Iftllo', "3oJ^)£5 rtDSS'ltO WHY THE CHRISTOPHERS? 1. The word Christopher is defined in the Standard Dictionary as a " bearer of Christ It is derived from the Greek word, "Christophoros,” meaning " Christ - hearer ” 2 . The aim of the Christophers is to encourage at least a million Americans to restore and reintegrate into American life—public and private—the basic fundamen- tals of Christian civilization upon which our country was founded, and without which it cannot endure. 3. The particular objective of the Christophers is to accomplish this aim through individual lay persons, "Christ-bearers” who will bring the love and truth of Christ into the ’market-place,”—into the great fields of (1) education, (2) government, (3) labor, and (4) newspapers, magazines, books, radio and movies. In every country which they have attempted to enslave, the Nazis, Fascists, and Communists have swarmed into these spheres, knowing that whoever controls these fields con- trols the thought of the great mass of the people. 4. The Christopher approach is based on the indi- vidual’s power for good, on his or her taking literally the command of Christ to "go” to the people in every way possible with His love, truth, and peace—on getting THE CHRISTOPHERS 121 East 39th Street : : New York 16, N. Y. Father James Keller, M.M., Director CtoaeHUM 2 out of sheltered seclusion and into the main stream, into every phase of life that affects the well-being of hu- manity for time and eternity. Organization, special techniques, etc., are all advan- tageous, but the Christopher approach depends upon the individual, on personal responsibility and effort. Be- cause Christ works in and through each of His followers, a Christopher, while only an individual, does not work alone. Christ works with him and through him. The very presence of even one Christopher in any environ- ment, even the worst, is a blessing, a channel of grace, a step in the right direction. He is like a tiny pin-point of light that is greater than the encircling darkness. To do effective good a Christopher does not neces- sarily have to be brilliant, well-trained, or in a high position. No matter how limited his qualifications may be, he can wield far-reaching influence for good as a Christ-bearer. ff The foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise; the weak | things of the world hath God chosen that he may con- found the strong” (1 Cor. 1, 27). 5 . The following examples give some idea of what thousands of Christophers are already doing: a. One is secretary to a leading radio commentator. Copies of this booklet will be sent, free of charge, to those requesting them. ... The cost to us is $2 per hundred copies, $20 per thousand. 3 b. Another has recently transferred from a job , where little was accomplished besides earning a liv- ing, to a position on a Senate Committee in Wash- ington where much is at stake. c. A student wrote her Congressman such a splen- did letter on the necessity of getting adequate news coverage in Russia and all Red-dominated lands that he read her letter to the House of Representa- tives and had it printed in the Congressional Record. d. A young man took a position on a motion pic- ture magazine and has already started a trend for better articles. e. Several have taken positions on the teaching staffs of leading colleges and universities, among them Stanford, Vassar, Harvard, California, Bryn Mawr, Alabama, Chicago, Smith, Princeton, and Pennsylvania. f. An Episcopalian devotes her spare time to work- ing in a Communist-dominated association, thereby offsetting much harm that would result if someone with her sense of integrity did not "stick to the ship." She claims that if 30 other women would show the same interest, it would be an easy matter to rescue the whole project from the Communists. g. An increasing number of housewives, anxious to exert Christopher influence, are successfully urging their husbands, sons, and daughters to attend labor meetings and take official positions in unions. 4 C~\VER 100,000 Americans are in this stadium. But 100,000,000 in the U. S. A. are not reached by any Church. . . . They are not anti-religious, only in- different—because few are interested in "going” to them, in "teaching” them the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Others, who seek to enslave them, to draw them away from Christ, certainly "go” to them in every way they can. A million Christophers must go in the name of Christ to the Hundred Million who know Him not. 5 h. Determined to do something personally about improving literattire, an Iowa lady plans to write a book herself, despite, as she wrote, that, "living on a large farm and having five small children to teach and care for taxes my time almost to the limit” i. A 19-year-old girl, hearing that a large newspa- per was dominated by Communists, decided to do something about it single-handed, despite her lack of ability in newspaper writing. After five unsuc- cessful attempts to get on the staff, she finally got a job carrying wastebaskets. She contacted every Communist on the newspaper, changed three. j. A board of education secretary has scotched many subversive ideas, and has introduced even more good ones into a large city school system. k. Another has become a member of Congress. One of his recent talks is an encouraging sample of the good that he is doing. l. Several Christophers are doing considerable good in various branches of radio and motion pictures even though their positions are seemingly unim- portant. m. More than a dozen others are on the editorial staffs of several large national magazines. n. Four young men and women are doing excellent work in the United Nations organization. 6 r JpHE atom bomb bluntly reminds hundreds of mil- lions of the uncertainty of this life. . . . But too few among them realize that their one purpose in life is to prepare for that eternity which is already begun for each and every one of them. . . . Can we, in con- science, leave any stone unturned to help them attain the reward Christ promised them, (t Come ye blessed of My Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34). 1 o. Hundreds of others have made their way into the “main stream” as newspaper writers, corre- spondents and editors; as regular attendants at youth and veterans’ conferences; as active partici- pants in parent-teachers groups, scout committees, political groups, women’s clubs, etc. It needs no stretch of the imagination to realize what will happen for the good of our country and the world when there are a million Christophers in those influen- tial positions which vitally affect, for better or for worse, the common interests of all. 6. The Christopher formula is simple and direct. Complaining, criticizing, and negative analyzing accom- plish little; positive, constructive action is essential. Cynicism and denunciation from the sidelines is useless. The best way to overcome darkness is to bring in light. It is better to light one candle than to curse the dark- ness.” 7. To be a Christopher one need not ''join” any addi- tional organization. Each works as an individual. Per- sonal responsibility is the keynote. There are no meet- ings, no dues, no fees. News Notes and other Christo- pher literature are mailed bi-monthly free of charge to anyone interested in working to promote the Christopher idea. (68,525 now receive this Christopher literature every other month.) 8. The big problem in our country is not danger from without but from within. The only power of Commu- nism is our weakness. As things stand, even if Com- 8 QN last May 1st, thousands knelt on Fifth Avenue, • outside crowded St. Patrick’s Cathedral and other millions gathered in hundreds of American cities to pray for those in Soviet-dominated lands. This pub- lic demonstration came as the result of a simple pro- posal made by the Christophers. ... A Christopher prays as well as works. Praying for others is an easy way to grow in love of all people—the poor and the rich, the low and the high, the repulsive and the attractive. 9 JTDUCATION. . . . Nearly 2,000 colleges and uni- versities in the U. S. A. are forming the outlook for time and eternity of 2,000,000 young Americans. Another 20,000,000 are being trained in high schools and grammar schools. . . . Many say that the funda- mental doctrine, imbedded in the Declaration of Inde- pendence by the Founding Fathers (which explicitly states that the least individual gets his rights from God, not from the State) is being ignored in most American schools, from kindergarten to university 10 and even denied in some. . . . Others point out that large numbers of anti-Christians are infiltrating into our schools to teach that the State is the beginning and end of all things. It took Hitler only 12 years to condition German youth to this. . . . What’s the solution? Little is accomplished by complaining. There must be at least 100,000 young Americans will- ing to meet this challenge. Let them become Christo- pher teachers and show the same determination in restoring American doctrine to American education as others display in eliminating it. 11 munism disappeared overnight, something worse might take its place. A disintegrating process is slowly but surely undermining the cornerstone of American De- mocracy and leaving a void that will be filled with de- grading error if it is not filled with the only Truth that makes men free. An editorial in "Fortune" magazine affirmed that the strength of American life is rooted in Christian truth, as the Founders of our country so specifically declared in the Declaration of Independence. t( The basic teach- ings of Christianity are in its bloodstream,” the editorial read. t( The central doctrine of its political system—the inviolability of the individual—is a doctrine inherited from nineteen hundred years of Christian insistence upon the immortality of the soul.” But the great mass of Americans know less and less about this truth. Thank God, this truth isn’t being rejected. It is being disre- garded and ignored, only because it is seldom, if ever, brought to their attention. About 1 00,000,000 Americans, or 70% of our popu- lation, are not regularly reached by anyone in the name of Christ. They are living off the benefits of Christian- ity, yet are drifting farther and farther away from its basic tenets—belief in a personal God, the divinity of Christ, the Ten Commandments, the sacred character of the individual, the sanctity of marriage and the home, and the conviction that the human rights of every per- son come from God and not from the state. Since these principles constitute the very foundation of true freedom, the Nazis, the Fascists, and the Communists always strive to banish them from man’s consciousness. 12 GOVERNMENT. ... The anti-Christians always make it their business to infiltrate into every nook and corner of government, starting in minor posi- tions. ... Too few with Christian values go into government—another instance of ”while the good people have been taking care of themselves, the bad people have been taking care of everybody else.” Thousands entering government as Christophers, dedicated to the patriotic purpose of protecting the God-given rights of all, could easily start a trend to reinvigorate our nation. 13 The more these Hundred Million lose sight of the essentials , the more susceptible they become to the allur- ing half-truths , the deceiving, glib "come-on’s” of totali- tarianism. It is important, therefore, not to waste time fretting too much about Communists. But it is highly essential for millions of Christophers to show the same zeal and aggressiveness in reaching the Hundred Million with Truth as the Communists display in reaching them with their soul-destroying doctrines. 0. The big battle of our day is over the worth of man. You know the true American concept which came from Christ Himself—that the least individual is worth more than earth itself because he is made to the image and likeness of God. Karl Marx put it very differently : The democratic concept of man is false, because it is Christian. The democratic concept holds that—each man has a value as a sovereign being. This is the illu- sion, dream and postulate of Christianity.” Thus, Marx himself testifies that democracy depends on Christianity. Therefore, to destroy democracy, the anti-Christians real- ize they must first exterminate Christianity. Adolph Hitler, who learned much from Marx, voiced the same disregard for the sacred worth of the individual : To the Christian doctrine of the infinite significance of the individual human soul, I oppose with icy clarity the saving doctrine of the nothingness and insignificance of the individual human being” This degraded con- cept of man accounts more than anything else for the hatred, destruction, and chaos still stalking the earth. A change for the better can come only when those who are intent on bringing the truth about man to all men, 14 J^ABOR. . . . Because workers comprise the largest and most substantial group in every nation, anti- Christians strive to infiltrate into labor unions. Neg- lect of good people often makes it easy for them, e.g., one union, with over 14,000 members has a regular attendance of only 500. Most of these follow the anti-Christian line, become officials, formulate the rules. Christophers could change this trend. It would mean inconvenience, trouble, often suffering. But Christ suffered death to get justice and peace for all. 15 make it their business to out-number and out-work those now in education, government, labor and communica- tions who teach that the state is God, that man is noth- ing more than a higher animal. 10. "Ideas change the world" has always been the slogan of the Fascists, Nazis and Communists. They consistently confine their efforts to the realm of ideas, ever conscious that whoever controls the thought of man, controls all else. On the other hand, most good people seldom originate, promote, or distribute on a large scale the basic Christian ideas on which their own lives and civilization itself is founded. If enough Christophers go into (1) education, (2) government, (3) labor, and (4) communications, work- ing and praying to spread the fundamental idea of Amer- ica’s greatness, they will do the best thing possible to help save our nation and the world. It is futile to com- plain about the large number in these fields who pollute everything they touch. No amount of name-calling, resolution-passing, etc., will get them out. The only solution is to out-infiltrate, out-number, out-work, and out-smart the missionaries of evil with missionaries of good. 1 1 . The central headquarters of the Christophers is at 121 East 39th Street, New York 16, N. Y. It exists, not to organize groups, but merely (a) to serve individuals who may be interested in the Christopher approach, (b) to prepare and offer suggestions and encouragement, (c) to point out the good that can be done in a personal, individual, Christlike way for the welfare of our nation and of all mankind. 16 COMMUNICATIONS. ... "A small drop of ink I makes thousands, perhaps millions, think,” said Byron. The power of the writer for good or for evil is too often underestimated. Words are world- changers. Anti-Christians swarm into newspapers, magazines, publishing houses, radio and movie writ- ing. We are trying to get tens of thousands of Christophers to do the same. As an incentive to better writing we are offering $30,000 in prizes for the three best book-length manuscripts submitted to us by November 13, 1948. 17 Who Provides the Funds? Because many can be active Christophers who are not able to contribute even $1 a year, we established, from the beginning, a policy of no dues, no subscriptions, no fees for any service, no charge for literature (except in bulk), and no public appeals. We decided to trust to Providence and the spontaneous interest of those who would care to make voluntary offerings. God has blessed this trust. While our needs will never be very great, since we require no large outlay of funds for buildings, training programs, etc., yet it costs us about $1 a year each (or $70,000 a year) to send nearly 70,000 per- sons over the country our bi-monthly News Notes and other Christopher literature and care for an increasingly large volume of correspondence. i i i Christopher work thus far has been made possible by occasional and unexpected gifts from a small group of friends over the country. Others are contributing amounts ranging from $1 to $50 a month. While Cath- olics have done most to keep us "solvent, 1 ”• Protestants have been particularly gracious in offering help, without any solicitation on our part. A lady in Rochester, N. Y., for instance, wrote: "Congratulations on the fine en- deavor you have undertaken. Please accept this small contribution of $1 from a non-Catholic” A business- man in Greenwich, Connecticut,- surprised us with a gift of $2,700, accompanied by this encouraging note: "While I am a non-Catholic, l so earnestly believe in the great work of the Catholic Church, as exemplified by your Christopher work, in educating people in the true prin- ciples of democracy , that I would like to add my little contribution to its efforts ” 18 The Christophers, 121 East 39th Street, N. Y. 16, N. Y. While it is possible for me to do so, I will contribute $ each month towards the $6,000 needed monthly to defray the expenses connected with the Chris- topher movement. I will expect you to send me a month- ly notice, together with a return envelope, stamped and addressed. I do this on condition that I may discontinue my help at any time I see fit. Name Street . City Zone. ..... State While monthly assistance, no matter how small, is par- ticularly welcome (since our bills, like yours, must be met each and every month!), we will naturally be most grateful for any single gifts from those who cannot assist on a monthly basis. i i i (All donations are deductible from one’s income tax. . . . The Christophers are incorporated under the legal title of "The Christophers, Inc”) Attention Fattier Keller