Published once a week In Palmer, Alaska, for the
Matanuska Valler Farmers Cooperating .'-issociat* on
for the purpose of ^ivina news of the Associa
tions work, problems pnd accomplishments.
ciiifiSTfnns rod chrish nn i t‘j
Nineteen hundred and fifty years ago, a Child was horn to very poor
and humble parents in a stable, the only place they were able to find
for their night's lodging. This Child grew up into a kind, hum.ble
person, who never owned a home or a business, or had a political job.
Still, He was rich beyond the dreams of any millionaire, because He
believed that the richest things in life were the things that cost no
tjilne: In terms of gold. He lived only half the normal span of life,
but the few years that he was able to enjoy, were filled with the.
greatest blessings anyone can know. True, He suffered way beyond the
capacity of the average man, but His suffering was rewarded by the
thought that it would enable others to see a better way of life, and
alleviate a lot of the pains of life.
In those da^s most people were illiterate and did little thinking
about the finer things of life. Most people were totally unprepared
to understand the things that this Holv man tried to teach them.
Civilization as we know it today, was not "get developed. It took
books, schools and patient teachers to break the curtain of savagery
that engulfed the world they lived in. The teachings of this Man were
very simple, so simple in fact, He believed a child could understand.
The riddle that followed the entry of this Man into the world of
thought, was the fact that so few people really understood Him or His
teachings, despite the fact that the greatest thing that people could
do for one another, was to love one another, so He said. It wasn't
long before many of his professed followers were murdering one another
because of a difference in opinion as to the succession of authority
and interpretation of his commands. This is still going on in a less
er degree. The blood of millions of persons is on the hands of people
who called themselves Christians.
Many of us like to think that the so-called Christian world is the
kindest and most humane people of all, hut, if one reads history and
keeps up with current events, we wonder how they can justify such a
statement. The most brutal and gigantic wars in history were started
and carried on by these so-called Christian people. True, many faith
ful Christians tried to reason with the war-loving men, usually with
out success.
Now wo are wondering if Hitler's prediction that the world w^uld
have to fellow his footsteps for a thousand years, is really coming;
true.
.Our own bloody civil war shows what wars can do. It has taken near
ly a hundred years to heal the wounds and scars of this awful conflict.
Yet, professed believers of the Truth of Christianity, prayed openly
for the success of their armies and the total destruction of their en
enles. prother was pitted against brother and father against son in
many cases, but, for some pecular reason, most of them could justify
their conduct by a peculiar line of reasoning;
The writer knows human nature well enough to understand that wars
can not be avoided sometimes. Innocent people have to defend themsel
ves, and when this occurs, whole nations have to train those who are
fit and able to fight, to defend their homes and nation. There is no
defense for the thought that wars are anything but evil. Lots of
ti^es the weak and innocent suffer more by trying to defend themselves
than It is worth. So, if there Is any possible way to keep the peace,
we think this Is the proper thing to do.’ There is nothing in the
whole philosophy of Christianity that justifies v/ar for war's sake.
How does Christmas fit into the scheme of things? Well, we were
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