep looking to Hinduism for its “millennial wisdom.” The Christian who has faith in the Bible as God’s Word and understands it will make no such mistake. He knows that Jehovah God is the fountain of life, that life is his choicest possession, a blessing and not a curse. (Ps. 36:9; 118:17; Rom. 6:23) He knows that by taking a wise course he makes Jehovah’s heart glad.—Prov. 27:11.

He knows that true wisdom or truth is not innate or original with himself, that it ‘is not in man that walks to direct his steps,’ but that all this can be found in books, the sixty-six books of the Bible. (Jer. 10:23; John 17:17) He knows that the Bible is a light for his path. (Ps. 119:105) From it he learns that God has made from one man all nations and that God does not recognize caste distinctions. (Acts 10:34; 17:26, NW) He knows that far from considering any of the lower animals as superior to man, God gave man dominion over the lower animals to serve man’s purposes, for joy of association, for beasts of burden, and for food and clothing. (Gen. 1:26; 3:21; 9:3) He knows that a husband should treat his wife with consideration, loving her as himself. (Eph. 5:28; 1 Pet. 3:7) And he knows that diligence and thrift are pleasing to God and that he condemns indolence and wastefulness.—Prov. 6:6; 18:9; 22:29.

He also knows that to make over his personality requires, not “interiorization,” but the making over of his mind with God’s thoughts, with an accurate knowledge of the truth. (Matt. 16:23; Rom. 12:2; Col. 3:9, 10, NW) And the prospect that thrills him is not total extinction or nirvana, but the hope of everlasting life in God’s new world of righteousness.—John 17:3; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:4.

Taking the Popular Side?

Meddling in politics can embarrass a religion. Take, for example, the instance 143 years ago when Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was leading Mexico’s war for independence. Spain, from which Mexico wanted freedom, was especially Catholic, and the Hierarchy sided with it. Four bishops blasted Hidalgo with the top excommunication in the canon, Si quis suadente diabolo, and the archbishop backed them up.

Now, however, Hidalgo is a national hero and Mexico is celebrating the second centennial of his birth this year. Catholic authorities have been challenged to make an official statement on whether the ban still stands, and Catholic writers are trying to explain that since the bishops overlooked certain technicalities, their action was invalid and the excommunication was never really in force.