The First Loyalty [part I of “Faith at Work”] 1/11/48
Scripture: Exodus 20: 1-17
Text: Exodus 20: 3; “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
Many thinking people are convinced that two vigorous points of view now compete for the mastery of human beings on earth. One of these points of view -- at present a vigorous, victorious system -- rejects, completely in theory, though noot altogether in practice, most of the spiritual heritage of the western world. Particularly it rejects the Judeo-Christian tradition. I refer to Soviet Russia’s atheism.
This rejection it combines with a vigorous acceptance of science and the fruits of scientific research; and a fierce idealism concerning the economic betterment of the common man through practice of communism. Of course the source of this idealism is in the Christian tradition; but this is not recognized in the communistic system.
Russia is most truly representative of this point of view, though it has numerous admirers in many lands, particularly in China, North Korea, North Vietnam, and Cuba.
The other point of view is the one generally accepted in our own culture. It is in the chief tradition of Western civilization in Europe, North and South America, and [here] in Hawaii and elsewhere in Pacific island countries; it also has a major foothold in parts of Africa. In theory, we combine the moral and religious heritage of Greece and Palestine with an economic system which seeks to provide a maximum of individual liberty. Of course this individual liberty is modified by the necessity for order, and a thorough utilization of science and the technical products of science.
Our Western point of view also emerged victorious from the preliminary struggles of war (World War II, and subsequent struggles in the Far East) with great consciousness of strength. The struggle for dominance between these two point of view -- both vigorous and victorious at the moment -- is scarcely more than begun. We of this age seem to be in for a vigorous contest, for the two views are in sharp conflict. For the moment, our Western way has had the advantage of great power, riches and physical resource.
But, no matter how powerful we may be, we shall decline as a people unless we can produce the attitudes which will make our scientific discoveries and technological progress a benefit, a boon to mankind, as they should be. We have known this for a long time. But time has now become short. And we must move swiftly in the direction of ethical improvement if we are to save and maintain Western civilization. [We have recently seen more clearly how important is honesty in government.]
Most of us take our way of thinking so much for granted that we do not stop to reflect that our idea of what is right is based on our religious and moral heritage, the Hebrew and the Christian religions, as revealed in the Old Testament and New Testament. While I was a graduate student in theological seminary, it was a good friend of mine who was then studying in the law school of the same university who said to me one day, “Bob, you know, don’t you, that both the British system of law and the American systems of law are based on the Ten Commandments.” I had not realized it until then; but I have not forgotten it since.
Because of sectarian and denominational differences within Christianity, Americans do very little teaching of religion as such in the public schools. In fact many states forbid sectarian instruction in the schools. Even in some states, the reading of the Bible is ruled out because of lack of agreement on the particular translation to be used.
And yet the fundamental verities, the truths, of the Christian faith are not sectarian. The 23rd Psalm is not sectarian. Nor is the Lord’s Prayer, except as between Christian and Jew. Nor are the Ten Commandments. All children might learn them -- and their homes should see to it that they do learn them. Here are the same truths put in verse.
Above all else love God alone;
Bow down to neither wood nor stone.
God’s name refuse to take in vain;
The Sabbath rest with care maintain.
Respect your parents all your days;
Hold sacred human life always.
Be loyal to your chosen mate;
Steal nothing, neither small nor great.
Report, with truth, your neighbor’s deed;
And rid your mind of selfish greed.
The Ten Commandments constitute the chief formulation of the ethical creed of the West.
To strengthen the conscious observance of the Commandments is to strengthen our civilization. To neglect their knowledge and precept is to allow our very foundations to fall into decay.
Today we consider briefly the first of these ten moral laws. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. Do not have any God but the one true God.
Elton Trueblood has remarked that there is an enormous gap between the numbers one and two. The difference between succeeding numbers, like 2 to 3, or 5 to 6, is not so great. For instance, a man who has two wives is in the same class with one who has 3 wives or more -- both are polygamists. Both divide their deep affections. But both are entirely different from the man who, because he will not divide his affection, is loyal to one wife.
It is well recognized that we cannot be completely loyal to two nations. Complete allegiance to one nation eliminates the possibility of complete allegiance to another nation. In this fashion also, people must choose, not only between states, but between state and something else so far as highest spiritual priority is concerned. The recognition of this truth and the proper choice of first loyalty is of crucial importance for an individual or for society.
An illustration of this importance is found in Martin Niemoller’s book, God be my Fuhrer. It is an incidental oddity that American enthusiasm for Niemoller cooled very swiftly when it was said he had offered to enlist in the German navy during World War II. There was never any question as to whether he owed allegiance to his own country or a foreign country. He is a German.
But Niemoller’s spiritual battle was with a state which had demanded first loyalty of all its inhabitants. The German state, like the Japanese empire, had been put in the place of deity. In Germany, the word, the dictates, even the whims of one man, Adolph Hitler, had been ruthlessly put at the head of the state - and that state above all else!! To this, Niemoller said, “Nein!”
The brave opposition to Hitler, within Germany, was provided by Christian groups - by people like Niemoller, and no one else. To the complete surprise of outsiders, such as Dr. Einstein, it was churches alone -- not universities, not scientists and scholars, not the press, not any patriotic society -- but churches alone that bravely spoke out for a higher loyalty and authority than that of the state and its fuhrer.
Remember that Neimoller was imprisoned for 8 long years! What made churches, and men like the imprisoned pastor, stand up in this courageous opposition? What did they have that universities, newspapers and labor unions of Germany did not have?
They had the First Commandment: “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me!” Any people is safe from acquiescence in wanton tyranny if it keeps clearly in mind that the first loyalty is to the Living God, who is the only worthy object of such loyalty.
Our historic religion thus leads not to some kind of false and easy tolerance, but to the sharpest kind of distinctions. Our pure religion is the final enemy of all totalitarian systems.
Our loyalty to God provides us with the true basis of human equality and dignity. The humanistic context of the Declaration of Independence that “all people are created equal” is nonsense by itself. For people are not equal. They do not equal each other in personal appearance. Abraham Lincoln looked quite different from Joe Louis. People are not equal in aptitudes. Paderewski and Chiang Kai Shek have been men of differing capabilities. People differ as to abilities, stature and so on - at the human level. And yet before God, people are truly equal in a profound sense, with a personal dignity springing from the knowledge that each person is precious in the sight of God.
Only the preservation of our first loyalty to God preserves the dignity of mankind and the equality of all people -- before God.
One more observation I would make this morning: We had best give a good deal of time to our religious reminder that one is our Father and all we are his alone.
Dean Inge is quite right when he said that if we spend 16 hours a day dealing with tangible things and only 5 minutes trying to find God, it is no wonder that the tangible things of our world are 200 times as real to our minds as is God.
God needs more attentive ears and hearts through whom to make his Will known in the earth. How else can we be his hands and feet and voice to do His will?
Loyalty to God -- and attention to His Will -- is not only first in the list of Commandments, but first in importance to right human living.
Let us all make our choices accordingly. “Thou shalt have no other gods .....”
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Dates and places delivered:
Wisconsin Rapids, January 11, 1948
Waioli Church, January 12, 1975