Responsibility Alters Civil Disobedience
Editor's Note: Nr. Paul Pine
gar is the religious intern on
the staff of Westminster House
and serves as an advisor to the
Op. Cit. program of the ASUO.
He is a native of Portland and
graduate of Portland State Col
lege.
By PAUL PINEGAR
For (he Kmerald
Christians here at the Univer
sity, as everywhere, face crucial
decisions today regarding their
patriotism, and their commit
ment to God as Lord of All.
The draft. Black Power, and
other symptoms of deeper so
cial death are confronting Chris
tians with new agonizing ques
tions.
How does your commitment
to God relate to the gun barrel
of a 17-year-old black boy point
ed at the heart of our law and
order, with the words scream
ing from his lips through the
barrel. "I’m takin' what's due
me. honky . . white bastard!"-’
It seems like trying to relate
the frills of white lace to the
blood of a battle field.
Yet. there are certain rea
sons why Christians have so
much difficulty relating their
faith to their seemingly pri
mary duties to civil law and or
der. and the possibility of civil
disobedience.
Let me point to a Tew of the
historical high points which have
contributed to this present
agony. When Emperor Constan
tine was converted to Christian
ity in 800 A D.. Christian ideals
took a definite civil, social char
acter Christian virtue was de
fined as responsibility to exist
ing laws, norms and values es
tablished by the civil society.
Appropriate Loyalty
To be a Christian meant to
live within these values, and de
velop an appropriate loyalty
to public and government agen
cies and orders. To be a sinner
meant to break-off this mainte
nance of social order.
A social rebel or revolution
ary. threatening existing gov
ernment or social structures,
was being anti-Christian. This
attitude set the pattern for the
next thousand years of "Chris
tian" civilization.
Even the major reformers.
Luther. Calvin and others, did
not break with social order to
carry through their reforms. Lu
ther. for example, needed the
government princes to battle
the Catholic Church. But he
combined with these same prin
ces to suppress the Peasant's
Revolt
Europe
68
$383
Portland-London
June 17-Sept. 10
Pan-Am
Children V4 Fare
IMPORTANT
The f!:ght is offered in
accordance with the Inter
national Air Travel Asso
ciation fares and regula
tions. Th s is not a charter
flight, but is a blocked
group on a regularly
scheduled Pan American
World Airi nes polar jet.
I.E.C.
319 EMU
Ext. 1384
1-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.
By the nineteenth century the
identification of Christianity
with indifference and hostility
to major social reform became
so strong that men like Kieke
gaard, Nietzsche and Marx had
to reject the Church in order to
identify with the suffering of
humanity. What these men were
calling for was a new self -
conscious. Each in his own way
was groping for a new form of
human dignity.
To Be Human
We see the same struggling
today in the writings of Camus
and Satre, to name only two
Each of these men parallels
God's call to man to be human,
to celebrate the fundamental
worth of our flesh and blood ex
istence.
God’s call invites man in this
struggle to individual, social
and political responsibility. The
Church, however, has allowed
man to be defined by institu
tions. existing social “givens,"
and in so doing has prostituted
Religious
Calendar
There will be an Ecumenical
Worship Service at Wesley
Foundation. Sunday at 11 a.m.
This service is open to all de
nominations as an on campus
worship service for students.
IS GOD A1.IVE? See if you
can find him at Oregon Inter
varsity Christian Fellowship at
7 tonight at University house.
791 E. 15th. There will be a
guest speaker, singing and re
freshments.
The joint-action group meet
ing of Campus Crusade for
Christ meets at 9 p.m Sunday
at 1224 Mill St Jesse James will
speak on Love and the body of
Christ.
College Life meets Wednes
day. January 31. at 9 p.m. in the
Alpha Delta Pi sorority. 1851
Onyx. Refreshments will be
served after the informal dis
cussion of Christ's Rele\ance to
College Students Today.
Looking for a place to eat
and relax Sunday evening’
Westminister House is serving
a light supper at 6:00 Sunday
evening. The lively discussion
on the Meaning of the Church
will be continued.
God's Commandments.
The entire Old Testament
rings with this contliet between
man. nation and God. Isaiah. Jer
emiah, Amos, and llosea, to
mention only a few of the proph
ets, cry out against man's cloth
fulness, his total commitment
to the gods of the nation in
stead of to the Lord Yahweh.
The Commandment against
taking the Lord's name in vain
is not primarily against swear
ing. It is a commandment
against substituting other social,
institutional, or personal gods
for the one Lord.
Ezekiel cries out against Is
rael's loss of faith He judges
her severely for setting up other
gods in the market place and
neglecting the poor and desti
tute. He prophesies God’s anger
against those who do not return
to God and feed the starving.
A Higher Law
In the New Testament Jesus
himself affirms his loyalty to
God by denying to wear the civ
il crown, and refusing to allow
his Lord to be placed at the al
tar with the other governmental
and social gods. He fulfills God's
Commandment to submit pri
mary allegiance to Him. and not
to civil order and social insti
tutions.
Each order and institution is
judged by a higher law. the
law of human dignity. If it is
lacking, Christian faith de
mands that we change it or
break it. This does not mean
we immediately reject all social
institutions and government
agencies. It does mean, how
ever, that we put them in per
spective.
Denials Revealed
A simple scan across our cul
ture today reveals our society's
denials of the tradition of the
Old Testament prophets and the
Commandments of Jesus. We
have put the Lord along side
and with other cultural and po
litical gods. Our church has con
tinued in the tradition of Con
stantine and largely ignored its
own authenticity.
Our coins are stamped "In
God We Trust.” Our pledge of
allegiance declares us to be "one
nation, under God." No major
social or political institution
could hope for success without
an appropriate reference to God.
Our Congress opens with pray
er. Our armies are stocked with
chaplains.
The paradox is this: When
Christ refused to wear the civil
crown he maintained the Church
as the judging, renewing, re
Saint Thomas More University Parish
Newman Center
MASSES: Sunday at 8:30. 9:45, 11:00 a m., 12:15,
5:30 and 8:00 p.m.
Weekdays at 8 a m. and 4:30 p.m.
SACRAMENT OF PENENCE: Before each Mass and Satur
day evening from 7:30
to 8:30 p.m.
Inquiry into Catholicism Wed., 7:00 p.m.
1850 Emerald Street, Ext. 2597 or 343-7021
Church of Christ
Eugene: 494 10th Avenue West Herald of Truth
Bible Classes 10:00 a m.
Worship 11:00 a m .7:00
1580 River Road
Bible Classes 10:00 a m.
Worship 11:00 a.m.. 7:00
Springfield: 1305 N. 5th
Bible Classes 10:00 a.m
Worship 8:45 and 11:00
6:00 p.m.
Channel 13—KVAL
P'"1' Sunday 10:00 a.m.
Radio Programs
^ m' KZEL Sunday 8:30 a.m.
KORE Sunday 8:45 a.m.
i.m.,
Central Lutheran Church
(an American Lutheran Church)
18th and Potter 3454)395
• Sunday worship - 9:15 and 11:00 a.m.
• Philip L. Natwick, Pastor • Eric Ottum. lay asst.
LUTHER HOUSE
1824 University 344-7373
has taken the crown it has re
inforced civil order at the ex
pense of social Justice to the
door and suffering God calls
us to feed and clothe,
forming community within the
civil society. When the Church
CCM Officers
Outline Projects
The strategy committee which
is the student voice in organiza
tion and planning for the Co
operative Christian Ministry
held election of officers.
Lindsay Baldner is chairman
of the committee and Leslie
Carlson was elected secretary.
In the committe's planning
process now is a conference for
next fall to deal with private
morality and public respon
sibility especially as it relates
to the question of the draft and
the racial crisis.
The Back Door Coffee Unuse
is also under the committee's
program. It is open on Friday
and Saturday nights featuring
folksinging and poetry reading.
Another area of the commit
tee's interest is the Operation
Citizenship (Op. (’it ) tutorial
program in which students are
able to involve themselves.
In restless corner* of t h e
Church new hope I* emerging.
We must a* Christiana see our
selves as part of that hope, at
the expense of popularity, so
curity and social success.
The Confession of faith of
the United Presbyterian Church
of 1967, affirms that "When Un
church allows some one mi
ttonal sovereignty of some one
"way of life" to be identified
with the cause of God it denies
Christ the Lord and betrays
its calling
We approach civil disobedi
ence in the context of our Chris
tian faith, deciding response
bility, while not forgetting the
words of our Lord. "He who
loses his life for my sake wilt
find it."
DUCKS! Save $ $ $
Get Your Student Discount
Card at
CRYSTAL
MOBIL SERVICE
Gas & Tires for Less
Broadway at Hilyard
Grace Lutheran Church
(Missouri Synod)
17th and Hilyard Street 344 2361
Sunday Worship Services: 8:30 and 11 a m.
Bible Class: 9:45 a m.
Harold J Gieseke, Pastor
Donald Jerke, Campus Pastor
First Congregational Church
(United Church of Christ)
East 23rd at Harris . . . short walk south of campus
9:30 and 11:00 a m. Identical Worship Services
9.30 and 11:00 a m. Church Schools and nursery
Ministers: Wesley G. Nicholson, Lloyd R. Stamp
For rides phone 342 4876 or 345-8741 by Saturday noon
First Baptist Church
welcome U ot U students
Broadway at High 3450341
COS < las*. Will Molt
1! a.m.
“Can These Honrs Live?”
Dr. Vanci* II. Webster, Paster
7 p m.
“Lisins a Thousand Lives"
Hi v. Hon Lundy
UNIVERSITY HOUR
H 30 p.m.
First Methodist Church
1185 Willamette 345-8704
9:00 AND 11 A M. SUNDAY SERVICES
Ministers: H. James Jenkins, Max L. Wills
WESLEY FOUNDATION
Methodist Campus Center, 1230 Kincaid
Bob Peters — University Pastor
Christian Science Services
FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST
Pearl Street at 14th Avenue Eugene, Oregon
A Branch of The Mother Church, Boston Massachusetts
Sunday Services and Sunday School at 0:30 and 11:00 a m.
Subject this Sunday: “TRUTH”
Wednesday Evening Meetings at 8 pin.
Including Testimonials of Healing
Nursery facilities provided at all services
BEADING ROOM 84 EAST 10th AVENUE
Open week days from 8:30 a m. to 6 p m. and
on Sundays and Holidays from 2 to 5 p m.