Church
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON
THURSDAY. JANUARY 31, 1961
Comf
ereoce
BlyepiTDimts
ociol Stood
By LOUIS CASSELS
United Press International
A blueprint lor bold action
on racial problems has been
laid betore America's church
es and synagogues.
If they take it seriously,
organized religion will cease
to be a "sleeping giant" and
may become the most dynam
ic force working for a de
segregated society.
Religion in America is a
massive enterprise. Religious
institutions own billions of
dollars worth of real estate
and other property. They
operate schools, colleges, hos
pitals, camps, welfare agen
cies, orphanages, homes for
the aged and recreation cen
ters. They employ hundreds
of thousands of people, from
janitors to psychiatrists.
They have vast sums of mon
ey in pension and endowment
funds to invest in the Amer
ican economy.
Have Influence
Churches and synagogues
also presumable have at least
some degree of moral influ
ence over their 116,000,000
members.
For these reasons, it has
long been obvious that organ
ized religion is potentially a
mighty factor in the struggle
for racial justice.
But the potential so far
has been largely unrealized.
By lhcir own public con
fession, religious bodies
have lagged far behind
many areas of secular so
ciety in eliminating racial
barriers. And, partly be
cause of their own deep in
volvement in the practice
of segregation, they have
had relatively little influ
ence on the formation of
public attitudes toward ra
cial problems.
All of this has been said
many times by many religious
leaders. And each . time the
confession has been accom
panied by a wistful statement
that "something ought to be
done" to arouse the sleeping
giant into action.
Catholic Acts
About a year ago, a Roman
Catholic layman named
Mathew Ahmann undertook
to light a fire under organi
zed religion. Ahmann is a
slim, bespectacled man of 31,
who serves as executive sec
retary of the National Catho
lic Conference on Interracial
Justice. He does not look like
the instigator of a revolu
tion. But history may record
that he started one of vast
significance.
Ahmann went to the top
leaders of America's three
great faiths - the National
Council of Churches, the
National Catholic Welfare
Conference and the Syna
gogue Council of America
- and persuaded them to
sponsor jointly a "Nation
al Conference on Religion
and Race."
The conference, unprece
dented in U. S. history both
in its scope and in its inter
faith sponsorship, met ;it
Chicaao earlier this month
(Jan. 14 - 17.) Seventy leading
Protestant, Catholic and Jew
ish organizations sent dele
gates. Strange Sights
Strange sights were seen
during the four days that the
700 delegates spent in con
ference at the Edgewatcr
Beach Hotel.
Walking through the lobby
one day, this reporter saw a
Negro nun in animated con
versation Willi a bearded rab
bi. A few yards away, a
Southern Baptist minister and
an Episcopal priest were lis
tening attentively to a Roman
Catholic bishop.
After the preliminary
speeches, the delegates split I
up into 35 small work groups j
to get down to the brass tacks
of planning specific, concrete
tilings that religious groups
can do to combat racial dis
crimination. Their recommendations -there
are scores of them -are
now being widely dissem
inated to religious organiza
tions, including local congre
gations and affiliated clubs
and societies in every com
munity of America. They con
stitute the blueprint for action.
Attacks Race Problem I
It cannot be expected tha
all churches will act on the
proposols. or that any par- j
ticular congregation will
try to tackle all of lhein. :
But if even a small part of
the blueprint is translated
into action, there will be
a radical change in the
stance of organized reli
gion on the racial problem.
All of the proposals arc
based on moral conviction
which was unanimously
voiced by the Protestant.
Catholic and Jewish leaders
in an "appeal to conscience"
which they issued at the end
of the conference:
"Racial discrimination and
prejudice are an insult to
God, the giver of human dig
nity and human rights."
The conferees were also of
one mind in the conviction
that churches and svnaeoeues
I cannot exert a constructive
influence on society at large
until they "clean their own
house."
The "action program" de
veloped at the conference
calls for the prompt elimina
tion of racial barriers in all
religious institutions, includ
ing church - related hospitals,
schools, welfare agencies and
fraternal organizations.
It is not enough, the confer
ence said, for religious insti
tutions to announce a "non
discrimination policy " i n
hiring. As employers, they
should "set an example" for
private business by "agres
sively seeking" qualified Neg
roes to serve on school facili
ties, hospital staffs, denomin
ational boards, the like.
The conference also empha
sized that integration of wor
ship should not be a one-way
street. Instead of waiting for
Negro families to seek a wel
come at all-while churches,
white Christians might join
Negro churches in some in
stances. Other recommendations
dealing with the "inner life"
of churches and synagogues
included:
- There should Be far more
hard-hitting sermons on prac
tical racial problems.
Seeks Information
Religious education pro
grams for children and adults
should aim at the develop
ment of an informed consci
ence on racial matters.
-More opportunities should
be created for whites and
Negroes to meet "on an equal
status footing" and get ;o
know one another as human
beings. Youth groups particu
larly should be exposed to in
terracial associations under
church auspices.
-White and Negro churches
in the same community
should exchange ministers on
some Sundays and even oc
casionally "exchange congre
gations." Looking beyond the realm
of specifical religious activi
ties to society at large, the
conference recommended that
churches and synagogues act,
on a community-wide, inter
faith basis, to promote belter
housing and job opportunities
for Negroes and other mem
bers of minority groups.
It was suggested specifical
ly that religious groups:
-Solicit "open occupancy"
housing pledges throughout
their communities.
Service Centers
-Establish "service centers"
to "bring together buyers and
sellers who arc willing to in
tegrate their community."
-Invest their pension, en
dowment and other funds in
interracial housing projects,
or in private financial insti
tutions which will agree to
provide mortgage loans to
minority groups on a non-discriminatory
basis (Converse
ly, it was suggested that
church money never be in
vested in financial insli-
menl practices in their com-, ing and employment,
niunity by demanding non- i Demand thai all federal
discrimination clauses in all grants to schools, colleges
contracts for church construe- , and hospitals be "conditioned
tion and supplies. (Religious j on assurances of non-discrini-bodies
spend more than SI inatory admissions policies."
billion a year on construction : Extend Discipline
member who flagrently and
persistently practices racial
discrimination alter the
church has plainly labeled
it a serious moral evil.
T h c conference recom
mendations are not binding
on any denomination or local
congregation. They are being
passed along to churches and
alone
Refuse to accept land of
fered tree as a church site
bv a real estate developer
tutions which use their lend- j w ho is know n to be planning
ing powers lo perpetuate pal- ! a segregated community,
terns of residential segrega- -Campaign on an interfaith
llon basis for enactment of feder-
L'sc their purchasing pow- al, state and local laws bail
er lo promote fair employ-1 ning discrimination in lions-
There was much discus
sion at the conference
about how far national de
nominations or local con
gregations should go in try
ing to enforce "discipline"
over church members in re
gard to racial practices.
Some delegates felt that
churches should expel a
Others felt thai churches , synagogues simply as practi
i !,,. h......m m iv ahnui riis- i cal ideas for concrete action
! cipline, in other moral nril
ters lhal it would be dilfi
I cult for them lo crack down
i on racial bigots. But there Plans have been iniui
by religious people who have
I a sore conscience on this stib
' ject.
was a general consensus uiai ! nowever, to ioiiow up wic cou
Ihe whole problem of disci-! ferenee with similar meetings
pline deserves very cloe j on a regional and community
siudv if churches expect to level. And interfaith commit-
to implement the proposals.
The cities are Chicago, At
lanta, Detroit, New Orleans, !
San Francisco, Oakland,
Pittsburgh. St. Louis, Scatilc j
and San Antonio, Tex. j
Conference leaders hope j
that hundreds of other Anicri-
can communities will follow
their example. i
If llicy do, the National ,
Conference on Religion and I
Race may prove to be, as the !
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
predicted, "one of the most '
be anything more than social i tees have already been i.r-1 significant meetings in the
I clubs.
ganizcd in 10 "target cities" 1 history of (his nation."
YaLeNTiNes
Thurs., Feb. 14
217 E. Main,
Mcdlord, Ore.
til ta1 LiU R
ft
Save an
$20 Now!
KENMORE CLASSIC
Cooking Cenier
mi ! I'llHIWW"
Realize your dream of a
Built-in Look for your
kitchen at this Sears low
price. Slides into place in
any 30 in. opening.
Giant
eyelevel
automatic
oven.
Automatic
60 minute
timer-outlet.
Infinite heat
settings.
Handy
Slide-out
Cook Top.
Easy to clean
surface
units.
You can save $30.95 now
when you purchase this
cooking center with the
Cal-Ore electric trade-in
bonus offer.
M
Sears Regular Price 229.95
Sears Sale Price $219
Less Cal-Ore Allowance $20
SAVE 30.95 YOU PAY
MATCHING BASE 49.95
Trade in your old range now. Apply your $20 Cal-Ore allowance
on any range in our stock.
KENMORE RANGES AS LOW AS $119.95
KENMORE AUTOMATIC
Waslners and
SAVE AN EXTRA $15 NOW WITH
CAL-ORE ELECTRIC TRADE-IN ALLOWANCE
HOMART QUALITY
52 GALLON GLASS LINED
ELECTRIC
1
Mm ui
aaai rMw
WATER HEATER
Regular 69.95
Sale Price 64.95
Less Cal-Ore
Allowance .... 15.00
YOU PAY
LIMITED
QUANTITIES
AT THESE LOW
LOW PRICES
GUARANTEE
Free replacement and service of any parts
which prove defective within 1 year of
sale. Defective gear-case parts in automatic
washer only replaced for 4 additional years,
charging only for installation. Free replace
ment of defective porcelain parts within
30 days of sale.
PRICE INCLUDES DELIVERY AND
NORMAL INSTALLATION
Service Is as Near as Your Phone
CALL 773-6661
r M2U f I
Kcnmore Electric Dryer Kenmore Automatic Washer
Normal heat cycle
plus air fluff
12-lb. capacity saves
time, work
Timer! rear-mounted
lint screen
Big Load-a-Door;
enameled cabinet
NO TRADE-IN
REQUIRED
Washes all your
fabrics safely
Timer and temper
ature control
24-in. wide;
washes 10-lb. load
Acrylic cabinet;
6-vane agitator
NO TRADE-IN
REQUIRED
i0 MONEY DOWN
ON SEARS EASY PAYMENT PLAN
UP TO 36 MONTHS TO PAY
ASK SALESMAN HOW YOU MAY HAVE UP TO 3 YEARS TO PAY FOR SEARS HOME APPLIANCES
Sears does not establish artificial "list" prices to
allow so-called "discount" prices. Sears original
prices are low prices.
KENMORE
ZIG-ZAG
PORTABLE
SEWING
MACHINE
OFFERS LEADERS PLAN Mj'.hrw Ahmann. 31. a.iMvi
trtar of ihf Nit:onal Catholic Conference on liT'T-racinl
J i. Viet ol'ft rrH a plan to IcaHer of thf country" three
I nic'ior reiuimi faiti! that nviy spur relnzimi loader? lo
take a stronger stand on race problem iLTli
o
GUARANTEED
10 FULL YEARS
NO MONEY DOWN
ON SEARS EASY
PAYMENT PLAN
Fiberglass insulated. Immersion type elements
for fast recovery. Glass lined tank for long life.
Adjustable temperature controls Big 52-gal.
capacity . . . trade in your old heater now . . .
and save.
l mil - 1 Ml If ' FULL YEAR ' - i: M
V- Pti ks i guaranty - L m ill
SEARS
LOW PRICE
NO TRADE-IN
REQUIRED
s?4
Portable TV Sets with
Tinted Safety Glass
SALE
PRICED
NO MONEY DOWN
144
OH SEARS EASY
PAYMENT PLAN
SAME DAY INSTALLATION CAN BE ARRANGED
IF NEEDED AT ADDITIONAL LOW COST
Shop at Scars and Save
Sali-fai'tiun Guaranteed or Your Mouev Hack
Imagine! A zig ;ag tewing machine at less than $100. Sewing is easy
and versatile with this Kcnmore! Sews forward, reverse, plus beautiful
decorative stitches. Even sews on buttons. Buy now and save at this
Sears low sale prico.
KENMORE SEWING MACHINES as low as $29
19-in. overall diagonal screen. 172 sq. inches
of viewing area. Removable tinted safety glass
Beige finish metal cabinet. Dipole antenna al
tached. Site 15lj-in. x 23-in. x 1 134-in. deep.
Silvertone TV as low as $99
sears:
501 E. MCKSON ST.
PHOKlE 773-6661
FREE PARKING
STORE HOURS
TUES, WED., THURS. MONDAY AND FRIDAY
9:30 A.M. TO 5:30 P.M. 9:30 A.M. TO 9 P.M.
J t I..
o