Southern Oregon Miner, Thursday, October 12, 1944
anything to chungc what has
been done. But we can start here
and now to see that we, in turn,
don't hand down a mess to the
oncoming generation for them to
RELIGION IN THE
Published Every Thursday at 167 Kain Street, Ashland, Oregon
LIFE OF OUR COMMUNITY kill themselves to clean up, if
I By J Howard Raos. Paator of they can.
tha Neighborhood Congregation­
There's no ready and all-inclu­
Carryl H. & Marion C. Wines, Editors-Publishers
al Church.
sive answer. There is no one re­
Freedom in the exercise of medy for our own community
religion was one of the main mo­ and another for our neighboring
Entered as second-claw mall matter In the pont office at Ash­
tives which first brought early towns. Neither is an increase in
land, Oregon, February 15, 1985, under the act of Congress
settler to this country. Although the number of churches or politi­
at March S, 1879.
this freedom found expression in cal parties heading in the direc­
ways which we might consider tion of a solution. There was a
pecular to our way of thinking story htat appeared in Harper’s
today, nevertheless those who Magazine some fifteen years ago
THE NECESSITY FOR TEAM WORK
had been persecuted now found now that told how an explorer
themselves in the driver's seat. in Africa was held up for several
Now that election time is about here, and most of us, But
discounting as we must for days in an emergency call back
the extremes and excesses to to civilization. After several days
no doubt, have been thinking for whom to vote, the which
religious forefathers of forced marches the explorer
matter of selecting national candidates of the same of our these
went, we must consider, 1 awoke one morning to find that
was a very real part of his native carriers were waiting
party might be dwelt upon. When it comes to state and religion
their personal lives and of the for their souls to catch up with
national tpolitics, the voter can hardly make his select­ society which they knew. Reli­ their bodies. There is more than
served to regulate life for a moral involved in that story;
ion because he does not know the candidate personally, gion
them. The individuals who found there is a serious warning for us
and most of them must make it by the policy or the themselves capable of emancipa­ today. We need a frank and soul-
ting themselves from what they searching study and analysis of
past records of the candidates. It seems to us that if considered
the latest form of sup­
E , and try to find out what it
the governor of the state, or the president of the nation erstition were a more rare specie is L IF all
about. We need to deter­
they are today.
mine what is the H IG H E S T
is elected from one party, most of his teammates and than
The stories of the part that re­ G O O D in life and how we can
workers should be from the same party. We have seen ligion
played in the lives of the best attain it. We must secure for
leaders of our country are ourselves a new and deeper real-
it happen in state politics several times where the gov­ great
well known. The name, Valley I ization and appreciation of the
ernor would be from one party and all the rest of the Forge,
suggests, among other I physical-material and the spirit-
tl ngs, the scene where Washing 1 ual parts of out makeup, and
state elective officers would be from the opposite par­ to.,
pictured at prayer. This great how they can work for the wel-
ty. If anyone expects that any good can be accomplish­ leader
might be considered as an i fare of the personality which
ed by such a setup, they just don’t know politics. We example of the more formal re­ i they constitute. Here, some read­
ligious adherent Lincoln, on tha ers will begin to lose interest.
know too, that in national politics, our senators and re­ other
hand, might be thought of Just another sermon, they’ll say.
presentatives are not able to accomplish much if they as being a “free thinker" as far But that is where their indiffer­
as formal, organized religion is ence, coupled with an overlose of
are evenly divided as to party affiliations. Of course, concerned.
Thoroughly disgusted mental laziness and religious in-
one might say that if they have it all their own way ' »t what he undoubtedly consider- diffenence, proves to be their un­
tng-
least their loss. Some
that is not a good situation either, but generally that
'^Lincoln wàs anUindîvid- doing—at
people today have the most t pecu-
situation is taken care of at the next election, when the ual who prove the truth of the liar sense of appreciation. .. They
statement that the truly religious want the best possible society
party is ousted if conditions get too rank from a par­ experience
is found in other and community in which to live;
places besides churches. Because they want all the luxuries of life
tisan standpoint.
played so prominent a for themselves and are at least
So when you stepup to mark your ballot, remember the irt Bible
in the education of the willing to work for their own sel­
that for sake of harmony in the administration, elect reat Emancipator, it was no fish good. They never stop to fig­
wonder that he was so thorough­ ure out how the larger good of
most of the officers from the same party.
ly acquainted with that Great the community is to be secured.
Book and absorbed the great They figure that the other fel­
truths into his own life. Not at­ low can do their part for them.
tempting to belittle this beloved That is just the trouble— there
figure in our national history, I aren’t enough "other fellows” .
can’t help but feel that he would What’s more important is that
THE OPA AGAIN
have been that much greater if there is no such thing as the
he had got into the church life “other fellow” . When we don't
We seem to have rather “led with our chin” in last and helped to purify it with the take care of our own responsibi­
religious enthusiasm that lities, they simply do not get tak­
week’s remarks about the OPA and price ceilings etc. great
was his.
en care of. If we don’t feed our
We have been taken to task several times already about We hear the remark from so own
chickens, our neighbors may
it, from people who apparently have been injured or many sources these days that we do it once or twice for us, but
are almost becoming to believe it they won’t keep it up fbrever.
have come to bolws with the OA some place some time. ourselves,
that religion is on the The chickens would soon starve.
In speaking of the OPA last week we did not mean to decline. I would like to question Society is “starving” . There is
the maker of such a statement as nothing shameful or criminal
infer that we were upholding the administration of its to
what he means by the word about making mistakes. But the
policies in Ashland, in Medford, in Klamath Falls or in “decline"? About ten years ago. shame and the crime aspects
group of the church leaders of come in when we don’t have
any other place or by any particular board. What we a our
country, headed by that what it takes to admit that we
meant was that the general policies of the OPA are great American philosopher Er­ do make mistakes and undertake
nest J . Hocking, brought out a to correct them and strive to do
sound.
study of the Protestant churches better. We are our brother’s keep­
ers and we do not live unto our­
When it comes to administration by the thousands of missionary work under the title selves.
can be no such
"Rethinking Missions”. Not so
boards throughout the nation that is a diffenent mat­ long afterwards, there followed 1 thing as There
a neutral corner or po­
on the many issues in life
ter. Having had several years of experience on a feder­ several books with the obviously sition
suggested title R ET H IN K IN G today; we are either for the good
al board, we know from past experience that the local R E L IG IO N , all of which served things in life or we are against
boards are sent thousands of directives, orders, regula­ to focus our attention to that fact them. People have been fooling
people were thinking about themselves too long with that |
tions, etc., rtc., and it takes a lot of common sense, a that
religion again with p e rh a p s neutral corner myth. We are re- .
sense of humor and a lot of hardheaded business sense broader and more critical eyes sponsible for the conditions that
before. This was evidenced exist in society, whether we want !
to make the application of those regulations work out. than
by the fact that religion had been to admit it or not If we don't
Knowing a little of human nature, too, we know that undergoing a broadening process like certain aspects of our social
wherebv its scope was consider­ surroundings, let’s ask ourselves '
not all boards are administered to the best advantage ed
as lav in g something to do what are we doing to make
for the individual or for the community. There have with this present world. It was things better? Are we aligning
a repudiation of the narrow­ ourselves with those agencies
been all together too much petty tyranny in the admin­ also
er concept of religion as a purely the better things? or are we sit-
istration of the regulations, and most certainly poor other worldly business. There fin­ and organizations that stand for
dawned upon man’s con­ ting on the curb cursing the pass­
administration or over zealous adherence to the rules ally
sciousness that religion should ing cars for splashing mud in our
“by tiie book can work hardships on a community, as deal with things present, as well faces? There is one agency which
as with things to come, that re­ has done more for mankind than
well as an individual. We doubt if there is a board in ligion
should be the defender of any other, and that is the
the entire country, which has been so administered the common man. and not try to C H U R C H ; its nature and its mis­
make him content in his manifest sion are of such a nature that it
that there are not a lot of complaints about it. There ly
unfair social and economic can do what no other can. Yet it
are too many rules and regulations that run counter to condition that was blighting his is handicapped through this in­
There was a decided up­ difference which is manifested
our former way of living to state that there could be no soul.
heaval in thinking about reli­ toward it. The Kingdom of God
complaints. Since coming here we have heard them gious matters. There soon came could be more closely approxim­
recognition that the advice ated in society if those who are
about the Ashland board, about the Medford board, the
“there’ll be pie in the sky by and letting George do it, would take
and others. It is the great national American past time by, don’t you cry” was poor re­ over their own responsibilities.
ligion as well as poor common Lest anyone think that such a
to complain about such things.
sense. Not that all this implied a commitment is below the dignity
Perhaps the source of most of the complaint, or the complete abondonment on the of the real he-man of society, let
of religion for other wordly it be said that very few indivi­
couse of it, is that people have been placed on these part
things, but it focused attention duals possess enough of the quaL
boards who either know nothing about the matters un­ on the fact that religion had been
re
Guest Editorial
SOUTHERN OREGON MINER
g
der their control, by training or experience, or they |»«ng of ^S le* ¿^interpret re-
are just not fitted by disposition to be in such a place. iiglon u applying to all of life;
Either one can cause a lot of troublt for the individual the present 33 weU 33 the here'
and we believe that most of the complaints arise from Thia period of readpustment
that source.
has been painful, but it has also
But our personal opinion of the matter is that the materialistic advancement, with
its raising of the ease and luxury
broad policy of the OPA—to hold down the price of of
living, was accompanied by
living and to see that all have their fair proportion of the discovery on the part of
many people that the narrow
available commodities, has been done. It hasn’t been idea
of God they once had was
done without injury to some people.
totally inadequate for the new
life. Because God didn’t strike
Perhaps the main fault with the whole setup is that down
all tnose who failed to do
they didn’t go far enough in that there was no limit Him honor
and worship, they
set on wages of many employees and inasmuch as the came to ignore The Divine Being
and to live as though they were
wages have been allowed to rise more or less, it has had sufficient
unto themselves. This
a tendency to squeeze any profit in the handling of indifference for things religious
on the edge of con­
many items. If there had been an absolute ceiling set bordering
tempt, is one of the most serious
on wages as well as the price at which manufactured threats to the future welfare of
country today, not ignoring
goods could be sold, it would have allowed sellers a our
the problems of a post-war na­
fair profit. As it is, there has been some lines of goods ture that are looming ominously
before us. The danger lies in the
discontinued simply because there has been no profit fact
that indifference to things
and in some cases a loss in handling the item, and sell­ religious ,to our religious duties
and obligations, spreads with a
ers will not handle them.
cancer-like speed and deadly
The OPA is far from perfect, but no one has come certainty to the rest of life. With
decline in religion goes declne in
forward with a better plan, and in the whole we think morals
a a and ..........................
concern for the bet
it is successful, in spite Of what some have to say about "er th?ngs*in'iife. We are reaping
It. It 1« mighty easy to criticise, but unless a better sol-
u tio n is o ffe re d th e criticism don ’t am o u n t to m u ch .
about
that becam e we can’t do
F IL M S
D E V E L O PE D 4b P R IN T E D
8 or 8 ex. 15c per roll
Doable size 26c
5o extra of Panohromatle. AU
flue grain developed. Reprint*
2c «ooh. Double size 3c ea ch
Deckle or plain edge. Guaran­
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ECONOMY
PHOTO F INISH ER S
Bex 1878, Station D
LOS A N O E LE 8 7, C ALIF.
under 2000, is practically the
same us a year ago, the figures
fluctuating one wuy or the other
from day to duy with lute re­
gistration. The 1500 woman out­
number the men more thun three
to one. The freshniun class with
«60 is the lurgest, while home ec­
Oregon Stute College— F a 1 1 onomics with 553 leads all the
term registration here, as Just schools in size for the war period
ity of true manhood and wumun-
hood to qualify. It is every inch a
“man's game", und the reul man
or woman will be in there doing
his or her shart with all the con­
viction they possess.
Osc Enrolls 2000
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announced later
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