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Show Think Things Through! (Editor's Note: The Reverend Norman Vincent Peale, D. D., author au-thor of this article, is pastor of Marble Collegiate Church, Fifth Avenue, New York City.) By Norman Vincent Peale Never were the American people subjected ' to such a barrage ol theories as today. This is not unnatural un-natural in a time of bewilderment. Yet some shrewd people may seek to take advantage of this bewilderment bewilder-ment to put over unsound con-septs. con-septs. For example consider the word "Humanitariainism." This means something humane something for the welfare of human beings. During Dur-ing the last decade it has come to mean the giving of ''things", to people on the assumption that this is of their welfare. But which is better for a man - to give him a dole or to create conditions favorable favor-able to helping him get"things"for himself? It is obvious that the proper word for a man or government gover-nment which gives money, or subsides, sub-sides, or other values is "Benevolent" "Benevo-lent" rather than "Humanitarian." Benevolence may be utterly contrary con-trary to humanitarianism, for its final result may be, and indeed often of-ten is, to sap or even corrupt the character of the recipient of the unearned bounty. True concern for mankind, that is, a concern not based upon gaining gain-ing suffrage in return for benevolence benevo-lence (by using other people's mon-ney), mon-ney), is marked by the effort to make man self-reliant and self-supporting, self-supporting, able to stand on his own feet. The best humanitarian-ism humanitarian-ism is to strengthen free enterprise enter-prise society in which self-reliance may thrive. The Bible, surely our most humanitarian book, says, "Quit ye like men, be strong." Another theory that needs thinking think-ing through is "Freedom from Want." On the surface this seems a very worthy ideal. We all know something about? the suffering and tragedy of want. Our Christian instinct is to help alleviate this hardship. But what is the best way to get free from want? Recently at luncheon with a half-dozen suc cessful men, I asked eac'h man to tell the reason for his success. One man said: "My mother was a widow who, to support her large family, took in washings. For all her hard work, she was a beautiful beauti-ful woman, and it pained me to see her killing herself over the wash tubs, her lovely hands rough and red from the scalding water. I grew to hate poverty. I, hated want. I resolved that with God's help I would make enough to take my mother away from those tubs and drive want from our home." The men around the table nodded nod-ded assent when he stated: "It was hardship that drove me, on to better myself." Each one bore testimony testi-mony to the stimulation of want. Their experiences indicated that the best way to be ( free from want is not to expset government to take care of us allj which false economy would quickly - impoverish us all, but to create wealth, the one weapon which can drive the wolf from the door. Fleas, mosqui-tds mosqui-tds and wolves have their, place in life. They irritate men to bestir themselves. ... ...... Disraeli said: "Strong men with kites go up against the wind." The. Bible says: "In the world ye shall have tribulation,',', (can a political group repeal this truth?) "but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." We, too, driven by want, can rise above environment and hardship, hard-ship, if we will to do so and will to work at it. "The Right to Security" is another an-other idea we need' to think through. A man can glibly promise prom-ise this "right," and it sounds good, to say the least. But does the universe promise it? At any moment one may foe the victim of accident or a disease germ. Life by its nature is insecure. Not even God promises us the "right to security." sec-urity." God tells us merely that we need not fear insecurity: "I will fear no evil, for Thou art With me." We must still "walk through the valley of the shadow," The man who is so foolish as to stand up to life demanding the "right to security" will find hi$ "right" is not acknowledged by life. The only security in this world is expressed in the words: "I Have been young and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous (which means the 'right-minded)' forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." ''Put not your trust in princes," said the wise ' Shakespeare. Put your trust in God, who gives inner stability, the antidote to insecurity, and go to work. Earn your security in the sweat of your brow (seeing to it that every Am- erican has the "Right to Work") and Always Think Things' Through. |