Evening star., 1941-01-20
Spiritual Unity Asked
In Service Opening
Inaugural Program
Interdenominutionul
Rites Are Conducted
In Court of Freedom

A power higher than governments
mightier than armies, was invoked
yesterday afternoon as a crowd
gathered in a chill wind at the Court
of Freedom, in front Of the White
House, for the first official event of
the inaugural program-an interde-
nominational religious service spon-
sored by the Committee on Religious
Life in the Nations Capital.
The crowd that sat in the stands
in Lafayette Park or stood across the
street in the bright, frigid afternoon
heard a Jewish rabbi, a Catholic
priest and a Protestant minister
plead at this fateful hour of history
for a spiritual unity in this country,
a brotherhood founded on the COM
mon fatherhood of God.
Democracy is great and valu-
able" said the Rev. DR.. John K
Cartwright, pastor Of the Immacu-
late Conception Church, mot when
it has merely laws and procedure
like the suffrage. Democracy is good
only when it has a soul, when its
millions are united under it because
Ghey freely accept its ideals and
rightly understand its purposes"
The priest added: Such a soul
| exists for the men and women of a
democracy only when all of them
look upon their fellow men as BROTH
ers. And in the long run people will
look upon their fellow men as BROTH
ers only when they regard them
| selves as children Of one great family
under the fatherhood of God.
The Only Possible Unity.
The only possible unity, then, is
spiritual unity. The man of labor
| the man Of business, the man OF law
the man of learning, the man of
war, the man Of peace, the man OF
privilege, the man of discipline, the
man OF property, the man Of poverty
the man of experience, the man of
sentiment, the man of leisure, the
man of energy, the man of tradition
| the man of optimiSm-each has his
/ dream. The dreams are many. They
cannot be made one by coercion, nor
| by fear, nor by the suffrage of ma
| lorities. They cannot be made one
in any way. They can become one
only by faith.
The man of faith is the man who
will save US. The sees and recog
nizeS-even in himself-the forces OF
selfishnesS. He understands in the
outer world the menace of organized
and mechanical evil Yet he
does not lose courage. He despairs
neither of America nor of democracy
nor OF freedom. He knows that
freedom is the Unborn heritage OF
every child of God He sees in
democracy the political expression
/ Of the religious truth of the broth
erhood Of man. He believes that
God has intended America to be
the workshop Of His benefcent des-
tiny"
Father Cartwright saw this man
Of faith with courage to bear and
patience to sacrifice and unselfsh-
ness TO unite" This man knows
that Gods providence will protect
freedom that it may endure anc
sanction democracy that it may grow
stronger" And the priest concluded
He knows that God will bless
America that it may be for ages a
haven whittier the struggling winds
and tides and currents of circum-
stance will bring the ships Of mems
dreams to security and rest"
Freedom and Religion.
The Rev. DR.. Seth R Brooks
pastor of the Universalist Nationa.
Memorial Church, reminded his lis
teners:
On this day before the inaugura-
ton of President of the United
States representatives of the reli
giouS forces of the Nations Capita
speak from the court of freedom
| The court Of freedom is but a SYM
Dol, vet it is significant that this
place might have been called by any
other name. Freedom was chosen
It is the more significant when We
think of the people in the world who
have lost their freedom, of Other
people whose freedom is endangered
and when frankly we admit thar
our own freedom is threatened.
This is not the hour for us tC
utter from this place a preachment
but it is the hour and the place for