Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-15
BALTIMORE PASTOR
is UNDER FIRE FOR
RAP AT CHAPLAlNS

CONTINUED From First Page)
Ainslie's was zone of the most mag
nificent and effective sermons offered
in the entire MONDAY Lenten program
here this year."
Compliments Sermon.
DR.. Ainslie began his sermon. accord
ing to DR.. Pierce, by quoting the state
ment Of an eminent Jewish professor
in a German university: IF the Jews
killed Jesus, have the Christians ac-
copied him?"
Developing this theme, DR.. Pierce said
DR.. Ainslie delivered a sermon that
was at once beautiful, appropriate and
effective"
Then, according to DR.. Pierce, Dr.
Ainslie shifted his remarks to the war,
putting the burden Of the war upon
Christian peoples who engaged in it,
and upon the churches of those peoples.
Continuing his war theme, however,
DR.. Pierce said DR.. Ainslie started a
vitriolic attack upon chaplains who
prayed that their soldiers might shoot
straight and kill all the enemy possible. "
Text Of Letter.
Dr. Pierce'S letter to DR.. Ainslie Is
as follows:
Dear DR.. Ainslie:
IT cherish such high admiration for
you personally and for your noble efforts
to promote the spirit Of religious unity
that it grieves me to be compelled to
differ from you and to feel that must
publicly protest against statements made
publicly by you this day from my own
pulpit at a union service here at the
Nations Capital. Upon inquiry, learn
that you have made these statements
before. Therefore I write frankly.
I'm my judgment, you have insulted
your country, insulted the churches of
the United States and insulted en- maSse
the chaplains Of the Army and Navy.
Was it because you were speaking in
Washington, coincident with the meet
ing Of the D. A R., with the chief Of
chaplainS of the United States Army
in uniform in your audience, and speak
ing from the pulpit of a brother minis
ter who served through the war, is now
reserve chaplain and Is chairman of
the general committee on Army and
Navy chaplains of the Federal Council
Of Churches, that at q union Lenten
service you forgot the ususl courtesies
and uttered statements which would
have been bad enough II spoken from
your own pulpit or at public forum?
"You stated that the World War
was carried on by So-called Christian
nations, that the responsibility for it
therefore rested upon the Christian
church and that churches and nations
were Indifferent and unconcerned with
underlying questions Of right or wrong,
but were concerned solely and wholly
with winning the war.
Prayed and Fought.
THAT statement maligns the United
States and our churches. We deplored
the outbreak of the war, carefully
weighed the questions of right and
were drawn into the war only when we
believed that the central powers were
wrong, the allied powers right, and
the very existence Of democratic gov
eminent was at stake. We did not
want the war, did not start the war,
were powerless to prevent the war, but
once drawn in, we prayed and fought
for victory and peace.
Your statement that So-called Chris
tian nations fought each other quite
ignores the questions of right and i'm
plies that all warfare, whether for Of
tense, for defense or for protection Of
the weak, Is alike wrong. You have
no right to ignore underlying moral
issues and to fail to distinguish be-
tween the will for peace which char
acterizes America and the will for war
which has animated other parts Of
the world.
"You referred to chaplains praying
that their soldiers might shoot straight
and kill all the enemy possible. My
testimony as the senior chaplain Of the
I'd Division, A. E. F., is that I never
made and never heard such prayer.
Chaplains cared for the wounded and
dying both of friend and foe.
All Work for Peace.
"I know great number Of chaplains
Of the Army. Navy. National Guard and
Reserve Corps. For some years I was
privileged to serve as president of their
national organization in succession to
the late Bishop Charles II. Brent.
do not know of one who does not hate
war, who does not hope for the outlawry
of war, who does not work and pray
for peace.
"it is this body Of men which you
publicly insulted by the statement that
there was no more justification for be-
ing a chaplain IN the Army or Navy
than in being q chaplain IN speak
"The unavoidable inference from such
q statement is that the personnel Of
Army and Navy are engaged In so ir-
religious an occupation as to put them
without the pale Of spiritual ministra-
ton.
'Chaplains minister to $4,000 ON
GERS and men Of the United States
Army; and to 10000 officers and men
of the United States i1avy; minister to
their wives and children; minister In
their hospitals and prisons; treat them
as children Of God; honor them for
wearing the uniform Of their country
and protecting her interests at home
and abroad. But you as a Christian
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