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