This day in history

Today is the day in 1945 that the U. S. Marines invaded Iwo Jima in one of the greatest battles of the 2nd world war.

It is also the day that the renowned astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus, was born in 1473. Copernicus revolutioned astronomy and history by developing the helocentric theory that said the earth and other planets revolved around the sun. The opinion up to that point was that the universe revolved around the earth.

On a very sad note this is the day in 1942 that Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the executive order allowed the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Many of these people had been in the USA for several generations.

On this day in 1881 Kansas became the first state to include prohibition of alcoholic beverages in the state constitution.

Finally, on this day in 1878 Thomas Edison patented the phonograph. Most of the readers of this blog would have no idea what that was. But if you come visit we will show phonograph records that date back to the 1950s that we still have. Music experts claim that the quality of music on records is superior to CDs and tape because of the highs and lows that were recorded that we actually cannot hear, but add to the quality of the music. Melissa Boutz would call them Overtones.

Penguins and Polar Bears

Anyone who follows my blog knows I am not high on the global warming issue and certainly even less on evolution. But I have a question for the evolutionist.

Whatever happened to "survival of the fittest" and the purported fact that creatures adapted to their new circumstances which they found themselves in?

But we are concerned about the 50,000 polar bears that are almost on the endangered species list and the penguins that are losing their ice in Antarctica. If Darwin was really correct, why not let evolution take its course and let these creatures adapt to their new world? It seems that we are trying to avoid the evolutionary process.

Tragedy at Northern Illinois University

We are deeply saddened by the turn of events at Northern Illinois University. One of my students at MCC had a close friend who was in the classroom that the shooter entered and where several people died. That brings the event close to home, too close for comfort.

But we should expect such things to happen. We have been preparing people for such acts for fifty years or more. Post-modernism is the philosophy of our world today. Basically it means that I determine what is truth and who or what is in control. I don't trust the government, science, education, business, my parents, or the church for answers. If I disagree with any of the above, then I can establish my own truth. Post-modernism is existentialism on steroids. I would say that post-modernism is a major contributor to the rash of school shootings we have observed. Students are taught by the system that there is no truth and that they are a law unto themselves. Life is cheap. PETA says we are no more valuable than the animals. In fact the world would be a better place if we got rid of all the people and turned the world over to the animals. The Pro-Abortion movement tells us that the unborn life is unimportant and can be disposed of like an appendix or faulty gall bladder.

So it is only inevitable that people who have been trained by video games to kill should finally get around to doing the real thing.

The answer to all this is and always has been the same—a return to God. Not gun control, not more police, not intense analysis of what happened. The only answer is to change the human heart. Only Jesus has the answer. That fact will never change. I am not a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I will assure you that until we decide to turn to God and to the truth of the Bible, the tragedies we are witnessing are going to continue and intensify.

"Going Green, How Serious are you about it?"

Bryan Boutz is about as sincere and dedicated a person as I have ever met. Thus when he responded to my last blog, I had to give thought to what he said.

There is a lot of talk about going green which is politically correct language for being more careful about how we use energy. With all of the hype about "going green" I wonder if people really have any idea what they are talking about.

I have purchased the lightbulbs that require about 1/3 the amount of electricity for the same amount of light. But in my home we have ten times as many bulbs burning as my parents had in 1950. My parents were definitely far more green than I ever will be.

To heat our home here in arctic Kansas we have a main system using natural gas, a secondary system using wood, and a tertiary system using electricity. Around $200.00 a month is spent on heating and electricity. Most of the heat is for warmth and a small portion for hot water. How much of that am I willing to give up? My home in Leadville, Colorado had a coal/wood range that both heated and provided an oven and a surface for cooking. No one can bake bread quite the quality my mother made in that range's oven. Electrical use was for a refrigerator and two tube-type radios. When I compare the number of items that operate on electricity in my present home I am appalled in comparison to my folks' home. I can assure you that we are not really willing to give up any of those items.

Finally, look at the cars we drive. Most homes have at least two and they are major contributors to the use of energy in America. The Arab world is enjoying our gluttony and socking it to us for fuel to run them. We complain about the high prices of petrol, but I don't see anyone seriously cutting back. I read about the new Hummer which gets 4 mpg in the city, 10 on the highway. Do Hummer owners really care about being green? Other people want cars that will do 100+ mph. How serious are they about going green?

Bottom line. We don't want to go back to the "good old days." We have no plans to go back to the good old days. We are not about to give up the energy consuming lifestyle we lead. So when people talk to me about going green, I would like to see them walking to the store, riding bicycles, and cutting back on the horde of appliances they have in their homes. Changing lightbulbs is like putting a band-aid on a bleeding artery.

In America we are gluttons in many categories, but none is greater than our gluttony for energy. As some poet has said, "Someday you have to pay the piper."

More signs of global warning

As I watched winter develop in Kansas this year I am now more convinced that ever that Al Gore is right about global warming. This is the coldest winter I have seen in 13 years in Kansas and we have had far more snow that ever before, certainly indicative of fallout of global warming.

I also read today in the Christian Science Monitor travel section about a cruise that goes into the northern ice fields in June to give people the thrill of being up next to the ice. The crew said that the ice was heavier than they had ever seen it. The ship got stuck in the ice and they had to send for an ice-breaker to come rescue them. Several ports that they normally visited were also ice bound. Obviously this is all the result of global warming.

I am strongly recommending to the Manhattan Christian College administration that they require students to come with skis or snowshoes for future school years. As the fallout for global warming grows I am confident the snow is going to get deeper. We won't be able to have snow days because such conditions will be normal from December to March. I told my students today to look into getting skis and snowshoes for the coming year. I think we will be able to get by without them this year. We might also recommend that students come with adequate clothing to wear during the cold weather and for those icy commutes from dorm to classroom.

My guess that to go along with this global warming we will also have more ice storms as well.

Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing

Genocide is "the deliberate and systematic destruction of a group of people because of their ethnicity, nationality, religion, or race. The term, derived from the Greek genos ("race," "tribe," or "nation") and the Latin cide ("killing"), was coined by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-born jurist who served as an adviser to the U.S. Department of War during World War II."

Ethnic cleansing is "the attempt to create ethnically homogeneous geographic areas through the deportation or forcible displacement of persons belonging to particular ethnic groups. Ethnic cleansing sometimes involves the removal of all physical vestiges of the targeted group through the destruction of monuments, cemeteries, and houses of worship."

Incidents of ethnic cleansing:

• The Assyrians in the 9^th and 7^th centuries BC
  
• Mass executions of Danes by the English in 1002
  
• Czechs removing Germans from their territories in the Middle Ages
  
• Expulsion of Jews from Spain in the 15^th century
  
• Forced displacement of Native Americans by the white settlers in America in the 18^th and 19^th centuries
  
• Armenians by the Turks in 1915-1916
  
• Nazi holocaust against the Jews in the 1930s and 1940s.
  
• Expulsion of Germans from Polish and Czechoslovak territories after World War II
  
• Soviet deportation of Tatars from Ukraine to Central Asiatic republics during World War II
  
• The treatment of the Palestinians by the Jews in Israel since 1948, especially after the Six-Day War in 1967.
  

ethnic cleansing." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 1  Feb.  2008  <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9390062>.

Forgotten Giants of the Faith

I came to know Christ as my personal savior when I was a senior in high school in Clifton Colorado. I was led to Christ by a dear saint who still is alive and still lives in Clifton, now in a retirement home. During the summer of 1957 I went to summer camp to the adult camp and there my life was radically transformed. I gave up a promising career in engineering which included a full tuition scholarship to the Colorado School of Mines. Led by people like Seth Wilson of Ozark Bible College, Leah Moshier of Kulpuhar Children's Home in India, and Erskine Scates, I made the decision to enter the ministry. I really didn't know what I was doing, but I set my course. Today I want to focus on the Scates' family.

When I refer to this family as forgotten giants, I need only to turn to The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement and tell you that the editors never planned to have an article included about Erskine Scates. A dear friend of the family, Tamsen Murray, was asked to write an article about Intermountain Bible College and she submitted both that article and one about Erskine. Fortunately the committee had sense enough to include it.

The patriarch of the family was Erskine E. Scates. His oldest son would be named Erskine E. Scates, and we always referred to him as Erskine Jr. Erskine Scates was born in Oklahoma in 1909 and was raised by two aunts. During the years I worked with E. E. Scates, I met both of the aunts on several occasions. Aunt Merle lived in Durango Colorado and Aunt Nono in Denver and later in Fruita Colorado. They were wonderful women and you could see the influence they had on Erskine.

E. E. Scates attended Phillips University and graduated with a BD and MA degree. During his career he would support himself as an evangelist by working in the mines, farming, and school teaching. He epitomized the concept of a tentmaker ministry. Only in the later years of Intermountain Bible College did he allow himself to be fully funded by the church or organization he served.

Always having a heart for the intermountain west he began his career as a state evangelist for the Disciples of Christ. But doctrinal issues soon arose and he went out on his own no longer supported by the Disciples of Christ. During his career he was responsible for either reopening or starting many of the churches in Western Colorado. At one point he was serving five or six different churches much like a circuit preacher. It was that commitment that brought those churches to life.

Intermountain Bible College began in 1946 as one of his dreams. The school would continue until 1985 when it closed due to financial and accreditation issues. Two years ago we had another reunion of the people involved in the school and around 200 people were at the meeting. The school did not leave a big footprint, but it did leave its mark.

Erskine also led in the establishment of churches in Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Many of those churches are still going. He also encouraged the churches to start youth camps, two of which are still in operation.

The legacy of E. E. Scates is found in the people he inspired to serve Christ. He was a humble man who led a simple life. His only vice was driving a bit fast, but he never had an accident. Those of us who knew him said he must have had a company of angels who watched over him.

The greatest legacy he left behind was his family. Three generations of his family are involved in ministry. One of his grandsons ministers in Tonganoxie, Kansas, about 100 miles from Manhattan.

What spurred this blog was a letter I received from one of Erskine's sons—Harry D. Scates, named after one of Erskine's professors at Phillips. Following is an excerpt from that letter. Harry and Elaine Scates were visiting their daughter Ann who lives in Sweden. The boy David is Ann's son.

"Today we went to David's school.  It was his last day before Christmas vacation.  The children received some recognition awards and then some sweets.  Several of the parents were there. Elaine and I were there with Bo and Ann.  One of the fathers present was a black man from Africa.  He is married to a Swedish woman.  I was introduced to him.  When I told him my name is Harry Scates his face lit up and asked if I knew David Scates.  I told him I was his brother. 

 
 

"We talked for some time.  He told how David would go to Uganda when no one else would go.  How he lived just like them.  "He went where we went and he ran with us when we had to run".  I was really touched.  He said that he taught them great lessons including going out to the small villages and starting churches which they are still doing.  He told me that David's ministry is still bearing fruit.  Julius led the choir that traveled around with the team to the churches.  Of course he knew about David's death.  He spoke of Sarah Sanyu who was like an adopted daughter.  She died but her daughter is alive.  Also, he spoke of Eric Stadell.  I remember David and Peggy speaking of him.  Julius said that Eric lives in Stockholm and he is going to try to get hold of him.  It might work out for us to see him.                     

 
 

"He is going to talk with his wife and I imagine that we will get together before we leave.  He would love to hear from any of you.  I can tell that David made a real mark on his life."

 

Harry and Elaine went to Brazil in the early sixties. Harry had a vision to go to Brazil, but the leadership of the Brazil Christian Mission told Harry he could not come until he was married. So we watched Harry as he feverously tried to find a wife. He dated a lovely young woman who was from the Friends' Church, but she could not give up her faith to join him in Brazil. And then along came Elaine fresh out of Moody Bible Institute. They hit it off and were married.

 

Going to Brazil Harry and Elaine decided to become Brazilian citizens which was a significant sacrifice. Later their children would have the opportunity to declare whether or not they wanted to be Brazilian or American citizens and they all chose to become Brazilians. Harry began a work in Uberlandia which has grown to several thousand. He no longer heads up the church but has trained others who are doing the job. Harry and Elaine now travel around the world encouraging and teaching believers.

 

My heart was deeply touched by the names in the letter—Eric Staddell, a Swede who came with his wife and some friends to serve on the Navajo Reservation for a while. Julius, the brother from Uganda. I'm sure I met Julius when I was in Uganda. But at the top of the list—David Scates. David marked many lives, including mine. I would go to the mission field in Kenya because of the influence of David Scates.

 

Harry noted that in Uganda David became one with the people. David died in 1993 of some bug he picked up in Uganda. I was in Ukraine on a missions' trip when he died, so I did attend his funeral. The family asked me to write a memorial message for him for Christian Standard. With many tears I wrote the memorial for this great man.

 

At David's funeral the Navajos asked Peggy his wife if they could be permitted to handle the services in a Navajo fashion. Peggy gladly agreed and David was accorded the honors of a Navajo elder. The Navajos conducted the entire service including the burial. They prepared the family dinner to which hundreds of Navajos came. When asked why they wanted to do all this, they responded, "He was one of us." I can tell you that this is the highest compliment that a missionary can receive. And David was one of them. He ate their food, slept in their hogans and lived with them day in and day out.

 

David and Peggy had a daughter who was much younger than the rest of the children—Jennifer. David would be out visiting among the Navajos and come home without Jennifer. Peggy would ask, "Where is Jennifer?" David would then remember that he had left her at some Navajo home. Nothing to do but to go and collect her. I have a picture that hangs in my home of Jennifer and her Navajo grandmother, Grandma Clark. Several years ago I met Jennifer in Colorado Springs. She was married and had a daughter of her own. That daughter was the exact image of the girl in my picture.

 

The Scates have no memorials built to them, but those of us who worked with them know that they were giants in the faith.