Evening star., 1941-11-21
Holiday Broadcast
Stresses Religion for
Purposes Of Freedom
Dr.. A. }. Mccartney
And Rabbi GerstenfeId
Speok on Proqrom

Religion for the purposes Of hui
man freedom was the theme of
Thanksgiving program arranged by
the Committee on Religious Life
in the Nations Capital and broad
cast from Stations WMAL and
WRC of the National Broadcasting
Co. network yesterday at noon.
In the opening address, the Rev.
Dr.. Albert Mccartney, minister of
the Covenant First Presbyterian
Church, declared: I'VE celebrate
Thanksgiving this year in the in
spring tradition of the 150th an
niversary of the Bill of Rights from
which we take our commission to
sound again the note of freedom
for religion and religion for free
dom
THE festal boards about which
ne are now assembling are the SYM
bols of the free and bountiful life
which Is our blessed American herit-
age,
we are free to come and to 60
from one end Of the country to
the other. free to mingle with our
friends and relatives without let or
hindrance, free to provision our ia
hles without bothering about ra-
tlonng cards, free to listen to any
radio program or speak our minds
on any subject whatever. All these
freedoms stand out in bold relief
against conditions in so many un-
happy quarters of the world.
May Be Preserved for All.
But We do not have feeling Of
era titude because We live on little
isle of safety while others suffer.
we DO not have the Grass and in
tolerable arrogance to lift our faces
to Almighty God and thank Him
for this immunity but the source of
our gratitude rather shall be that
through the consecrated use of all
these freedoms We can somehow
hope to preserve them for all man
kind"
A second speaker was Rabbi Nor
man Gerstenfeld. minister of the
Washington Hebrew Congregation,
who outlined the historic tradition
Of individual freedom and said: 1T
Is the inspiration of the eternal
covenant of Sinai, radiant in the
Judao- Christian tradition, that led
finally and almost inevitably to the
ideal and the reality of the consti-
tutional rights of the citizens of this
land.
To-day as we gather to thank God
Tor the blessings of the earth in our
homes, let us also thank God for
the blessing of heaven that has
made this country into homeland
of mans freedom, that has made it
into a shrine for a bleeding human
!ty still seeking a way out Of the
tyranny of the ages.
Teach Laws to Children.
'Let us thank God for the ancient
covenant of our fathers and let us
seek to love Him so that His COM
mandments will be in our hearts.
Let lis teach them to the children
Of our age and let us speak Of them
when We sit in our homes, when We
walk along the way, when we lie
down to rest and when We arise to
new labor. Let us bind them as a
sizn upon our hands and as 'front.'
lets before our eyes. Let us too
write them across the doorposts Of
our homes and over our gates. so
that We will remember the heritage
that came to us out Of the centuries
in these sacred commandments of
Alnighty God and so that We too
can be the children Of a covenant
Of faith and freedom for our own
time: so that America may be a
torch OF righteousness across the
worlds darkness, a benediction Of
gratitude and a prophecy Of hope Of
Gods peace still to come"
The Rev. DR.. Seth R. Brooks, min
lister Of the Universalist National
Memorial Church, first vice presi-
dent Of the committee, and the
Rev. DR.. John w. Rustin, minister
Of the Mount Vernon Place Meth
odist Church, also participated in
the program.
Music was in charge Of Theodore
Schaefer. The Covenant First
Presbyterian Choir sang patriotic
anthems and a quartet including
Miss Juanita Claxon, Mrs. Henri
eta Bagger Plum, William Hayghe
and Jordon Bentley sang Cigars
Land Of Hope and Glory"