The Bible Speaks to You January 5, 1963 Issue

[The above is substantially the text of the program released for broadcast the weekend of December 28-30 in the radio series, "The Bible Speaks to You," heard internationally over more than 800 stations. This is one of the weekly programs produced by the Christian Science Committee on Publication, 107 Falmouth Street, Boston 15, Massachusetts.]

RADIO PROGRAM No. 39 - Our Reason for Hope

HOST: Throughout the years, people have recognized the value of hope. Expecting good enables us to face the future with vigor and confidence. But too often people adopt a cynical attitude and label any other viewpoint as unrealistic.

I ran across something recently that points out the fallacy in such an attitude. It's in the book "May Man Prevail?" by Erich Fromm. He's speaking of our outlook on world problems, but his point applies to our individual outlook too. He says (pp. 28, 29): "Today certain opinions are held with pride as being 'realistic,' when they actually are as fantastic and unrealistic as are some of the Pollyannaish illusions that they attack. It is a peculiar frailty of human reactions that many are prone to believe that a cynical, 'tough' perspective is more likely to be 'realistic' than a more objective, complex, and constructive one." [Copyright 1961 by Erich Fromm.]

Now applying this to our outlook —our expectations today regarding the new year—what would you say? How realistic is it to expect good? Is there really a sound basis for hope?

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