In Hoc Anno Domini
Editorial: The Wall Street Journal
PHOTO: PRINT
COLLECTOR/GETTY IMAGES
When Saul of Tarsus set out on his journey to Damascus
the whole of the known world lay in bondage. There was one state, and it was
Rome. There was one master for it all, and he was Tiberius Caesar.
Everywhere there was civil order, for the arm of the
Roman law was long. Everywhere there was stability, in government and in
society, for the centurions saw that it was so.
But everywhere there was something else, too. There was
oppression—for those who were not the friends of Tiberius Caesar. There was the
tax gatherer to take the grain from the fields and the flax from the spindle to
feed the legions or to fill the hungry treasury from which divine Caesar gave
largess to the people. There was the impressor to find recruits for the
circuses. There were executioners to quiet those whom the Emperor proscribed.
What was a man for but to serve Caesar?
There was the persecution of men who dared think
differently, who heard strange voices or read strange manuscripts. There was
enslavement of men whose tribes came not from Rome, disdain for those who did
not have the familiar visage. And most of all, there was everywhere a contempt
for human life. What, to the strong, was one man more or less in a crowded
world?
Then, of a sudden, there was a light in the world, and a
man from Galilee saying, Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and
unto God the things that are God’s.
And the voice from Galilee, which would defy Caesar, offered
a new Kingdom in which each man could walk upright and bow to none but his God.
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have
done it unto me. And he sent this gospel of the Kingdom of Man into the
uttermost ends of the earth.
So the light came into the world and the men who lived in
darkness were afraid, and they tried to lower a curtain so that man would still
believe salvation lay with the leaders.
But it came to pass for a while in divers places that the
truth did set man free, although the men of darkness were offended and they
tried to put out the light. The voice said, Haste ye. Walk while you have the
light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not
whither he goeth.
Along the road to Damascus the light shone brightly. But
afterward Paul of Tarsus, too, was sore afraid. He feared that other Caesars,
other prophets, might one day persuade men that man was nothing save a servant
unto them, that men might yield up their birthright from God for pottage and
walk no more in freedom.
Then might it come to pass that darkness would settle
again over the lands and there would be a burning of books and men would think
only of what they should eat and what they should wear, and would give heed
only to new Caesars and to false prophets. Then might it come to pass that men
would not look upward to see even a winter’s star in the East, and once more,
there would be no light at all in the darkness.
And so Paul, the apostle of the Son of Man, spoke to his
brethren, the Galatians, the words he would have us remember afterward in each
of the years of his Lord:
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has
made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
_______________________
One Christmas Eve during the Cold War
This Oct. 26, 1966 file photo shows Bishop Fulton J.
Sheen in his office at the Propagation of Faith in New York. Eddie Adams
“This Christmas let us all remember, America has been a
shining star like the one that guided Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem our first
Christmas Eve. Like our redeemer, America was the one chosen to Shepard the
world. America was God’s gift to protect religious freedom.”
– Bishop Fulton Sheen
Bishop Fulton Sheen was a Catholic Bishop, writer,
teacher, theologian and syndicated radio and television evangelist. He had PhDs
in Cannon Law, Philosophy, and Theology. He wrote more than 200 books and had a
syndicated news column. He won two Emmy Awards for his TV shows, and was
featured on the covers of TV Guide, Colliers, Look, and Time magazine. He
shared views with American presidents frequently on the importance of faith in
society. Although his theological resume is impressive, he is best known for
his distain for socialism and communism and his ability to unite Americans of
all faiths in their fight to protect liberty during the dark days of the Cold
War.
Bishop Sheen was not a typical TV evangelist. Clerics
from every faith admired his ability to bring unity to Judeo-Christians and
convince them to pray collectively to protect America from the evils of
socialism and communism. He believed faith was the greatest distinction between
freedom and communist oppression. He once told viewers that communist leaders
“Malenkov, Vyshinsky, Beria and, Stalin will be punished unmercifully by God
someday for the sins they’ve committed against mankind and the Lord."
Joseph Stalin suffered a stroke a few days later and died the next week.
One Christmas Eve during the Cold War, tension between
the Soviets and America was so severe, America feared a nuclear attack. Bishop
Sheen opened his weekly show that holy night planning to talk about the miracle
of the Immaculate Conception. He wanted to remind viewers the Lord had a master
plan for every man, woman and child on this earth to enter His kingdom and
spend eternity with Him. When He sent Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem on Christmas
Eve the night of our Savior’s birth, He sent a message to us: “He opened
heaven’s gates for everyone of every faith that night.”
As Sheen peered into the faces of his audience that night,
he sensed fear and anxiety in the studio. The Bishop had an uncanny ability to
annotate his message. Realizing their concerns that Russia and China might form
a super power to avenge U.S. involvement in the Korean War, he knew he must
resonate a message that restored peace within them. With his disarmingly
hypnotic gaze he counseled them: “This holy night we must have faith in
America. It is the sacred place God created for every faith to share the
blessings of freedom. It is a shelter for world peace. It might not seem it is
tonight, but it is God’s will. And tomorrow His birthday present to us will be
eternal world peace.”
He efficaciously continued, “Politics is the devil’s
instrument that fosters hatred and discord among men to divide them into factions
to destroy their faith in God.” He said America has proven it is above that.
America set an example for the world. Our freedom is built on faith not on
politics. That is why we will survive all attacks by any governments that don’t
believe in God or the rights of man. America will lead the way using its
strength and valorousness to stop assaults upon their theater of faith. We must
keep faith in our leaders and pray for them. Sheen cautioned the audience, “If
we ever permit politics to disrupt our faith and unity we’ll lose the ability
to protect America.”
As Bishop Sheen continued, he felt the chilling
trepidation and consternation of his audience melt into a warming calm of
serenity and faith in their leaders to defend them. But he continued to stress that
they must never forget: “America is great because God made her so.” And he
assured them it was our founders’ faith in God that gifted them with the wisdom
to blueprint the American Republic. He insisted the one unifying element of the
American experiment was freedom of religion. And that alone would always be our
saving grace. He told his audience, “Everyday Americans pray to their Lord. And
no matter what words they use, the spirit of every prayer is the same: It is
their faith and trust in God that keeps us united and brings us peace.” He
cautioned them to never stop praying.
“Physical idleness deteriorates the mind; spiritual
idleness deteriorates the heart.”
– Bishop Sheen
Bishop Sheen reminded viewers that Christmas that America
must never suffer from “over-tolerance.” He told them not to believe the things
they read in newspapers or hear on the radio or see on TV, that we are spending
too much money on the military. Or that in a nuclear attack, ground troops will
be worthless. This doctrine of tolerance is the devil’s way to fight God’s
virtues. The devil is using them to convince America if they are more
“broadminded towards socialism and communism, it will bring world peace.”
“In journalism, the modern man wants controversy, not
truth.”
– Bishop Sheen
Bishop Sheen concluded his show that Christmas Eve with
this admonition. “As Christians, Jews and people of all faiths celebrate
Christmas in their own traditional way, let us never forget that God made
America great because he created her as the protector of the world. As Jews
light another Menorah and as each Christian makes the sign of the cross, let us
all pray that the New Year will usher in a tide of new faith that will continue
to unite us to protect world freedom. God bless you.”
"Life is Worth Living" and "The Fulton
Sheen Show" aired on the DuMont TV and ABC networks and was in weekly
syndication from 1955 to 1968. Sheen had the only show able to outdraw
"The Milton Berle Show" in that time slot. When Berle heard this he
said, referencing his sponsor Texaco, “We both work for the same boss, Sky
Chief.” The following year, as Bishop Sheen accepted his Emmy Award, Berle
quipped, "Well, he's got better writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John!" Martin Sheen, who grew up watching Bishop Sheen, adopted his name
when he started his stage career. Bishop Sheen has been beatified by the
Catholic Church and is now being considered for canonization as a saint.
Bishop Fulton Sheen blazed the pathway for many other
prominent religious figures to correlate the role of religion in protecting
world peace. As a result of this, a religious and cultural upheaval swept
America in the 1950s. It forever united America’s religious and cultural
beliefs. This spiritual rebirth fostered a renewed American patriotism and our ability
to superintend future global tensions. The importance of free world political
leaders often over-shadows the humble efforts of Bishop Sheen, Rev. Billy
Graham, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, Jerry Falwell, Charles Fuller along with the
countless other brave clerics who helped defeat the threat of European
Communism and the Eastern Block.
Bishop Sheen told us, “America’s greatest asset is faith
and unity.” At a time our nation is facing its worst internal political divide
in our young history, Christmas gives us an opportunity to reflect upon the
words Bishop Sheen used to comfort his fearful audience on that Christmas Eve
in the darkest days of the Cold War: “Politics is the devil’s instrument that
fosters hatred and discord among men to divide them.” Maybe for one day we can
set aside our politics in the name of American unity and count our blessings in
recognition of the powerful gift of freedom that our Savior blessed us with?
“One of the first orders Stalin issued was to ban all
prayer because the people were praying to God to deliver them from ‘the
wickedness and snares of the devil.’ When party members asked Stalin why he
issued such an order he replied: Because, we are those devils."
– Bishop Fulton Sheen
William Haupt III is a retired professional journalist,
author, and citizen legislator in California for over 40 years. He got his
start working to approve California Proposition 13.
