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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 1948)
Panel to Open Fete Tonight Rabbi Talk Marks Start Of Brotherhood Week By DONNA KLETZING Speaking on the philosophy of Saadya, the father of Judaism, Rabbi Leo Trepp of the Sinai tem ple of Tacoma, opened Brotherhood week on the campus Wednesday. “Philosophical problems are the same in 1900 as they were in 900,” Trepp stated. The quest for truth concerns three questions “What can we know?’, “What must we do?” and “What is our ultimate hope?” These are also questions with which religion deals, he said, and conflicting ideas of religion and philosophy are ever present to cre ate a tension. Trepp outlined the course of Ju daism, stating that the conflict be tween ideas of religion and philoso phy arose late and rather sporadi cally with the Jews thinking “in” rather than “about” Judaism. Af ter centuries, he continued, it spread to thinking “about” rather than “in” Judaism. i Heads Colony The first principal influence of Judaism was found in Saadya, who became head of the Academy of Sura in Babylonia. Internal strife, however, forced him to abandon his position, Trepp continued, but he Linahen Speaks On Newman By CONNIE JACKSON John Henry Newman was before his time in liberal education, in the literary field, and as a religious philosopher, according to Father Leo J. Linahen, one of the speak ers for Brotherhood week. Father Linahen spoke on the life of New man Thursday night in room 205 Chapman. Bom in 1801, Newman was of French-English parentage, and he was believed to have had some Jewish blood, although there is no confirmation of that, Father Lina hen said. He attended Oxford uni versity, and received his degree there. While at Oxford, Newman j was made an honorary fellow of Trinity college. Father Linahen told about the Oxford of Newman’s time. “It was comparatively easy at that time,” he stated, “and consisted of 20 col leges, most of which were private homes. Continuing on Newman’s life, Father Linahen said that Newman took Angelican orders in 1824, and then obtained a parish. Two years later he was made preacher at the University church. In 1843, New man resigned from the Angelican church, and two years later he be came a member of the Catholic church. In 1846, he went to Rome, where he studied for the priest hood. In 1847 he was ordained at the Propaganda university in Rome. After his ordination, he joined an order called the Oratorians, and returned to England to establish a cell of his order. His life from then on was a series of disappoint ments, and until just a few years before his death in 1890, he ob tained recognition for his work, and was made a cardinal. From then until his death, he lived quietly, and spent his time rewriting his books and papers. Among United States cities of more than 5,000 population, Green ville is a common name, appearing fa six different states. still held his place as leader of Ju daism. His many accomplishments as an educator include translating the Jewish Bible into Hebrew from Iraq, compiling a prayer book as a text, and always striving to help and preserve Judaism, Trepp said. “It is fortunate his generation found in him their leader,” Trepp commented, as he pointed out that Saadya was not a mystic, but a realist who dealt with the intellec tual people with faith, not the peo ple with faith and lacking in intel ligence. In answer to the first question in the quest for truth, “What can we know?”, Trepp explained Saadya’s philosophy. “How can we square reason with revelation, the two laws provided by God?” would be answered by Saadya stating that reason and revelation put forth the same truth and that there is no ar gument with reason—just with pseudo-reason. Would Creation Trepp illustrated Saadya’s theory by applying it to several problems of his contemporaries. Concerning the creation of the world, for exam ple, Aristotle persisted that the world was created out of nothing. Saadya on the other hand, main tained that the world must be fin ite. The world, Trepp explained of Saadya, has not existed for eter nity as eternity has not ended; thus the world is in finite state. To the neo-platonic school who says the world has eminated from God, Saadya stated that God can not put any part of his being into the world as that would dentail suf fering and it is doubtful that God would sustain suffering. The duelism theory is based on two forces making the world, good and evil. Trepp explained that Saadya’s philosophy follows that man is sometimes good and some times evil, and that man could not change his state as he would not know the other state if it originat ed in two different forces. Province God’s Existence In answer to the question of proving God’s existence, Saadya s -lves it from the fact that God as C ator must be above his creation or He could not have created it. WMt we know of God's being liv ing. powerful, and wise, Trepp con tinued in Saadya’s philosophy, is by trad:t on, profits, and reason. “What must we do?”, the second questio 1 in the quest for truth, is tackled by Saadya, Trepp ex plained, through two kinds of laws given to man by God, reason and revelation, which were given to in crease man’s reward in the world to come. Both laws were given for men’s benefit, not for God’s and are therefore in men’s interest to act in accordance with the laws, Saadya would maintain, Trepp said. He contiuned, “God rewards sinners in the prerent world for piouo deeds; He rewards the pious in the afterworld, and for their few evil deeds, He punishes them in the present world.” The third question, “What is our ultimate hope?”, was stated by Trepp in Saadya's thinking as “We serve the human race best by de veloping our particular religious races—no wishy-washy form of universality." “Thinking of, in, and about re ligion is as important today as it was then (in the days of Saadya over 1000 years ago),” Trepp con cluded. Truman Proclaims Brotherhood Week February 25 to 27 has been pro claimed National Brotherhood week by President Harry S. Tru man. He asked that each college campus in the nation carry out a program of some sort to observe it. In speaking of the establish ment of the week, the president said: “National unity and strength depend on the willingness of men of all creeds, races, and national origins in America to respect one another’s rights, and to co-operate at citizens in all areas of common conviction, concern, and responsi bility.’’ Dr. Harry K. Newburn, Univers ity president, is a member of a special committee of the national association of state uni versities! to see that the week is observed in the nation’s colleges. Bishop'Explains Religious Stand Of Missionary By TERI REY Albert Switzer is one of the brightest spots in African mission ary work today because of his the ory that “true religion is reverence for life,” according to Rev. Fran cis J. McConnell, bishop for the Portland area of the Methodist church. McConnell, who spoke Thursday afternoon in connection with the observance of Brotherhood week on the campus, said that Switzer is “both an idealist in an extreme sense and a realist,” since he is able to put his unorthodox views to work practically. Has Had Difficulty He believes, McConnell pointed out, that “Christianity doesn’t amount to anything unless it is combined with practical activity.” Because of this belief and different views toward religion, Switzer has met much difficulty in his field, the bishop said. McConnell termed Switzer “a curious personal phenomenon.”, Though he has been expounding his views for many years, it is just re cently that he is beginning to re ceive acclaim for what he has done. Switzer, who is a demical mission ary, is a rare type of man, McCon nell said, for he possesses the un usual qualities of good, truth and beauty. Reverence Desired Switzer believes in combining these qualities with a reverence rather than a compassion for life in order to bring Christian views to primitive tribes, the bishop added. McConnell will deliver his second lecture in the series this afternoon at 3 p.m. Officers Elected By Mu Phi Epsilon New officers of Nu chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon, women’s music honorary, elected Wednesday are as follows: Mary Margaret Dundore, presi dent; Faye Schick, vice president; Helen McFetridge, recording sec retary; Shirley Gay Williams, cor responding secretary; Lucretia Prentiss, historian; Althadel Johns, treasurer; Dorothea Schaer, war den; Virgene Lindley Roffe, chap lain; Helen Hudson, chorister; and Janet Kelsey, alumni secretary. 'Religion' Discussion At 7:30 In Gerlinger Starts 2-Day Session Religion and the World Order,” a panel discussion, in Alum ni hall, Gerlinger, will officially open the third annual YWCA International festival tonight at 7:30 p. m. Speakers on the panel, Dr. Leo Trepp, Bishop Francis J. Mc Connell, and Father Leo J. Linahen, have been lecturing on the campus in connection with the observance of World Brother hood Week. Their panel will officially conclude the World Brotherhood program. Dr. Harry K. Newburn will moderate tonight’s discussion. The program for the festival will continue tomorrow begin ning at 9:15 a. m. with a discussion on “Can World Government preserve wona peace : speakers will include Gordon Cook, soph more in liberal arts; Helen Sigis mund, sophomore in liberal arts; and Nancy Peterson, junior in journalism. Haycox Slated Ernest Haycox, University grad uate and Portland author, will speak at the lunhceon at 12:15 p. m. in the Persian room of the Eugene hotel. Tickets for the luncheon are still on sale at the YWCA for $1 each. Bep McCourry, luncheon chairman, reminds all house presidents to send *at least one representative to the luncheon. The topic of Haycox’s speech has not been announced yet. The afternoon festival program will include another discussion per iod beginning at 2 p. m. and the Gerlinger tea at 4 p. m. The discussion panel Saturday afternoon will consist primarily ot foreign students. Student speakers are Captain Hsu Kai Yu, graduate student in journalism; Peter Linde, graduate student in chemistry; Fely Corcuera, graduate student in finance and banking; Herbert Weiss, freshman in liberal arts; Carlos Martinez, sophomore in business administration; and Amy Lous Ware, junior in education. The panel will discuss "Advan tages and Disadvantages of Am erican and Foreign Education, both Fomal and Social.” Joan O’Neill, sophomore in art and dis cussion chairman, will be modera tor. Dances Featured Dances from different countries will be featured entertainment at the Gerlinger tea. Members of the freshmen commission will perform numbers characteristic of Ireland, Mexico, Greece, Norway, Holland, and China. The numbers will be de scribed by Geri Arnold, mistress of ceremonies, woman commentator from radio station KUGN. Co-chairmen of the festival, Laura Olson and Dedo Misley re mind students that any part of the festival is open to the public and they hope that as many stud ents as possible will attend all or part of the events of the “Friend ship Festival.” Basketball Results Holy Cross 67, Dartmouth 56. Tufts 65, Boston Univ. 51 St. Michaels Frosh 69, Norwich Frosh 20. City College of New York 75, Brooklyn College 55. Night Staff Carol Bartel Martha Van Auken Charlene Helgesen Sam McKinney Dick Gehr Bob Brown Betty Lagomarsino, night editor Stan Turnbull I Rabbi LeoTrepp Explains Buber By RUTHE REAGAN “The aim of society is the re demption of God and this aim is reached when man attains com plete unity,” quoted Rabbi Leo Trepp who spoke on “Martin Buber” last night in room 205 Chapman. Society itself means working, acting, and talking to gether for God.” Rabbi Trepp explained that Bu ber, a modern Jewish mystic, be lieves that approach to God is through work. Therefore, man kind can serve God through His creatures and can help God to complete man. “Every act, breath, and deed can aid God,” he explained. “Therefore Judaism, which has developed from the character of the people, is never set apart from the people. Each act is an act of worship.” Buber was strongly against or ganized religion, missionary work, and the alliance of church and state, according to Rabbi Trepp, who quoted, “True religion has no rules except to serve God, which each nation and individual can do by following the Commandments and helping mankind to serve God.” In speaking of his own creed, Buber has said that the Jewish people will form a bridge from the western world to the Arabs since they are an eastern people who have absorbed western cul ture. 'Ghandi' Topic Of Talk Today The Rev. Francis J. McConnell, bishop of the Portland area of the Methodist church, will open today’s program of the World Brotherhood week observance when he lectures on “Mahatma Gandhi” at 3 p.m. in alumni hall, Gerlinger. The Mahatma, a spiritual and po litical leader of India, was assassin ated recently while on his way to evening prayer. “Newman: His Coat of Arms” will be discussed by Father Leo J. Linahen of the chancery office of the archdiocese of Portland at 4 p.m. in alumni hall. Father Lina hen spoke last night on “Newman: His Life.” Speakers for Brotherhood week will conclude their lectures to night when they have a panel dsi cussion on “Religion and the World Order.” The discussion will begin at 7:30 in alumni hall, Ger linger.