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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1956)
O o 9 o o o o h F ! H tl P 0 t t I f r oh G 0 o o oO 0 Protestant Churches Discuss Rules on Divorce-Remarriage HI ;3 li o - ri "? O m " e O' G tl t r L3 o Br LOUIS CASSELS Washington Ti'J A new Tiew of a long-disputed Bible j passage is leading some Protest ant churches to modify their rule on divorce and remarringe. Tie trend is away from rigid church laws and toward a policy of treating each individual case as a "problem for pastoral coun seling. - Two. Luthern groups the United Lutheran Church and the American Lutheran, Church recently have liberalized their rules to reflect the new policy. Southern Presbyterian took a step in the same direction by giving local church committees power to-decide, eligibility for re-narriage. There is vigorous debate on the question in '.the Methodist ' and Episcopal churches and, sev eral other denominations. . Churchmen who favor the new policy insist that it does not in volve anjr watering-down of the Christian teaching that marriage is a lifelong union and that di vorce is contrary to God's law. They say it is simply a matter of applying the spirit of the whole Christian gospel, rattier than the letter of a 'particular1 Bible passage, .to the human tragedy of a broken marriage.. The opposite point of view held by many Protestants as well as Roman Catholics was stated by Pope Pius XII. He aid Jesus instituted clear and specific "laws 1 of marriage" Which the church "has no right I to change " The. doctrinal dispute centers around Jesus' answer to the Pharisees who asked his attitude toward divorce. The answer, recorded- in Matthew 19:9 of the King James version of the Bible was: "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornica tion, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and who marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." On the basjs of this passage, many Protestant -churches con done divorce if a mate has been unfaithful, and permit remar riage in the church of the in nocent party to a divorce grant ed on grounds of adultery. Modern biblical scholars, how ever, have challenged the auth enticity of the phrase "except it be for fornication." They point out that the gospels of Mark, Luke and John recorded Jesus' answer without the dis puted phrase. They also say it is Incon ceivable that Jesus would de liver a fundamental moral teach: ing about the indissolubility of marriage and then provide a loophole. Strict application of Jesus' words as. recorded by Mark, Luke and John, would mean that a church could never ap prove of divorce and remarriage under any circumstances. Catholic Stand This is the stand which the Catholic church has' taken. The o G O Second Interest Series Starts Sunday At Church ' "Paul's Letters to Local Chufches" will be one of. the interest groups at the second series of the School of Christian living at the First Methodist church? This group will be taught by Dr. Raymond E. Balcomb.. min-. ister of the church". Dr. Halcomb C did graduate wo'rk in .this area of ti Bibtej This interest group o will ilneet in the Meeker Mem oriaL. chapel at 5:30 p.m.. A, "second interest group will led by ttie Rev. George A. Tro " bough. "Family. Forum", and O the firjt session will be called "Bjrond the Vows." Thi inter est group will meet in the li brary, room 105. from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. This will be a sharing group experience. , ' The Members class, led by -the Re. Aiwa Gorbv. will meet O in the Schweitzer room, number 102. O The School of Christian Living I planned for family participa- O CD O o n o o CD o G G tion, with interest groups for all ages. A nursery is provided, and classes for kindergarten, primary and junior age children will be conducted. The Junior High' MYF will also meet from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m. with Miss Mary Vanderberg as counselor. . Snack supper -will be held from 6:30 until 7 p.m. and pro vided by the Wesleyan Service guilds. Following the snack sup per.i Mr.' Trobough will conduct the ."Inspiration Time" around the supper tables, from 7 until 7:30 p.m." CHHISTIAN WORKERS MEET The young Christian' Workers of Sacred Heart parish will meet tonight at' 7:30 p.m. in the rec tory of. the church. A .parish directory of all organizations of the "church ' is being ' prepared by the group and a progress re port will be given at. the meeting. I absolute Catholic ban on divorce applies only to marriages which the church views as having been "valid" in the first place. A Catholic who marries outside the church is regarded as hav ing never been truly married and a civil divorce terminating such a marriage is no bar to a subsequent church marriage. Some Protestants are moving in the opposite direction. They take the view that Jesus was upholding a spiritual ideal the permanence of the marriage un ion rather than laying down an inflexible "law" against di vorce. Theologians who hold this view assert that nowhere else in the gospels is Jesus recorded as "legislating." On the con trary, they say, he taught that God's overriding purpose is to redeem men and that all moral laws should be applied in the light of His love, mercy and forgiveness. This viewpoint was expound ed at some length in the state ment on marriage adopted by the United Lutheran church at its convention in Harrisburg. Pa., this month. "Marriage," as ordained by God, is a life-long indissoluble union," the Lutherans said. ". . . any breaking of the marriage bond involves sin and suffering." First Job Of Church Therefore, the statement said, the first job of the chiirch is to try to hold marriage together by extending its help to husbands and wives" when they face dif ficulties threatening their unity." "Where, marriage failure and divorce occur among Christian people, the church should recog nize its involvement in the fail ure and seek to lead all concern ed to repentance and forgive ness." If the question of remarriage of a divorced person arises, Lutheran pastors "should make their decisions on the particular circumstances in each case." They should be guided by the principle that while "divorce and remarriage do violate God's order, nevertheless God in His love does accept the sinners and deals with them according to his need." . . The Lutheran stand doubtless will have considerable impact on some other denominations in which there is lively debate on the issue. But it seems, evident that a large body of Protestants) per haps the majority, and the en tire Roman Catholic communion will hold fast to the traditional view that Jesus made a very ex plicit pronouncement on divorce and that his followers have a clear duty to obey it. O 8 o o G O " 0 I ! .' 'V L. G. "SHY" ,'JORTSILAflD Ha Done A FINE JOB FOR US LET'S KEEP HIM IN OFFICE To CONTINUE This Fine Public Service! Taxitf for County Administration arc Low. Only .4 Milk This Year. Tbit levy Voted on by th People. (Detention Home and Jackson ''County Museum.) Jackson County has no indebtedness. The mark of an Efficient, Economically Operated County Government. No Direct Levy for County Government. Plans were submitted to the Juvenile Committee by Shy Morthland and the architect and hav been accepted. Construction specifica tions will be given to the contractors December 1st. Bids will bo opened January 7th, and construction to begin-soon after. Distribution oi $685,859.09 to county school districts to redeem their bonded indebtedness. MAJOR PROJECTS COMPLETED ROADS Apple) Road . Little Applegate RoadJ, vieg Dead Indian Road a Butte Fall Road Surte Falls to Prospect toad Meadows Rot4 South Fork Little. Butt Creek Rd. Vjlley'Vrew fUf (Medford) Foarhil! Road ' Eft Creek Road Thomfjson Creak Road, paving 40 ateles of pavement Savant Creek Road ped Rogue River area) West Evans Creek paved. (Rogue Rirtr arej)( Evans Creek Road (Rogue River area) Coleman Creek Road . McLajtgMin Drive paved Modoc Road paved Rogue River Drive East Main Road n Htghway 66, Ashland Under construction ' XREOSOTED TIMBER BRIDGE 1. Wagner Crc.li en Rapp Road 2. little Butte Cfeek J. West Fork Foots Creek ' 4. YjI Creek . , r. 8. : . . n. 12. 13. 14. 13. IS. 17. 18. 19. 2t BRIDGES Reinforced Concrete) '. I. Bear Creek at Hot Sprtnet . 2. Bear Creek at talent - 3. Bear Creek' on Table Rock 4. Bear -Creek on Uptoit Road 5. Beaver Creek 6. -Little Applefate River - 7. Star Gulch 8. Ivana Croak on Meadows Road . -. Red Blanket Creek 10. McNeil Creek Butte Falls Road 11. Neil- Creek -Dead Indian Road 1 2. 3. Jackson Creek' bridf.es ' 13. 2 Griffin Creek bridges 14. Kanes Creek 15. -Snider Creek 14. Willow Creek 17. Dry Creek 18. Griffin' Creek Numerous 19. McKee Bride. 20. Tresham Lane Sams -Valley STEEL BRIDGES 1. Steel Bridge Evans Creek it West Pork 2. Carberry Bridge Bridge This Was Done Plus th Flood Damage Work "Shy" serves all the people, county wide, regirdleit of their party affiliations. RE-ELECT L. Gr "SHY" NORTHLAND . As Your Working County Commissioner f Z ' jf "I Oaml Pd' Adv' Morthland for County Commissioner T s It 4fV " I jfrnf Committee, Tom R.- Williams, Secy. 5 i . J . . . I h - i & lir i -"v i II 'r.v.cffx If 1 fc-t: wtri-'-'-j Ms in rivil- -irr liiMi.iilirtiiilMiliiliMiliiTilM,ii(l'Miili,liiiiiiil ' .C J The Rev. and Mrs. Ellmore. J. Gilstrap study pictures in a recent issue of the Turner Memorial Home publication at their home at 523 North Bartlett. They plan to live at Turner fol lowing Mr. Gilstrap's retirement from the ministry this month. The pastor of the Central Church of Christ and his wife helped organized the Turner home in 1933 for retired ministers. Last month the Medford Ministerial association voted Mr. Gilstrap a life membership in the local group. Rev. E. J. Gilstrap To Retire After 45 Years In Ministry The Rev. Ellmore J. Gilstrap will preach his last sermon at the Central Church of Christ, Sunday, Nov. 11, when he will retire after 45 years in the min istry. Rev. Mr. Gilstrap, who has been pastor of the local church for nearly four years, plans to return to the Turner Memorial home at Turner, Ore. next sum mer to make his home. He, with his wife, Mary, started the home for retired ministers in 1933. During his stay in- Medford, the Central Church of Christ has improved their church prop erty, purchased a parsonage, and has increased the church mem bership by 75. Mr. Gilstrap is a graduate of the International Christian Bible college, now the Minneapolis Bible college, and was field sec retary of Eugene Bible univer sity, now Northwest Christian college, for six years. Prior to 1933 he was Texas Christian Missionary association's state evangelist and has been pastor of churches in Texas, Kansas, Washington, and California. In 1933 he led in organizing and incorporating the Turner Memorial home, a cottage home cf homes for retired ministers of Christian churches. He was one of the trustees for the home and was superintendent there for 17 years. During that time his wife was matron at the home. Prior to Mr. Gilstrap's leaving the home, the assets increased to more than S125.000 and most of the present buildings were Gerald Dross Leaves On 2-Year LDS Mission Gerald Dross, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Dross. Kings high way, Medford, will leave Mon day, Nov. 5, to fill a mission for the Church of Christ of Lat ter Day Saints among the Spanish-American speaking people with headquarters at San An tonio, Texas. Mr. Dross, a graduate of Med ford High school, was a guest at a testimonial given in his honor at the Latter Day Saints chapel, 648 South Ivy st., Sun day, Oct. 28. Bcfofe leaving on the mission he attended Provo university in Utah for two years. Church Loyally Month Starts At Eastwood Eastwood Baptist church, North Keene Way dr. at Ridge way, has designated November as church loyalty month. Every family in the church fellowship has heen invited to make reg ular church attendance their personal goal for the month. This Sunday trie pastor, the Rev. Richard M. Jones, will be continuing his once a month communion meditations on the church covenant. The theme of the sermon will be "A Closer Walk." The chancel choir will sing, "Lead Me, Lord" with E. Ron Rice as baritone soloist. The hand of fellowship will be extended to new members who have come into the church during October. The interesting series of dis cussions on Christian Brass Tacks will be continued in the evening service at 7:30 p.m. "What is Sin?" is the topic for discus sion. The evening is ended with an inspiration time. built. In 1949 he became the pastor of a church in Fowler, Calif. When the board of trustees of the Turner Memorial home learned that Mr. Gilstrap was planning to retire they voted to provide a home of the Gil straps. The home is now partly built and will be finished next summer. After leaving Medford they plan to visit their four daughters in Fresno, Calif., Houston, Tex as, Chicago, and Boise, Idaho. One daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Fowler, formerly lived in Medford. Friday. Rarembar I. IIS o o o U oO o o 0 ttWFOIB (OSrOO) 8gLig,TJNE SEVEW Phoenix Baptists Have New Pastor Starting Nov. 4 Phoenix New pastor of the First Baptist church of Phoenix is the Rev. Perry M. Johnson, who will begin his duties there Sunday, Nov. 4. The Phoenix church was org anized in August 1952 as a mis sion project of Temple Baptist church in Medford. Since its organization the First Baptist church has purchased property on First and Rose sts. where it is completing an auditorium structure as part of a larger building program. The Rev. Mr. Johnson is also part time chaplain with the Veterans Administration Dom iciliary at Camp White, a posi tion he has herd since 1950. Recently he served the First Baptist church of Canyonville as interim pastor. Mr. Johnson is moderator of the Siskiyou association of Bap tist churches. Prior to coming to Medford he was with the Calvary Baptist church in Klam ath Falls and was a former in structor in New Testament Greek and registrar at the Golden Gate Southern Baptist Theological seminary in Oakland. His wife is the former Miss Elaine DeVries of Phoenix. Their son, Richard, is a third year medical student at the University of Oregon. The Rev. and Mrs. Johnson are living in Medford at 819 West Thirteenth st. Unitarian Fellowship Plans Sermon Reviews The Unitarian Fellowship of Medford and. Ashland will have its next three meeting! based on three Unitarian sermons of the past. They are: "Unitarian Christianity," by William Ellery Channing; "The Divinity School Address," by Ralph Waldo Em erson; and "The Transient and the Permanent in Christianity," by Theodore Parker. Dr. Arthur Kreisman, profes sor of literature at Southern Oregon college, will lead the three meetings. Copies of the sermons in condensed form and a commentary prepared by Dr. Kreisman will be available. The meeting oh the first ser mon will be held at 8 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 4, at the Labor Temple, 24V4 South Grape St., Medford. It is open to the pub lic. The Fellowship meets the first and third Sundays of each month. Recently plans were made to hold the first meeting of each month in the Labor Temple, Medford. The second meeting of each month; on the third Sunday, will be held in the home of various members. ' TO SHOW FILM The color film, "Ming May of Malaya" will be shown at the First Methodist church, Ashland, Sunday, Nov. 4 at-6:30 p.m.-during the world outlook institute for the family. WANTS YOUR VOTE ' FORo0 1 US?' BH o i . . v S - - ..'.Vs'". '.. 4. :C If 1 MAYOM Tl n I. I,9i. i . rumic mieresT vvisi r. ,' Ba Mis rir$t (.onsidero- ... v. ae tion Alwjys! ExiSerienc- So d Progressivt cLede?--hip. . o Vote "for Medfcord'ap Progress VOTE FOR Siy.BY 8 Years" City Councilman, 3 Tears -esicljnt of Coun- cil Chiraian ofo Rrfance,Police, Fire Committees, 9 Past President Junior Chamjaer ofoCommerce, Past President oMedford Kiwani Clb, Merr Chamber of Commerce, Medf(9r10Bujness Man for 16 years. Cfayton W. Lewis, Campagm Onager Paid Pol. Adv. ' TP The Rev. Harold Chalfant, mis sionary field representative of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, will be guest speaker Sunday, Nov. 4, at the Foursquare .church, East Jack son and Biddle rd. Mr. Chalfant, who has spent more than 2Q years preaching from South America to Asia and Africa, will illustrate his talk with slides. He will.also have on exhibit .arti facts from the many countries he has visited. KEEP A WEATHER EYE on the Big Buys You'll Find Here! f MARKET 1 f 1202 North diversion I V OPEN EVERY ftjX NIGHT TIL J MIDNIGHT now you can COO . in the book 11 I . 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