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Religion in Politics: a Methodist on Kennedy individual and his place in society. It should take into account the whole man, all of him, not just his spiritual side.” At the same time he sees dangers in the old social gospel idea, with its emphasis on modes and techniques. “I believe in a real experienced religion. Any man’s religion, with a fatherly God, should be a warm, deep experience, beyond the comprehension of intellect.” ‘Human Rights Here in Texas “I think we’ve been bombarded with material pointing out the dangers of the cures being offered in areas like labor, education, race, housing. This had made us blind to the alternative if these cures weren’t offered at all. “My great concern is not for states’ rights or federal rights, but for human rights. The closer home those human rights can be maintained, the better. I’m all for states’ rights when the states are being responsible. But when real human rights are being neglected by a state, then I’m more than willing to go higher. “I’m not for federal aid to education in theory, for instance. But I’m certainly for it when our young people’s minds, the richest thing any nation has, are being so much neglected. ‘What a shame that we take federal money for reforestation to prevent soil erosion, and then can sit back and let human minds slowly wash away. “I’m proud of our church’s social creed and our official position on issues. It’s sort of like a political platformit’s an ideal. I think most Methodist ministers are genuinely concerned.. I don’t know, personally a single Methodist minister who’s practice race bigotry, for instance. “Many of them are taking courageous stands on the race question. It’s very common for Methodist preachers to be in hot water with their congregations on the race issue. “We’ve made a lot of progress in the South on the Negro question these last ten years. But we started too late. Nov we don’t have a choicethe only way America can really lead, as a people, is on the worth of the human soul, the dignity of the individual man. This is the philosophy we have to challenge the world with. The Dilemma “People in America, and in Texas, must be awakened into seeing that the problem before us now is not whether our children will be seated next to colored kids in a classroom, but whether twenty years from now there’ll be a classroom at all. We’ve reached this stage in the world, all of useither we believe in the dignity of man, all men, or we don’t.” Red China, with its millions, will soon be the greatest challenge, he believes.. “Old Ezekiel said the Lord told him, ‘Son of man, speak to your THE TEXAS OBSERVER Page 8 August 5, 1960 people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if any man who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.’ “The preacher is the watchman. He has the best advantage in seeing the challenge for what it is, and in influencing his people to meet the change. “I used to say the young people were our greatest hope in meeting this race problem and all our other great social problems, but I don’t believe that now. It won’t wait in this country. The next few years will be the crucial ones.” * Radio Rebuttal Bryant believes the religious question is a valid issue in the national campaign, but one which should be kept in perspective. “In the basic areas where the Protestant and Catholic faiths differ,” he said in his radio talk, “I am to the core a Protestant.” He also said in the rebuttal to Criswell: “I share with other Protestants and many Catholics sorrow and regret over the intolerance and persecution that the Roman Church has carried on in the past and is carrying on in many areas of the world where they are in the majority.” He praised “the outstanding history of the Baptists” for their contribution to the concept of separation of church and state. Protestants, however, were not the first to practice religious tolerance in America, he said. “Strange as it may seem to a Protestant, the first American colony to embody the principle was founded by a . . . Catholic, George Calvert, founder of Maryland.” He quoted the oath which the Calverts required governors of Maryland to take: “I will not myself or any other, directly or indirectly, trouble, molest, or discountenance any person professing to believe in Jesus Christ, for or in respect to religion; I will make no difference of persons in conferring offices, favors, or rewards, for or in respect of religion; but merely as they shall be found faithful and well-deserving, and embued with moral virtues and abilities; my aim shall be public unity . . .” “In this country,” Bryant continued, “while the Catholic Church Headlines Miss Senne To Wed Moody Man The Moody Courier LBJ Cites , Red Threat Austin Statesman Presbyterian Church Group Adopts Anti-Red Resolution Dallas News Grinding Teeth in Sleep Said Only Throwback Austin Statesman is indoctrinating each American Catholic with its dogma, the same person lives, breathes, works, enjoys, and prospers in an atmosphere of freedom . . . This is not a weak freedom . . . To every free-born American there is no frustration as he follows the admonition of the lowly Galilean, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ “It is unfair to declare over 20 per cent of the American population unfit to ever be president the moment they are baptized in infancy,” he said. “America cannot afford, in this time of crisis, to mark off 40 million of its citizens as unfit for leadership on account of religious prejudices. It could be one of these who could give to us a leadership that this nation so desperately needi.” Bryant argued that Sen. Kennedy’s pledges on church and state have been “clear and unequivocal.” Kennedy, he said, has promised that “nothing will take precedent over his oath to uphold the constitution . . . including the first amendment and strict separation of church and state.” He has expressed his opposition to an ambassador to the Vatican and to federal aid to private and parochial schools. Opportunity to Serve “I think it far more apropos,” Bryant said, “for Dr. Criswell to look at Sen. Kennedy’s war record, where we see him as captain of a torpedoed P-T boat being lifted from the water by fellow American war buddies. Is it not better to look at his public, legislative record over the last 15 years where we find not one violation of these projected fears of what he would do if elected president? “It sickens me,” he continued, “to see an American afraid, suspicious, prejudiced, and not willing to give one-fifth of our nation an opportunity they have never hadan opportunity to serve as head of the government of a country to which they have so richly contributed. “A man is not guilty in our courts before he is tried,” he continued. “Is it too much to ask that we extend this attitude to a loyal American who seeks to serve our country as our fore fathers dared in the face of nearly insurmountable obstacles to try something new? America will shrink and shrivel and lose its soul if it quenches that spirit. “What has happened to our faith in the checks and balances of the Constitution?” he asked. A Catholic president would only head the executive, and all major appointments would require approval of “a Protestant U.S. Senate.” All actions he takes would have to be constitutional and approved by “a Protestant Supreme Court.” He concluded: “If either of the plan to save us from nuclear destruction and secure freedom for the whole world . . . you can be sure he will be big enough, loyal enough, and faithful enough to uphold our Constitution, be he Catholic, Protestant, or Jew.” A Valid Issue He told the Observer he at first “hesitated to dignify” Criswell’s attack with a rebuttal, but “KIXL came to the Young Democrats and offered the time,” and he “couldn’t refuse.” Fear of federal aid to parochial schools and an ambassador to the Vatican are “natural concerns,” he feels. But he predicts “no one has watched a Protestant president on the separation of church and state principle as they’d watch Kennedy. If Kennedy is president, we’ll see the strictest interpretation of that principle made by any president.” of the First Presbyterian Church in Dallas, asked in the church newspaper, “Do we want a president who will kneel and kiss the hand of Roman Catholic clerical superiors who come to the White House? Do we wish a president whose church ssuppresses all minority religious viewpoints?” He said the Catholic Church has carried on a great fight against Communism, “and yet it holds on to policies that have sustained poverty, ignorance, and superstition in Italy, Spain, Cuba, and Latin America … . Catholi After making his radio talk, Bryant said, he was swamped with anti-Catholic literature. “A lot of it came from the Citizens Councils and the ‘Voice of Freedom.’ There were a lot of pictures showing Kennedy on crutches seeing the Pope in 1952,” he said. He received numerous copies of the alleged Knights of Columbus oath, printed in the Congressional Record in 1913. He also has received a large number of appreciative letters. Many of them came unsigned, “which indicates that it’s quite a pressurized thing around here.” The general response, by mail and telephone, was at first about 3-1 favorable, but it is now running about 3-2, he said. He believes that Catholics themselves should assist in the campaign against anti-Catholic attacks, especially bishops. “They ought to start making some strong statements on the exception here in America to the established-religion idea of Catholic-dominated countries. They should reassure us of the American interpretation of the church and state idea.” Bryant praises his own congregation as “a wonderful group of people” who he is sure “must be litle embarrassed by having a minister getting himself involved in this controversy. Some of them, I’m sure, take a lot of ribbing over this thing in a prejudiced area. “A few have told me they wish I weren’t in it. But they respect my freedom to take a stand, and I appreciate that.” W.M. cism has been the great breeder of Communism.” Commenting on his article, Dr. Fry told. the Dallas News, “The religious issue is not the only issue. But it is a real issue. “I feel that Kennedy in his acceptance speech made one of the finest statements on the separation of church and state that I have ever heard,” Dr. Fry said. “And if his church backed him all the way on this, folks like me would have no fears about a Catholic president. But what he said is diametrically opposed to what the Roman Church has said on the subject.” ..\\ *\\.W , Why Be Half Safe? Get Your Own Copy Of The Texas Observer Name Address City, State Send $5 to The Texas Observer, 504 W. 24, Austin, Texas. COOL OFF!!! 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