Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-06
Attack on Rockefeller
Speech Called Untrue
To the Editor of The star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
In an Associated Press dispatch from
Rome published in your issue Of Feb
ruary 2 there Is report OF criticism
of the address by John d. Rockefeller,
jr., at the dedication of the new chapel
of the University of Chicago, appearing
in Osservatore Romano, (which is used
bv the Vatican frequently for official
expression" Mr.. Rockefeller is quoted
as having said, 1.-THE object of your be-
lief is of little Importance; the main
thing is, adhere to it sincerely and
strongly"
If Mr.. Rockefeller had said this, the
criticism of Osservatore would have been
fully justified. Not only did he not
make any such statement, but what he
did say would have served as refuta-
ton of such a sentiment even better
than the comments of OsServatore. For
example:
Superstition, tradition, human au-
thority are no longer accepted by think
ing men and women as religion. Upon
are they building their religion and
upon that alone. Christ is their au-
tilority for so doing. for it was He Who
said, And the truth shall make you
Free Courageous is the youth who re-
solves to test his religious belief by
standards of truth and by nothing else.
Helpful is the professor who Sympa-
| thetically and wisely leads his students
| to apply that test. And without fear it
may be applied, for thereby only is the
dross refined away, and by that very
F, process is the pure gold of vital reli-
gion made more clearly and convinc-
ingly visible"
Mr.. Rockefeller has little patience
with religious bigotry, UNCONVENTIONAL
partisanship and controversies over
non eSsentials. He says: when a ship
| is sinking and those on board see death
/ staring them in the face, no one stops
| to consider whether the means of self
|, preservation offered is boat or raft,
of what material it is built or by whom,
what its type may be or its dimensions.
The sole question asked is, Does it give
| promise of saving life?' BY similar
analogy, since all Christians believe in
God and strive to be followers of Jesus
Christ, youth quite rightfully is unable
to see what real difference it makes
by which Of many doors one enters
into fellowship with the Infinite, so
strange, then, that the younger genera
ton, from being at first confused and
irked by our multiform theologies, then
aghast at the un-ChriStlike attitude
Of so-called religious people, is tempted
to say to itself, If this is religion, to
insist on Sectarian differences and to
bubble about non-essentials, when sin
Is rampant in the world and evil is
omnipresent; If church members are
more interested in whom they will keep
out of their religious bodies because of
theological differences than they are in
helping people to be strong in body.
clean in mind and pure in heart, we will
waste our time with nothing so hypo-
critical and useless; rather will we give
all religion wide berth and have none
of it, And to the extent that such a
conclusion Is reached, the intolerant
sectarians of our churches are largely
to blame. If Christ were on earth to-
day, fancy there would be but one
church-the church of the Living God.
It's terms of admission would be love
for God as He is revealed in Christ
and His living spirit, and the vital
translation of that love into a Christ
like life"
If the editor of Osservatore depends
on sentiments like this to read into
Mr.. Rockefeller's address that the lob
| ject of your belief is of little impor-
| tance," either he does not understand
the English language or he is deliber-
ately misrepresenting the facts.
A. G. MURRAY.