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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1950)
Gilkey Criticizes U.S. Life, Reliqion Too much of American religion and life today is "Cut-flower,” Dr. Charles W. Gilkey, principal speak er for Religious Evaluation Week, asserted Sunday night. What is needed today is in dividual religion based upon seeds in our religious heritage, vital to the individual, not mere forms cut off from the roots of others’ re ligion in the past, the speaker stated in the first major address of the week, theme of which is “First Hand Religion.” Dr. Gilkey summed up his mes sage in a quotation from Dr. Eldon Trueblood’s “The Predicament of I, Modern Man.” “The terrible danger of our time consists in the fact that ours is a cut-flower civilization. Try as we may to preserve the flowers, they will die eventually because they are severed from the roots.” Our generation, so good with its gadgets, is trying to reduce re ligion to a gadget, a thing of util ity, Gilkey stated. “Cut flowers are useful—what would we do without them for parties or special dates?” the speaker continued. But unless somebody is concerned with fertile things like seeds and roots, there won’t even be cut flowers, he pointed out. ‘‘There cut-flower characteristics pervade our national life, Gilkey asserted. “Americans as a gen eral culture and civilization are susceptible to quick success. By the time we have celebrated one quick success, another one comes along to celebrate. We don’t always have the time or energy to see what happens to the first suc cess.” Dr. Gilkey illustrated his point with a clipping from the New York Times telling of a cadet grad uated from a Norwegian military academy with the highest honors ever accorded to a student. This student was destined for a glorious public career. But in 1945 he was sentenced to be shot for high treason, murder, and com mon thievery. “Somewhere visions of power and grandeur had transformed him into a scheming political fanatic. That man was Vidkun Quisling.’’ Here is an example of a man with great gifts and high training who never rooted his life in the moral character of the universe, Gilkey said. (Please turn to page eight) U. 0. Forum (Continued from pope fit*) as moderator," and we hope the students will come and participate in the discussion, since this is the Forum’s purpose.” Three students and a faculty member will serve on the panel, which will be held in Chapman Hall. Students are Joan Mimnaugh, member of Mortar Board, senior .women's honorary which has in terested itself in the cheating problem; Anne Case, student mem ber of the Student Discipline Com mittee; and Jim Sanders, business manager of the Oregana, in a “stu dent-at-large” capacity. A faculty member will be named to complete the group. PEOPLES MARKET PLACE .SBHIWIIB t,v«* • 1
