Practical Thoughts on Office-Bearing in the Eighties

When choosing this subject to speak about at the Synodical Office-bearers’s Conference [1988], I had the youth of the congregation in mind. Our youth need guidance and direction in the technical world of today. While conversing with one of our educators, he made the statement, “I do not think you can mention any contemporary issue, but the youth will know much about it, even more than their elders” —elders meaning their parents, officebearers, and possibly even their teachers. He also said, “They have read books you and I would not want to read.” Books which only serve to pollute their minds and tempt them to sin.

Am I painting a dark picture? I fear this is the truth, not with all the youth, but with more than we realize. There are young people under our care who have questions—questions which they cannot easily ask of their parents, teachers, ministers, or elders; questions which did not confront most of us about practical matters and issues in our day. The material available to them, of a worldly and sinful nature, is easy to find. It tells them about a carefree life of fun, tells them to be yourself— you are the one who decides what is right or wrong—tells them they need not bow under authority, and tells them about things we do not care to mention in this house of God.

The inventions of today are very much a means to ruin, especially for the young. I mention only two:

Videos

Videos can serve a good purpose. Recently, one of our mission workers gave us a good view, with video, of what takes place on the mission field. But the misuse of this invention is indeed great. Indeed, most of what is shown on TV is wicked and God dishonoring and must be warned against, but what is shown and heard on some videos is not even permitted to be shown on public TV. In Michigan, an eighteen-year old is permitted to rent adult video tapes. Imagine an eighteen-year old renting a video which is unacceptable, and showing this to younger boys and girls!

Tape Players

I need not mention the good use tape players can serve. But again, the ungodly material on tapes is very real. The songs and music are bent on ruining both body and soul, especially of the young. It is not uncommon that God’s Name is blasphemed and sin glorified on tape recordings. I fear this is one of the most common evils of the youth of the NRC. With their own cars, in which much time is spent, how easy to listen to a tape recording!

Future generations may reap the good fruit of our actions today, or the bitter fruit of our inaction today.

Besides inventions, there is the printed material so easily available. Pornography, obscene and explicit sex magazines and books are so readily available at convenience stores, drug stores and even supermarkets today. Words are not able to explain the wicked, beastly, and inhuman scenes and acts of pornography. It is not fitting to mention in detail the acts which result from this material. Communities which have cracked down on obscenity have realized a drop in sex crimes. This clearly reveals the consequences of pornography and obscenity. The following is a quote taken from the Grand Rapids Press:

“Dar Vander Ark, executive director of the Michigan Decency Action Council, said, ‘Community activism is an effective way of ridding communities of X-rated material. Communities that have cracked down on obscenity, such as Cincinnati, New Orleans, and Fort Lauderdale, have realized a drop in sex crimes, he said.

“‘Despite such successes, X-rated movies have proliferated with the growing number of video rental agencies,’ Vander Ark said. ‘There are 40,000 video outlets in the United States, nearly three-quarters of which rent triple X-rated videos.’ he said. ‘Those are now going into our homes,’ he said. ‘It’s only going to stop when people like you and me stand up and say enough is enough.’ He urged the residents to identify problem spots in the community, understand obscenity laws, and learn to make proper complaints with police.”

I have mentioned inventions and printed material, but there are also national issues and laws which were unknown fifteen, ten, or even five years ago:

1. Abortion, contraceptives, planned parenthood with all that is connected with these issues

2. The openness of the homosexual and lesbian groups

3. Those who favor euthanasia

4. Humanism

Abortion

The practice of abortion calls us to continually use all the means in our power to oppose this practice. Our children and youth are growing up with this sin all around us. Not a day passes that mention is not made of abortion by the news media. Today’s news media is in favor of this practice. Are we not in danger of growing accustomed to abortion?

The story is told of a blacksmith who always kept a dog with him in his shop. His dog grew old and died, and the blacksmith purchased another dog. On the first day that his new dog was with him, the smith began to strike the hot metal, so that sparks flew about. His new dog did not know where to turn, from fear. For some time, the animal remained as far away as possible. Slowly on, it came a little closer by, but still with eyes open. But finally the day came when it lay asleep nearby, even with sparks of hot metal falling close to him.

Is not this a picture of man? At first troubled, but slowly on, becoming accustomed to even the evil of abortion? May God preserve us from becoming accustomed to this great evil—that our voices may not be silent to oppose, but to pray God that this national tragedy may come to an end. And may our young people discern a real concern in us, as parents and office-bearers, mostly because it is a transgression against the sixth commandment. Moreover, some women become mentally disturbed as a result of an abortion because of the guilt that follows such an act. There is no way to undo what they have done.

Homosexuality and Lesbianism

The openness of the homosexual and lesbian groups today is a matter of great concern. These groups are working hard for civil rights. May our nation be preserved from the day when the law grants them so-called “equal rights.” God’s judgment is already upon us, punishing this wicked lifestyle with the disease of AIDS. We may well be filled with fear for what may still come.

Euthanasia

Those who favor euthanasia are working hard to make this practice legal. Such laws are currently being considered in two states, California and Hawaii, and they are slated for introduction in every state. The same pattern is developing as was years ago by the pro-choice movement for abortion. Long before January, 1973, that sad day when abortion was made legal, they claimed public support for abortion by taking polls. Those who support euthanasia are claiming the same public support today.

Euthanasia, meaning “mercy killing” or “easy death,” may be nearer than we believe, unless with God’s blessing there is a public outcry against this sin against the sixth commandment. If euthanasia should become legal, then it will go even further than just the terminally ill, elderly, and disabled. It is likely that the pattern of the abortion movement will be repeated if euthanasia is legalized; millions will be killed by euthanasia. This has been referred to as the last pro-choice frontier, but it is likely that there will be no choice. Pressure will be used upon the elderly, etc., to die. Should euthanasia become the law, something of this nature could take place. The following is a quote from “Concerned Women for America,” by Rita Marker:

“Sally was seventeen years old and a senior in high school. She worked hard at an after-school job to earn money for college. Sally put all her hopes and efforts into those college plans. But last week a letter arrived that shattered her dreams. She’d been notified that she hadn’t been accepted to the school of her choice.

“Yesterday when Sally didn’t return home from school or show up at her job, her parents were concerned. Their alarm grew when she didn’t come home all last night. That wasn’t like Sally, they thought. Had she been in an accident? Had she been abducted? What could have possibly happened?

“This morning her parents’ questions were answered when a call came from the local ‘life planning’ center—an assisted-suicide clinic offering counseling about ‘life choices.’

‘“Mrs. Smith,’ said the caller, ‘Sally asked that I call and let you know she loved you. After carefully considering her options, she made the decision that life was meaningless. Mrs. Smith, I need some information from you. Where would you like us to send her body?’

“Sally’s story hasn’t happened yet. But it could if the plans of the euthanasia movement succeed. Hard to believe? Yes. But twenty years ago it would have been just as difficult to imagine a teenage girl walking into a ‘clinic’ to end her unborn child’s life without her parents knowing about it.”

The sin of immorality is rampant and lies at the bottom of many of the evils of today. The seed of all wickedness lies in all of our hearts. There is no reason for anyone to say,” I am more righteous than you.” It is by the common grace of God alone if we are preserved from gross sin and may live a decently outward life. If our life is such that no man can accuse us of living in sin, then it behooves us to say with the Psalmist of Psalm 115, “Not unto us, not unto us, but unto Thy Name give glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth’s sake.”

What is the calling of the church in regard to these issues?

1. We must continually pray that God will open the eyes of our government and citizens to see sin in the right light, and that there may come a turning away from the ways of sin and wickedness.

2. Our calling is to instruct and educate our own members, especially the youth, of the evil and bitter consequences of the great evils of our time. If such instruction would serve to keep one boy or one girl from committing a ruinous mistake, would it then not already be rewarded?

3. The calling of the church in this regard goes beyond our own membership. We must let our voices be heard in the chambers of our government. We have Synodical Committees in the U.S. and in Canada which keep abreast of national issues. But there are also issues on a state or provincial level, as well as on a local level. Some large cities in the southern part of the United States are almost free from all pornography, and this is because the citizens of those cities, with God’s blessing, worked to rid their local areas of this sinful material. Presently, there is an issue which concerns the state of Michigan about Medicaid-paid abortions—an issue on the state level.

I recall a few years ago that the owners of party stores asked for permission from the local county commission to sell hard liquor on Sundays. The local consistory wrote a letter to the county commissioners asking them to deny this request. A few weeks later there was a reason to acknowledge the Lord because they had denied the party stores’ owners’ request.

We are small in number compared to the population of our nation. But the strength does not lie in us. Jeho-shaphat said, “For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do” (2 Chron. 20:12). We are not able to drive one evil thought from our own mind and heart. The sin and wickedness are as a flood gone over our land. But this does not excuse us from not employing every means we have to resist these evils.

There may be times when battles must be fought on more than one front at a time.

I once read of an event which took place many years ago. A government body was in session. This country was at war and decided to increase the strength of their armed services. To hasten the readiness of the soldiers, a motion was made to train them on the Sabbath day. When the motion was about to pass, an old member arose and said, “I have one objection to make against this motion. I believe in an old book called the Bible!” There was silence in the chamber. Each member was looking at the other member, and immediately the motion was dropped.

One woman once confronted a store owner with a filthy magazine he was selling. The result was that he removed the material from his store.

Again, we are small in number, but we are responsible. We are in a place of leadership. We are citizens of our countries. Must it not grieve us to see our dear nation transgressing so grievously the commandments of the Lord? Must it not concern us that our youth and children are growing up surrounded with such great evils? Future generations may reap the good fruit of our actions today, or the bitter fruit of our inaction today.

What means can we employ to instruct and give guidance to those entrusted to our care? Articles have been addressed to the young in “Insight Into,” questions are answered in the “Banner of Truth.” This work must continue in our fast-moving society where sin is no more sin; where evil is called good, and good evil. There is a need to address matters today which were unknown not too many years ago.

It is necessary to address subjects such as abortion, contraceptives, and planned parenthood together with the inevitable consequences of these evils. It is necessary to explain the evil of videos, tapes, pornography, and the ruinous results of watching, listening, or reading all these. It is necessary, on biblical grounds, to lay open the sin of homosexuality and lesbian lifestyles. It is necessary to tell the truth about the practice of euthanasia. It is necessary to expose the teaching of humanism which is so subtly hidden in many books.

This work needs to be done prayerfully, looking to God like Jehoshaphat, “But our eyes are upon Thee.” But who is sufficient for these things? May God grant willing and qualified people to write about these concerns in our periodicals. Also to speak of these concerns to youth groups from time to time. We should encourage the young to ask questions—to do so in writing if they do not feel free to do so verbally.

There are a number of organizations which are fighting against the evils of today which, we believe, deserve our support:

Right to Life

Decency through Law

Citizens against Pornography

International Anti-euthanasia Task Force

National Federation of Decency

Michigan Decency Action Council

Mothers against Drunk Driving

We need to be informed in order to keep abreast of the issues of today. We cannot act unless we have up-to-date information and understand the issues. We are far on the road to destroying ourselves as a nation; let us not say it is hopeless. Unless I am totally wrong, I believe there is less public support for abortion today than there was in the past, in spite of what the news media may like us to believe.

When a country is at war, there may be times when battles must be fought on more than one front at a time. Today the forces of evil are all around us. May God give us the courage, wisdom, and strength to battle against all these forces of evil on sound biblical principles. May God grant grace to trade with the talents which are entrusted to us, and add His indispensable blessing upon our weak and feeble efforts.

Henry Kamp serves as elder in the First Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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