their message for all time in a form which they themselves would especially deprecate, we should be gravely disturbed if . . . they contemplated returning to continue their tiresome habit of saying uncomfortable things. I do not know . . . what response would ensue if Christianity were set out before men in all its original freshness.”

But that response is known. It is known by hundreds of thousands of persons who, having come out of all nations, races and tongues, have themselves responded. They have responded to the “healthful teaching” from which the masses turn away. Yes, they have responded to the good news of God’s kingdom being preached world-wide by the New World society of Jehovah’s witnesses.

And why have they responded? Because they see in the New World society the Christlike fruits of love, true Christian morality and teaching that is not watered down to please those who want their ears tickled. They see where Christendom’s easy religion is leading the masses, and they know the Bible principle: “If, then, a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” So they have made the decision that affects their eternal destiny.—Matt. 15:14.

Easy religion or original Christianity—which will it be for you?

Gunfire in Church

STRANGE headline appeared in the June 17, 1957, issue of the Beirut Daily Star—“19 Killed in Zghorta Church Shooting.” What had brought on this shocking episode? For the answer we must know something of a family feud in Zghorta, a mountain village in the northern part of Lebanon. It is composed of Maronite Catholics, a branch of the Roman Catholic religion. In this Maronite village live two large, powerful families called Dweihi and Franjieh. For some time there has been a feud between these two families. Gunfire often results. “When they are feuding,” reports Time magazine, “they are careful to go to church and ask God’s help in aiming their guns, and even when they are on the run, they seldom miss Sunday Mass.” Recently a strange clash brought the feud to a climax.

During the funeral of a one-time mayor and cousin of the Maronite bishop of Tripoli, a member of the Dweihi family made a speech. It was considered derogatory to the present deputy from the district, who is a Franjieh. This came about after a Catholic priest named Simaan Dweihi put himself in politics: he nominated himself as a candidate for parliament on the government ticket. This was not to the pleasing of Hamid Franjieh, a leading spokesman for the opposition. There were suspicions that priest Dweihi had entered politics to discredit the Franjieh family and to thwart Hamid Franjieh’s chances at the presidency.

Family rivalries aggravated by the political campaign grew more tense. Maronite priest Simaan, said Time magazine, “usually totes a large pistol on his clerical rounds, and seldom travels without an escort of four or five gun-packing kinsmen.” Shooting started in the churchyard, interrupting a solemn procession of six red-robed bishops and more than 100 bearded priests. Pistols barked. Machine guns erupted. Pandemonium broke out. Soon bullets started to fly in the heart of the church itself, where some 2,000 people were in attendance for the memorial service of a neighborhood sheik. Pistol-packing priest Dweihi fled to the sacristy for refuge but sustained a bullet wound in his hand. For fifteen minutes, according to newspapers, “thousands of bullets were fired.” When the shooting ended, more than 100 persons had been wounded. Nineteen persons lay dead. Four days later the death toll reached thirty, with ten still in critical condition. Eleven persons had been killed within the church itself. At least one child and one woman died, and three priests were killed. Three other priests were wounded.

A priest in politics had led to tragic results.