Evening star., 1940-01-01
C|ergyn1en Join
|nNew Year Rite
AtCapito|
Speakers Express
Gratitude for Freedom
And Hope for Peace
(Pictures on Page Az


clubs, a little group stood silently
In the sharp cold about the steps
of the Capitol last midnight and
heard clergymen representing the
three great religious groups-Catho-
lies, Jews and Protestants-give a
solemn word of gratitude for Amer
ica's religious freedom and hope
that the decade beginning may see
it extend around the world and
bring peace.
Beyond the shivering group, the
heartening words of three men were
carried over the air to a countless
multitude watching out the old year
In homes, clubs and halls, and soon
the wires carried messages from
religious and secular leaders eX-
pressing gratitude for this united
appeal from the Nations Capital
The brief messages from the
Capitol steps were given by the Rev
DR.. Albert Joseph Mccartney, pastor
of the Church of the Covenant and
chairman of the Committee on
Religious Life in the Nations S
Capital, under whose auspices the
service was held: Rabbi Norman
Gerstenfeld of the Washington
Hebrew Congregation, and the Rev,
DR.. John K. Cartwright. pastor of
the Church of the Immaculate Con-
ception.
United for Message.
We stand here together" said DR..
Mccartney, Catholic, Jew and
Protestant, representing all the
religious groups of our city, uniting
in a message of good will and hope
that those features which have so
marred the happiness of the world
will fade, and that the year 1910,
ushering in new decade, has better
things in store for us all
Pointing to the Congressional Lii
brary-custodian of the Gutenberg
Bible, the Declaration of Independ-
ence and an original of the
Magma Carta, symbols of the Ma
tion's religious and political liber-
ties+and to the Supreme Court,
symbol of the justice that protects
every American citizen, DR.. McCart-
nef said:
Surrounded by all these symbols,
so reminiscent of the great tradi-
tions and so evocative of the noblest
aspirations of our great country, we
would speak to the heart of all
earnest-minded citizens a word of
comfort and encouragement. In a
world that is sick of strife, hatred
and misunderstanding, the forces of
religion have primary and tremen-
dously significant role to play in
the klndling of the Inherent spiri-
tual spark in mankind and in seek
Ing to bring about a rebirth of the
spirit"
Definite Change of Heart.
The minister added: "On all sides
we detect recognition of the bank
ruptcy of purely secular and mate
rial schemes for solving the problems
of society. There is deep-down
conviction in the great rank and
file that a state of human harmony
cannot be brought about purely in
terms Of the temporal, the scientific,
the civic and governmental. All
these purely humanitarian efforts to
save us out of our social dilemmas
are unavailing. There is something
beyond that, and that something
beyond is definite change of
heart"
THE title of this service" said
Father Cartwright, gives to the
people of America at the opening
of new decade countersign of
two-fold wisdom: Freedom for re-
igion: religion for freedom.
Freedom for religion. The free
dom that our laws proclaim neces-
states legal freedom for irreligion,
too. But, though that use of free
dom may appeal to minds of a Pc
culiar texture, it cannot be the use
to which their freedom will be put
by a greatful people to whom God
had given such land of opportunity.
Religion is normal to the decent soul,
just as clear eyes are normal to the
well-made body and clear thinking
to the generous mind. The normal
use Of freedom is to worship God,
not to forget Him.
Religion Basis of Liberty.
Religion for freedom. Religion
is not one among our liberties. 1t is
the basis of them all. The tyran-
nies of today did not come simply
from the will of tyrants. They
sprang from the preparations of
the peoples. And people is pre-
pared for tyranny when it's leaders
have taken God out of it's heart,
made man forget his soul and
taught him to seek felicity in the
material and ephemeral. And, on
the other hand, a people which hon.
ors God in word and thought and
deed, a people habitually conscious
OF its spiritual origin and destiny,
a people which uses religious free
dom to worship God, not to forget
Him, such a people is asserting the
freedom of all freedoms. Such a
people will never yield to Caesar the
liberty that is born of God"
Declaring that such a people lives
IN and rules America" the priest
added that while other nations
reel into the new decade, America
walks across its threshold in the
dignity of peace"
THANK God tonight for Americas
abundance" he said. Thank God
for Americas peace. Thank God
for Americas freedom. Thank God
for the heritage of our fathers faith
which will always be the sanction of
our liberties"
Consecrate Selves Anew.
"Here in this shrine of our COM
mon American patriotism" said
Rabbi Gerstenfeld, "as we face a
world darkened tonight with war
and hate abroad, as we stand at the
threshold of a momentous decade of
human history, and in this hallowed
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