The Problem of Confidences

Question: Should workers urge the people to unlock the secrets of their personal lives, thinking that by so do­ing they will be better able to help them to Christ? Or should the people be encouraged to make Christ their sole confidant?

Answer (by Meade MacGuire): I can but state my personal opinion on a question like that. Only a few days ago an individual asked for an inter­view with me, and said, "I don't know whether to tell you something or not." "Well," I said, "don't tell me unless you feel that it is necessary in order for you to obtain spiritual help; don't tell me anything that you will ever regret telling me." That has always been my attitude. But there are per­sons who carry in their hearts the bur­den of sin until they become desperate, and sometimes such a person will ac­tually commit suicide. There comes a stage in a person's experience when he feels that unless he can confide in somebody who will pray with him, and give counsel and encouragement, he must give up in despair. When such a one comes to a true minister of God, he has a right to expect sympathetic interest in his need, and practical counsel for finding relief of mind and peace of soul. But certainly the state­ment or confession of such a person should be guarded most sacredly. If the experience can serve to help others in similar situation, then the utmost care should be taken never to disclose the identity of the person whose ex­perience is alluded to. Any worker who does not sense the importance of safeguarding the confidences imposed in him is not qualified to do personal work.

But one of the greatest advantages which come to the personal worker is his confidential contact with these hid­den secrets of the soul, which may represent experiences common to a great many people; and when he can tell of victories won by people in deep distress through conviction for sin which has been covered for years, hope and confidence spring up in the hearts of others in a similar situation. Peo­ple have often told me of their experi­ences,—of stealing, or some other sin, —and I have prayed with them and seen them struggle through and get the victory. And many times, when I have referred to such experiences in talking to young people in our schools, I have had students come to me and say, "What you related today is just my experience, and I would like to know how to make things right."

Some very sad experiences often come to light, which place upon the personal worker very grave responsi­bility for sympathetic interest, for tact and wisdom to give the right advice, and for sacredly guarding confidences. For example, a young man came to me not long ago, and this is what he said: "I had an Adventist mother, but I drifted away from the instruction which had been given me in a Chris­tian home, and lost my way. I went out into the world, engaged in boot­legging, and was apprehended, ar­rested, tried, convicted, and sent to prison for a year. Within a month after I was placed in prison I was made a 'trusty,' and then I skipped out, and the authorities haven't got me yet. What shall I do?" To answer such a question is not easy.

I do not think that when we hold these confessions as sacred and con­fidential, we are restricted from using them, in the right way, to help other people get the victory. The point is to guard sacredly those secrets in the lives of other people which are of a nature to be kept secret, and which would lead to discouragement and seri­ous harm should they become known.

Our Denominational Name

Question: In our denominational name is the second word "day" capital­ized? and should there be a hyphen between "Seventh" and "day"?

Answer (by L. E. Froom): In all our standard English publications,—the Review, Signs, Watchman, and of course The Ministry,—the correct form of our denominational name uni­formly appears. The word "day" is not capitalized, unless all three words are entirely in capitals. "Seventh" and "day" are always hyphenated. But note: while "Seventh-day" is hyphen­ated, the "d" of the word "day" is not capitalized. This is just a techni­cal point, but for the sake of accuracy I wish we might check up on church bulletin boards, calendars, and letter heads, and see that our denominational name is correctly spelled,—Seventh­day Adventists.