Is the World Growing Better?
By E. Hilliard
What the Prophetic Word and the Statistics Reveal on the Subject
MILLIONS in the scientific and religious world tell us that the world is getting better. But what are the facts in the case? From both a Scriptural and a statistical standpoint there is irrefragable evidence that we are not approaching a better condition of things in the social world. Religious teachers measure the fancied progress in morality and Christianity with progress in mechanical invention, and declare that the former is keeping pace with the latter. A BISHOP ON SOCIAL CONDITIONS
Under such conditions, it is refreshing to find a few men here and there, in high religious positions, who are not afraid to speak forth their convictions relative to the alarming increase of evil. Such a one is Bishop William M. Bell, of Los Angeles, California. In the Los Angeles Tribune of December 24, under the bold heading, "Pause, Repent, Resolve to Be Better," he gave expression to the following sentiments: "How far short of the incarnation of the Spirit and message of the Saviour of mankind, whose advent we now celebrate, is the present age and civilization! Turn where we will, the heart is soon pained to witness the many indications of our fearful lack in this respect. "In our own fair city, crime is rampant, and both state and church are comparatively inefficient in eliminating it. A messenger boy in his tender teens is ruthlessly slain by a couple of murderers who in advance are willing to snuff out a human life for fewer pieces of silver than were required by the heartless Judas Iscariot. "Society is not half aroused to the sins that lurk in the social order. Individual and corporation rapacity is such as to continue with no blush of shame to exploit the helpless, and men in official position sell themselves and the public welfare for a song. "Many men who are given official honor and trusteeship by the people are almost immediately corrupted and fall from integrity. Men of high ideals compromise with evil for the sake of political preferment, and assume public office with the collar of preferred interests about their necks. "In the midst of our holiday felicitations let us pause to repent of our sins and set our lives in the key of the peace on earth and good will toward men." What a deplorable state of things! Society seems rotten to the core, and the whole social fabric ready to crumble and fall. And yet men will tell us, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that the world is growing better. Both the Bible and statistics clearly prove otherwise. PROPHETIC OF THESE CONDITIONS
The inspired apostle gives no encouragement that our social conditions will be improved, but rather to the contrary informs us that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." 2 Tim. 3:13. Statistics relative to the rapid increase of crime clearly reveal whither the social world is drifting. The Hon. I. C. Parker, judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, has said: "When we go to the facts, we find that during the last six years there have been 43,902 homicides in the United States, an average of 7,317 per year. In the same time there have been 723 legal executions, and 1,118 lynchings. [Italics his.] These startling figures show that crime is rapidly increasing, instead of diminishing. In the year 1895, 10,500 persons were killed, or at the rate of 875 per month; whereas in 1890 there were only 4,290, or less than half as many as in 1895. This bloody record shows a fearful increase of the crime that destroys human life." CRIME MORE THAN SIX HUNDRED FOLD
The rapid increase of crime is not confined to the United States. According to the following excerpt from Blackwood's Magazine, the same conditions exist in Europe: "For the past seventy years crime has increased in England 700 per cent, in Ireland 800 per cent; while the entire population within this period has increased but sixty-five per cent. This certainly shows progress in immorality. It has been estimated, also, that England has 100,000 professional thieves and suspected persons, and 400,000 prostitutes, and that the cost of crime is fifty times more than that expended for religion." Now with crime more than 600 per cent in advance of the growing population, who can expect to be believed when he says that the world is growing better? All we can7hope for out of the teeming corruption is the renovation of a few sinful hearts that are willing to meet the conditions of salvation through repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. In view of the prevailing iniquity, let us heed the admonition of our Saviour: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."