Extensions of Remarks
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7536 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS March 20, 1974 bill and see its impact and implication the Senator is making a great contribu CONFIRMATIONS with any member of the Committee on tion by having such meetings. I com Executive nominations confirmed by Government Operations or the Commit mend him for it. the Senate March 20, 1974: tee on Rules and Administration, I feel DEPARTMENT OF STATE confident we would all be available for ADJOURNMENT TO 10:30 A.M. L. Douglas Heck, of the District of Co that purpose. We are very anxious that lumbia, a Foreign Service officer of cla-ss 1, every Senator understand every part of Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. Mr. President, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Pleni the bill because of the impact it will have if there be no further business to come potentiary of the United States of America on the discipline imposed on us as Sen before the Senate. I move, in accordance to the Republic of Niger. a tors and on this body. The time schedule with the previous order, that the Senate Sumner Gerard, of New Jersey, to be Am laid down is something we should adhere stand in adjournment until the hour of bassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to and by changing the rules of the Sen 10:30 a.m. tomorrow. of the United States of America to Jamaica. (The above nominations were approved ate in this regard we emphasize the The motion was agreed to; and at subject to the nominee's commitment tore orderly procedure we expect with refer 6:31 p.m. the Senate adjourned until spond to requests to appear and testify be ence to our affairs. tomorrow, Thursday, March 21, 1974, at fore any duly constituted committee of the Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. Mr. President, 10:30 a.m. Senate.) EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS REV. NEVIN KENDALL STRESSES drastic decline in public confidence. Most But despite the injustices and oppression LOSS OF PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN Americans now take a very dim view of their and corruption that have been almost uni GOVERNMENT-INTEGRITY, COM government. versal, Christians have generally felt them Under these circumstances it would seem selves impelled to give thanks for government PETENCE AND DEDICATION OFTEN to be especially appropriate to consider cer and to acknowledge the authorities as minis OVERLOOKED tain passages of scripture that are conceived ters of God-not because they chose or in with the place of government in the life of tend to be (they may not even believe in man. God) but only because God chooses to use HON. JENNINGS RANDOLPH In the 13th chapter of Romans, Paul tells them as his instruments in order to provide OF WEST VIRGINIA us that government is an institution that at least a measure of the order and protec IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES has been established and obtained by God, tion that we need to live as human beings. that those who govern are serving as minis Wednesday, March 20, 1974 When the alternative is anarchy, it may not ters of God. be hard to honor and receive as a gift of God Mr. RANDOLPH. Mr. President, the These words were written in a setting where even a government that leaves much to be well-documented crisis of confidence in government could only mean the government desired. of Rome. If all we knew about that govern Imagine what it would be like if every Government has impelled philosophers ment is what we learn from the New Testa to generation had to start from scratch to de and poets to attach their minds ex ment and from a smattering of church his vise and establish its own institutions of planation, and perhaps absolution, of the tory, we might think of Rome in terms that government; what it would be like if God failures of public servants. One such are totally negative. We would associate this did not use the accumulated experience of thinker-theologian is the Rev. Nevin E. government with aggression, tyranny, perse past centuries to provide for us-to have Kendell, vice president for development cution, and lions that eat Christians. waiting for us, as it were-a system of law at Davis and Elkins College, Elkins, All of this is part of the picture, but Paul and structures of government that we do not W.Va. His paper, "Providence and Gov had good reason to honor and give thanks for have to create for ourselves. ernment," is based on apparently au the function and institution of government We noted at the beginning that recent as he had experienced it. For one thing, even events have caused many of us to regard thentic Christian classical theology and though Paul was a Jew he enjoyed the unus our own government and some of the people is seemingly supported by Biblical texts. ual privilege of Roman citizenship. There of government with a great deal of suspicion He outlines the reality of good and evil were times when Paul was threatened by an and even contempt. But I am also concerned in human society and the necessity for angry mob; and was saved only by the protec with an attitude that is deeper and much Government to provide the stimulus for tion that he enjoyed as a citizen of Rome. more permanent. Long before we ever heard a more meaningful life for the many, to Beyond these personal considerations, Paul of Watergate there was a tendency among us protect citizens against evil doers and to may also sensed that the progress of the to downgrade government and the people punish criminals. Christian movement had only been possible who serve in government. because of the order and stab111ty that had Sometimes we talk as if government has In commenting on the manuscript, our been achieved under Roman rule. Within the a monopoly on bungling and ineptness and Senate Chaplain, the Rev. Edward L. R. Roman empire, and by first century stand waste; as if these things are never to be Elson, noted: ards, there was good communication and con found in churches and colleges and corpora Mr. Kendell's paper is timey and could venient travel with a reasonable degree of se tions. well stimulate thoughtful Americans to pray curity. In a very real sense the world to which Our rejection of government is also re and work for better politicians and better the first Christian missionaries addressed flected in our attitude toward taxes. Most government. He recognizes quite properly a themselves was a world that had been cre of us are not impressed when Paul admon high degree of integrity, competence and ated and made accessible by the Roman gov ishes: dedication in politicians which is unsur ernment. "For the same reason you also pay taxes, passed in any other segment of society, a It is certainly not strange that Paul would for the authorities are ministers of God at thesis I would support based upon my per admonish his fellow Christians to honor the tending to this very thing. Pay all of them sonal acquaintance with those who serve in governing authorities as having been insti their due, taxes to whom taxes are due, the National government. This is an ap tuted by God, and as instruments of his prov revenue to whom revenue is due." praisal based on more than 27 years of close idence-and that he would do so even though It would be foolish to cite these words observation of our Nation's political leaders. he must have sensed the rising hostlllty and of Paul without recognizing that there are the Increasing likelihood of oppression and tremendous differences between the Roman A major contribution by Mr. Kendell persecution at the hands of a government empire of the first century and the world is the reaffirmation of the distinct con that would eventually seek to destroy the in which we live. I certainly do not question cept that God may be served while per church. We assume that Paul himself was ul our right and even our duty to object if forming government service as truly as timately put to death by the same kind of we believe that taxes are excessive or unfair, He may be served in the ministry of the authorities that he has described as ministers or used for a purpose that Js improper or Church. It is to emphasize this point of God. unnecessary. I think it is significant and important that At the same time, I suggest that Paul's that I ask that Mr. Kendell's provocative words should not be dismissed too lightly. statement be printed in the Extensions when Paul asks us to honor government as a gift of God, he is not speaking in the context When we object to taxes we may have good of Remarks. of a government that was notably just or reasons, but I suspect there is also involved There being no objection, the state compassionate or free of corruption. In many a failure to recognize how much the quality of life that we enjoy, and even our oppor ment was ordered to be printed in the respects it was a terrible government. RECORD, as follOWS: tunities to earn money, are dependent upon This is not very surprising because for the effective functioning of government. And PROVIDENCE AND GOVERNMENT most men, everywhere, in all of recorded his I suspect there may also be an element of (By Nevin E. Kendell) tory, government has been something of a plain old-fashioned selfishness, a reluctance In recent poll it was discovered that our mixed bag-a necessary evil.