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Clergy and the United Nations

An editorial in the Houston (Texas) Chronicle was reprinted, because of its unusual nature, in the Graham (Texas) Leader of November 6, 1958, under the heading “Government No Affair of Church”: “In the constitution of the state of Maryland, there is a provision which reads: ‘No minister or preacher of the gospel or of any religious creed or denomination shall be eligible as senator or delegate.’ This was very wisely designed to preserve separation of church and state. Precedent for this attitude is to be found in the Bible itself where Christ is quoted as admonishing the Pharisees when they tried to trick him: ‘Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.’ Those clergymen, members of the International Convention of Christian Churches, who met in St. Louis last week would have done well to keep these things in mind. While some at this convention voiced sturdy disagreement, the overwhelming majority passed a resolution proposing that Congress enact legislation to permit the individual taxpayer to give up to 2 percent of his income tax to the United Nations instead of paying it to the United States.”

Another Scripture that could have been quoted is James 4:4: “Do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.”