Tag Archives: Churches of Christ

Is pacifism on the rise?

16 Replies

Is pacifism on the rebound within churches of Christ? It certainly seems so to me. Just as the period between World War I and World War II saw a return to pacifism, so I think cultural conditions in recent years have allowed for a similar rise.

Barring an actual enemy invasion of U.S. territory, I think that pacifism can only grow within our brotherhood here in the U.S. The generation most vehemently opposed to pacifism is the World War II generation, followed closely by their children.

I want to spend some time exploring some topics related to pacifism and violence/non-violence. Some will tire of this discussion, and that’s fine. I long ago gave up any illusions of writing a wildly popular blog. I’m well aware that there is lots of reading material out there on the Internet, so if someone wishes for a change of topic, they will have more than ample opportunity to find something. If nothing else, just follow some of the links on the right side of this page.

But writing these things out helps me to think them through. And the response I get often steers me back on course when I opt for a disastrous path. So I’ll be thinking out loud for a bit.

The Decline of Pacifism in Churches of Christ: Cordell Christian College

8 Replies

Yesterday we looked at government censure of the Gospel Advocate during World War I. This was a serious blow to pacifist thinking within churches of Christ. Another setback was the closing of Cordell Christian College in Oklahoma.

Cordell was headed by a man named J.N. Armstrong. Armstrong held to what Richard Hughes calls “an apocalyptic worldview.” This viewpoint was fairly common in our brotherhood in the late 19th century, putting a strong emphasis on the Kingdom of God vs. the kingdoms of this earth. Among other things, such a view typically leads to a refusal to participate in war.

This apocalyptic thinking became common among the faculty at Cordell Christian, a fact which did not please the pro-war community around them. In particular, the Selective Service board felt that Cordell was not giving sufficient encouragement to its students to enlist in the military. When faculty member S.A. Bell published an anti-war article in the Gospel Herald, that was perceived to be the final straw. The Selective Service board intervened, demanding the resignation of Armstrong, Bell and all faculty members who held to a pacifist viewpoint. Rather than accede to these demands, Cordell Christian College closed its doors.

How could I have forgotten about this incident? (BTW, Bobby V. reminded me in the comments yesterday that there was an entire chapter on this closure in his book Kingdom Come) How could we as a brotherhood have forgotten? I hear people talk about their fear that government might someday tell preachers what they can and can’t preach. We’ve already been there! And we as a brotherhood acquiesced, bowed our heads and quietly muttered, “Hail, Caesar!”

I know that it’s easy to judge what has happened in the past. You really have to have been there to have known what really happened. But I can’t help but see this as one of the low points for our brotherhood. Even if we don’t agree, we should be willing to stand and defend a brother’s right to preach what he sees in Scripture. I pray that history will not repeat itself on this matter.

“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness” (Acts 4:29)

(Bobby V. was gracious enough to share with me the chapter that he contributed to a book that was published in memory of Mike Casey. Bobby’s article was titled “‘David Lipscomb of Texas’ Vs. David Lipscomb of Nashville: R. L. Whiteside’s Rejection of Lipscomb’s Pacifism”)

The Decline of Pacifism in Churches of Christ

26 Replies

OK, so I was wrong. Wrong with a capital R. I know that surprises no one, but it’s frustrating to me because I wasn’t wrong so much out of ignorance (like normal), but wrong out of forgetfulness.

I forgot about Cordell Christian College. And World War I. OK, maybe I didn’t forget about WWI, but when I said that the churches of Christ were predominantly pacifistic up until WWII, I was forgetting the first world war. (Which wasn’t really the first world war, but they’re not going to change the history books now)

On my shelves, I have the book Decades of Destiny: A History of Churches of Christ from 1900-2000. I’ve read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. So how could I forget that Lynn McMillon’s chapter on 1910-1920 is titled “The End of Pacifism”?

So let’s back up a bit. During the Civil War, the Restoration Movement found itself divided, both geographically and philosophically. Generally speaking, the churches in the North supported the war, while those in the South discouraged their members from fighting. (I’m painting with broad strokes, I know) More than doctrine, this is what led to the split between the Disciples of Christ and the churches of Christ (a scenario which played out in many other religious groups).

Leaders like David Lipscomb took strong stands against Christians joining the military. When the Spanish-American War came, it wasn’t hard for Christians to see through the pretenses behind the war and refuse to get involved. But then came World War I.

By the time World War I arrived, churches of Christ no longer found themselves on the wrong side of the tracks. [You might read Mike Casey’s article “From religious outsiders to insiders: the rise and fall of pacifism in the Churches of Christ.” Not sure how long that link will be valid, but you can read the article there for now.] Now an accepted part of society, they felt a stake in the preservation of that society.

What’s more, the government saw to it to persecute Christians who dared use their influence to discourage others from participating in the war. Two large targets were attacked directly. One was the Gospel Advocate, a publication long known for its pacifist views. During the Spanish-American War, the magazine had republished a letter presented to the governor of Tennessee during the Civil War which declared that the churches of Christ “believe that all Military Service or connexion with Military Service is entirely incompatible with the Spirit and requirements of the Christian religion.” During World War I, Caesar, err, the government threatened to arrest J.C. McQuiddy under the Espionage Act if he didn’t stop publishing pieces promoting pacifism. In July 1917, the Advocate stopped publishing peace articles for the rest of the war. McQuiddy also helped the government persuade preacher Price Billingsley to stop denouncing pro-war Christians.

Tomorrow I’ll do my best to retell the story of Cordell Christian College. Those who know it better than I can be prepared to chime in. And you’re always more than welcome to offer comments and corrections on the story thus far.

Carl Spain and racism

21 Replies

When I was in school, I had Carl Spain as a professor. Admittedly, he seemed to be riding out the years he had left until retirement. The classes I had were enjoyable enough, but they mainly consisted of him telling stories about his ministry.

There was a story he didn’t tell us. It happened 50 years ago, on February 24, 1960. Dr. Spain was a popular preacher, holding meetings across the country. He was invited to give one of the main addresses at the Abilene Christian College Lectureship. The ACU website describes the lecture as follows:

At Lectureship, Bible professor Carl Spain gave a lecture entitled “Modern Challenges to Christian Morals.” Word spread that his lecture would concern the issue of integration. When Spain spoke on February 24 in Sewell Auditorium there was standing room only and, for the first time in Lectureship history, the Associated Press carried a daily story.

This was 3 years before Martin Luther King led the march on Washington. Spain’s words sound racist today, but they were courageous in their day. Here are a couple of quotes:

” … I feel certain Jesus would say: ‘Ye hypocrites! You say you are the only true Christians, and make up the only true church, and have the only Christian schools. Yet, you drive out one of your own preachers [from your school] because the color of his skin is dark!”

“We fear the mythical character named Jim Crow more than we reverence Jesus Christ.”

This act of valor virtually ruined Spain’s preaching career. Churches canceled the meetings he was scheduled to preach. Anonymous letters and phone calls made threats on Spain’s life. His own brothers in Christ made his life a nightmare.

The Carl Spain I had in class was a pleasant, godly man. Only later did I learn of his courageous words and the high cost he paid for delivering them.

You can read the text of Spain’s lecture on the ACU website.