Evening star., 1946-09-09
Letters to The Star
federation Rejected as Contrary
to American Ideals

OiSIuIOH NSJCCteO 0S AOnHaTy
to American Ideals
To the Editor Of The star:
Public, parochial and private schools
in the District are to be urged to teacn
the basic principles Of all religions.
No doubt this will produce the usual
discussion. It Is not my purpose to
discuss the nature of the issue. Others
will do that, very likely. 1t is the an
nounced objective-to promote reli-
gious toleration-upon which would
animadvert. What wholly un-Ameri-
can objective! Religious federation be-
longs to the dark ages. 1t is religious
liberty. not federation, that is pecul-
iarly America. Americans ought to
despise and reject toleration in religious
relations, not promote it.
There are those who confuse tolera-
tion and liberty. The two, however,
are quite distinct and should never
be confounded.
liberation is not liberty at all. Toll
Grafton Is concession liberty is right.
liberation is a matter of expediency;
liberty is principle. Toleration is q
concession granted by man; liberty is
a gift OF God.
Toleration implies superiority Of one
class or group over another. 1t is a
concession granted by superior to
an inferior. It Is an act of forbearance
and grace, not the recognition of
justice and right. In it there is the
conception of inequality. The true con-
cept, certainly the American concept,
is that of equality. Proper government
makes no provision for favoritism. AL
men, all religions, all churches, should
be equal before the law, should be
treated and protected alike by govern
ment. Some should not be approved
and others tolerated. Proper recogni-
ton of the inherent rights Of men
results in the declaration that "all men
are created equal"
Toleration in religious concerns i'm
plies the endurance of that which is
disliked, but which is considered in
expedient or impolitic to prevent or
suppress. It implies an established reli-
gion. 1t presupposes that government
has chosen and adopted one religion
as true, and must therefore regard all
others as false, heretical. schismatic.
Toleration permits these others to con-
tinue to exist merely as q matter Of
sufference or indulgence, not at all as
matter Of right.
liberation implies 4 claim to the
right to prohibit. to ban, to restrain,
in short, to be intolerant. The power
to grant involves the power to revoke.
When, therefore, the principle Of tolera-
ton Is promoted and established and
becomes the prevailing policy. it must
be recognized that this implies the
power Of prohibiting. This means In
tolerance, the violation Of essential
justice. and, ultimately, conflict.
liberation, therefore. is not, rs some
think, the opposite Of intolerance 1t
Is its counterfeit. masquerading under
a more agreeable name. Both are
despotic. Intolerance assumes to itself
the right Of withholding liberty of
conscience. liberation assumes the
right Of granting this liberty. Both
are denominations. Away with them!
Toleration is wholly inconsistent with
the American concept Of equality or
, with perfect and full liberty. 1t is
not just and honorable recognition
Of rights. No person who believes his
religion to be true and recognizes his
inherent right to believe. practice, and
propagate it, would ask that these God
given preroGatives merely should be
tolerated. He demands as a right the
liberty Of the religion which he chooses.
He is deprived of that right when by
liberation his right is turned into q
privilege graciously conferred upon him
by power that arrogates to itself q
superiority over other religions.
If anything touching religion is to
be promoted in our schools, let it be
religious liberty. but never religious tol-
Grafton. We have reached the time
foreseen by Lord Stanhope, who. in
an address In the English House of
Lords in 1927, having before it legisla-
tion to repeal the Test and Corporation
Acts, said:
"The time was, when toleration was
craved by dissenters as boon; it Is
now demanded as right; but time
will come when 1t will be spurned as
an insult" 1t should be so spurned by
the residents Of the District.
CARLYLE r HAYNES