Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-16
CHURCH. COUNCIL
| CONDEMNS K. K. K.
"Methods Not Only Wrong, but
Dangerous" Says Dr..
Cavert
government UNDERMINED

Washington. Oct. 1G.--Condemna
,ory resolutions mined at the Ku Klu,
Khan and other masked and secret
hodies have been passed by the Admins.
trotiye Committee Of the Federal C0uh.
eli Of Churches and were made public
today.
In making the resolution public tht
Rev. Samuel McCreh Cavert. one of the
two general secretaries. said:
"Ths action was taken as n result
~ statements made from time TO time
that the Ku Klux Klan and othe,
mosked and secret bodies are acting in
hehalf of the Protestant Churches of the
United States. While the Ku Klus
Kim Is not mentioned by name in the
statpmert, members of the Administra-
tive Committee had 1t in mind In par.
ticular.
and similar organizations may be OF
the highest. but members Of the Ad.
ministrativc Committee believe their
methods are not only wrong but also
dangerous from every standpoint. Ac.
zion By the committee is significn M
when il is realized that thirty great
communions with moro than 10000.
do members are affiliated with the
Federal Council
Text Of the Resolution
The resolution il as follows:
1.-The Administrative Committee OF
the Federal Council of the Churches of
Christ in America records its strong
conviction that the recent rise Of or
conizatiOns whose members are masked
oathbound and unknown. and whose ac =.
tivities have the effect of nrousing reJi-
rious prejudice and racial antipathies.
ia fraught with grave consequences to
the Church and to society at large.
"Any organization whose activities
tend to set class against class or race
against race is consistent neither with
the ideals of the churches, nor with
true patriotism, however vigorous or
sincere may be its professions of reli.
sion and Amcricanism.
Evils of lnwlcssncss and immortality.
however serious. can never, be rcmedietl
BIZ secret. private and unauthorized
action. They must be handled by tn.
State and by the recognized forces of
education.
Undermines Respect for Law
"For groups of individuals wearing
masks and concenling their identity TO
pass judgment on men and women and
10 carry out humiliating measures Of
their own devising. IS subversive of
every principle of civilized government,
and undermines respect for the es-
tabshed agencies of law and order.
"Any body of men. unidentified and
banded together to achieve in parti-
san spirit the purposes Of sectional,
political, racial or sectarian group, is
almost certain to fall into the very evils
Of mob rule against which the spirit of
Christian democracy and Amcricnnism
makes vigorous and constant protest.
Even II they resort to no unworthy
deeds themselves. their practice of car
ryng on their plans I'm disguise or under
the cover of darkness encourages others
to do likewise, and so affords the on
portunity for all manner Of lawless-
ness to be carried on with immunity
from arrest by punishment.
Should Check Their Spread
"Howevcr true 1t is that in some
communities religious organizations
seek control over municioa! udminis-
tration, which Is rndcTocratic and
highly undesirable. yet for another
body of men, secret and oathbound, to
undertake to get control is equally in.
tolerable, even If they seek with all
sincerity to wrest it from the control
Of other groups.
"The Administrative Committee of
the Federal Council of the Churches is
opposed 10 any movement which over
rides the processes Of law and order.
and which tends to complicate and
make NOR" difficult the work of co-op-
eration between the various political,
racial and religious groups in the Re-
public.
'No such movements have the right
to speak in the name of Professionalism,
and the Churches are urged to exert
influence to check their spread"