Twenty Years Behind

W.G. De Vries, writing in the March 20 Reformatie cited an article by L. Strengholt in Contact, the periodical of the Christian Reformed women’s organization. The author wrote (freely translated) that a minister of one of the large Dutch denominations, in a catechism class in which he was attempting to acquaint his listeners with some of the smaller, orthodox churches such as the Christian Reformed (Dutch, not ours) said “They are twenty years behind.” The writer expressed gratification at hearing this because formerly it was often said that they were a half century behind. Evidently they were “catching up.”

The belittling charge of being behind the times is encountered at all points, regarding liturgy, kinds of preaching, views of the Bible and doctrine, morals and customs, abortion and euthanasia. In that charge there is often an element of deep sympathy with those deplorable people who didn’t move along with their times. Sometimes it gets a prophetic twist, a well-intended encouragement. “It will not be long before you find yourselves at the point which we reached a long while ago.”

I have the impression that the charge in the case of many people arises out of a less arrogant way of thinking and that there is perhaps in it an awareness of inevitability, as though one would say to the stragglers, “Actually, we agree with you, but in our time one simply can’t work with such outdated ideas. The changes are irresistible. We have to move with our times.”

This way of thinking and talking almost always implies the figure of speech of a road, away along which everyone moves as a leader, or is dragged as a straggler, evidently with the great mass of people in between. One encounters this metaphor everywhere, and it is an extremely suggestive one. In discussions it makes real arguments superfluous. One who is labeled “old-fashioned” may as well keep his mouth shut; his arguments are of no importance.

Critically noting that this dismissing arguments with such labels is found in conservative as well as liberal circles, the writer went on to observe that the people who say, “With such ideas you are behind t he times; in a year or two you will think as we do” do not realize that this fallacious argument is a boomerang. It strikes them as well as those against whom they use it. They too will find themselves moving away from the point at which they now are. Their confidence of being right at present becomes on the basis of this way—metaphor a very dubious business.

Furthermore, this idea of a development in which people sooner or later are carried along wipes out the responsibility of a man for his own choice regarding a way of thinking or living. The development is like a broad river in which everyone is carried along, whether he will or not. A definite conviction (regarding the family as an institution of God, for example) is for these people who appeal to the “way” idea, not the result of a choice of position, but just a phenomenon that appears and disappear s in the stream of time. In principle one simply goes along with the stream. The moral of this story is that we must not let ourselves be influenced by arguments that simply amount to whether an idea is “up-to” or “out–of–date.” One who would influence others should come with genuine arguments.

In conclusion, our views must not depend on whether they are old or new. In our turbulent times, just as in all other times, let us in our thinking, actions and speech be governed by the Word and Spirit of God. If that is the case, we will be ruled by other considerations than the question of whether or not something is “up–to-date.”

The notorious professor, Harry M. Kuitert in his book The Necessity of Faith maintained that “Christianity has no specific norms or values of its own” (p. 92), but, like other religions, endorses those it finds in society. This may be true of the churches in which Kuitert has a leading influence and which continue to tolerate him (the GKN, mother churches of many of us). But the Lord warned us that the “Christianity” and the church that simply moves with the times and conforms to its surrounding society is apostate, a “salt” which has “lost its savor” and is “thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men” (Matt. 5:13). We are enjoined to “be not conformed to this world; but be . . . transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

P.D.J.

Missionaries in Politics

Some are urging that our missions and missionaries ought to involve themselves more deeply in the political and social problems of the lands in which they labor. Such a policy appears to be misguided in principle and destructive in practice. Neither the Bible’s precept nor example encourages it.

The biographical article in the June 18, 1982 Christianity Today on the life of Cameron Townsend, founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators, recounts this incident.

In the months before his death Townsend came under sharp fire for cooperating with authoritarian, even oppressive regimes. He listened to those critics with confusion and dismay. “But don’t they realize we are the guest of those governments?” he asked. “We are there to serve the neglected people—to give them the Bible and to improve their lives. If we foment unrest, we will be asked to leave immediately, and then who will help them?”

P.D.J.