The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-06-04


Peoples Meeting, in New York O.
April6:
| If you will do away with all oppres
sion. with open scorn and words o
malice, if you bestow your bread upol
the hungry, and relieve men in mis-
cry. then light shall dawn for you il
darkness, your dull hour shall b,
bright as noon, and evermore shall
the Eternal guide you, and guard you
without fail"-Isaiah 59:9-l1.
Democracy is a thing which mus
be experienced and participated in. L
is not mere word to be talked about
1t must be actively engaged in by the
whole people-the workers, the farm
ers. the youth, the aged, who all have
voice in their destiny as individuals
1t is thus that we, a group OF
clergymen and laymen of all faiths
have come to believe that the mate
rial aspects of democracy must be
realized as well as the political ones
and that it is our duty, under God
to be identified withthe age-old effort
of the mass of the people to win what
is theirs by virtue of their humanity.
Many of us feel that we have neg
lected this duty Many of us have
become 'smug and respectable" draw
ing into a shell, closing our eyes to
the great needs of humanity We have
often forgotten the material welfare
of the people, making mOckery of the
great voices Of the Prophets and of
Jesus which have come down to us
through the ages.
We now propose to rectify our mis-
takes, to return to the profound and
age-old teachings of true religion as
expressed in the Prophets of Judaism
and the teachings of Jesus We shall
put to practice the religion which
knows no colors, no races, no boun-
daries
1t is idle to speak of a functioning
pie are denied the free vote, with no
way to express themselves either in
their State Legislatures or in the Con-
gress of the United tSates. 1t is idle
to speak of functioning democracy
when one tenth of our people suffer
under the restrictions of color, from
lack of jobs, shut off from cultural
The great bulwark of our democ-
racy is made up of the people who
earn their bread by the sweat of
their brow. The churches have from
time to time spoken out against the
injustices inflicted upon unprotected
workers. 1t is a judgment on us that
these injustices have not yet been rec
titled.
Basic to the democracy of the whole
people, including the church, is the
freedom guaranteed in the Bill of
Rights: free speech, free press, free
assemblage. Where any of these are
denied to any section of the people,
it be the rights of the work
ers, the youth, the aged, the Negro,
the Jew, or any minorities, the whole
people suffer alike.
We abhor all prosecutions, what
ever their shape or form, as incom-
patible with true religion. 1t is not
enough to be tolerant" We must
see to it that there is an end to these
Above all it is incompatible with re-
igion to find in a land of abundance
million people living below
he safety line in food, health and
facing the destruction of fam
ltr ~
t religion is to mean anything to the
people of America and the people of
he world, such suffering must stop.
Blessed are the Peace-Makers,
he millions of human beings, the
common people throughout the world
Who do the paying, the suffering the
lighting, the dying in any war. They
ire the millions who have the power
o wipe war and misery from the
'arth forever and to live in a world
If peace and of plenty.
The task of all religious people
must be ever to eliminate poverty
nd to establish security for all peo-
lie, to end oppression and to work
or speedy ending of war for all
ime. We cannot be oblivious to the
of warning humanity in 9TH
r lands. We cannot ignore the strug-
les against enslayement anywhere. |
We know that his great war now 60
ng on is bringing untold miseries and |
which bear most heavily on
he common people. But it is not
heir war. 1t is not of their making. |
We cannot support either belliger- |
mt in this war, either that which has |
verrun a large section of Europe or
nat which has long held in bondage
our hundred and fifty millions of peo-
lie, all striving to be free, but kept |
own by an exploiting minority for
ne sake of reaping profits from their
)il and hunger.
We stand for the genuine freedom
eeking struggles of people for their
from foreign domino
on, as exemplified in that of the
nited Chinese peoples. Furthermore,
g support the struggles of all peo-
les against the "appeasers" who
ould betray them from within. We
annot support the warmakers in any
ountry Their feet run to evil and
ley make haste to shed innocent
ood; their thoughts are thoughts of
iquity; wasting and destruction lie
their paths. The way of peace