The Denver Jewish news., 1925-09-10
Great Agreements of
Religious Men


Informed the office OF the Department
Of Synagogue and School Extension of
the Union of American Hebrew Con
gregntons, that lie had a remarkable
visit recently to Columbia, Missouri.
Reports from Columbia, Mo, which Is
the city OF the University of Missouri,
are to the effect that his visit and the
address which he delivered created
furore.
Dr. Harrison went to the Unlver-
SHY of Missouri primarily to address
the students Interdenominationa
Council, but In the evening he deliy-
cred an address to the Jewish stu
dents. He was listened to by the larg-
est congregation that ever assembled
in Columbia. The Knights of Colum-
bus Hall, In which he spoke, was jam
med TO uffocntion-every aisle was
filed, and latc-comers were turned
away
The Columbia Tribune, comment
ing on the address, said: "A high
note of religious harmony, perhaps
one of the highest ever struck, was
sounded at the meeting held under the
auspices of the Students Religious
Council in the Knights Of Columbus
auditorium. Rabbi Leon Harrison
was introduced BY Rev. James h
George, chairman II the Religious
Council and rector Of the Episcopal
Church. Priest sat beside jew, and
there were beside Christian, Methodist,
Baptist, Congregational and Presby-
terian.r The Columbia Missourian
gave full column ~ the front page
to the report of RabftIeon Harrison's
address.
Ralph +. Barton, secretary OF the
Students Council, writes: ut was the
finest utterancc 1 have ever heard,
and lifted the whole audience, which
packed. the house to windows aHe
doors, TO new planes of tolerance ana
brotherliness. The under current Of
the whole meeting was indeed wonder
full. The Significance Of such gatherings
is tremendous"
In his address, Rabbi Harrison said
among other things that he considered
such Il gathering u necessary one to
countcract the influences that threaten
the temple Of liberty. 1T is better to
come together in peaceful way than
to harbor animosity and look askance
ut one another" he said, Il believe 1t
is time that preachers, teachers, and
speakers should emphasize the Great
Agreements of Religious Men. With all
our preferences and the whole-hearted-
ness with which we love our individ-
ual faiths is it not wise, even necessary.
to come together out of our folds and
examine our beliefs and find out what
we have in common?
Il don't care whether you are Cath
Ollie, jew or Protestant, there are some
things that we all believe in our heart
that no man can deny One of these is
that there is II great spiritual principle
| in the universe. We are not wind
blown atoms that have no aim and pur-
pose There Is the power of God
which we work with or against and
which either makes or breaks us. We
can get into the right relations with
Him, by having something of His sym
pathy. kindness and love. In their own
way | have heard Canon Farrar in
Westminster Cathedral and Father
Vaughn, the great English priest, both
emphasize the same salient truths.
Il consider that one of the major
tragedies of humanity is that men
have fought and hated just to maintain
their separatcncss."
Rabbi Harrison secuted the idea of
''Nordic superiority" Michelangelo,
Dante, Isiah and Moses were not Nor
dies, he said. Not one drop of Nor
die blood flowed in the veins of the
great men who came out of Rome
Greece, Italy and Palestine-the great
dynamic forces that have turned the
hand of time that have pushed the
world from its beaten track and sent
it spinning along the highway of
progress. 1t is sad TO see the prcju-
dice of man against man because of
his faith or his blood that runs in his
veins because of the things which he
cannot help or would not If he could,
the things he got from hcredty. The
horrors of war with its bloodshed
would cease if men would lay these
simple truths to heart"