Evening star., 1947-08-04
0nefreedo Depends
On All the Others,
Disciples Are Told
By Casper Names
Ster StoH Correspondent

St0t Sf0tf $Offesp0UdeH'
BUFFALO, N. Y, Aug. 4.-Re.
ligious freedom cannot be main.
tanned unless all the other freedoms
consistent with a democratic societ,
are kept inviolate, DR.. Edwin Nc.
Neiil Poteat, president of Colgat.
Rochester Divinity School, today
told the third world convention o,
the Disciples of Christ meeting here
The convention, representing 81
countries and approximately 2O00,.
900 members of the denomination
and 5000 delegates are in attend.
ance.J
A\message A from President Tru.
man, to be read tonight by DR.. JESSE
Bader, executive. secretary of tn,
Disciples World Convention, wa.
made public. today. Mr.. Truman
originally was scheduled to addres.
the convention. but the pressure ot
business forced him to cancel his an.
pearance.
President Trumans message said
Among our cherished freedom.
none has contributed more to oul
happiness as Nation than freedom
OF conscience, the unchanenged lib.
erty of every man in every genera.
ton to worship God according tt
the dictates of his own conscience.
Duty to Preserve Freedom.
ours Is the solemn duty to pre-.
serve this freedom at all costs, te
defend it against every enemy from
without or from within our borders
and to pass 1t on unimpaired ane
undiminished as priceless heritage
to those who are to follow us.
In mans struggle upward to the
attainment of freedom he has hac
now for nearly 1000 years the in.
vincible strength which alone i.
found in the Christian religion
Christianity and democracy have
this in common: Both recognize the
dignity of human nature, the in.
alienable rights of the individual
man and woman. Under the Chris.
tian conception of society, the state
Is the servant of the individual
never the master.
Liberty cannot be fragmented OF
compartmentalized, DR.. Poteat tolo
the second day meeting of the con-
vention today. The essence oi
liberty is indivisible," he continued
adding I'VE can by no means abate
our watchfulness to detect any ab-
rogation of religious liberty or the
effort to subvert any of the laws
that are its present safeguard"
Churches Must Fight.
DR.. Poteat went on to declare re-
hgious liberty would be impossible
If the universities are fettered, nor
could industry have remained free
while labor was in prison." He en-
phasized the Importance of the
churches fighting for liberty in all
fields If the churches themselves
are to retain their liberties.
Specifically, this asserts that the
churches must fight for a free press
q free labor movement, q free
economy, free educational system,
q free ballot as well as a free
church." he added. He asserted the
churches must take affirmative ac-
tion to see that mans right to work
as he choosesis not infringed, that
the status of q citizen before the
law or in the voting booth is not
affected. that mans right to wor-
ship as he pleases is not molested, -
DR.. Poteat said.
The list of convention speakers
ard the topics they will discuss en-
phasize the worldwide outlook OF
the denomination.
The global aspect of the meeting
was accented at a pageant of flags
and roll call of nations held at
the opening session last night. Dis
ciples from the "a countries took
part in the colorful ceremony. This
was followed by descendants OF
people froms these nations, each
dressed in the costume of his or her
country, marching onto the large
platform carrying the flag of the
country and placing it into stand
Disciples Pledged for Peace.
DR.. Roy C. Snodgrass of Amarillo
Tex, who was elected president OF
the Disciples International Conven-
ton last Friday, then pledged the
denomination to fight for peace in
the grave days ahead. The spec
tacle was closed with the Lords
prayer" being simultaneously said
in 1s languages.
The pageant was conceived and
directed by Mrs. J. Warren Hastings
wife of the pastor of the National
City Christian Church of Wash
ington.
The worship service at the meet
ing tonight will be led by DR.. Hast
inss. william E. Braithwaite, music
director at National City Christian
Church, served in that capacity fol
the pageant.
The anxiety of the churches re.
garding world peace will be accented
by several speeches during thu
meeting. On Wednesday evening
John Foster Dulles of New York
chairman of the Federal Council
of Churches Commission of a JUS
and a Durable Peace and Repub
Lean advisor to the Moscow con
ference held earlier this year. will
talk on THE Church's Opportuni
ties in World Affairs"
A panel having representative
from India, China, Paraguay, Grea
Britain, Argentina, Canada, Aus
tralia and Puerto Rico will discus
the topic, THE Church and Worlt
Peace" tomorrow afternoon. Thi
will be followed by an address OF
THE Church and Things Tha
Make for Peace by Roger T. Moo
of Nashville, Tenn.
Sfee|worker Repudiates
Confession He Killed Girl
By the Assoeiofsd Press
MORRISTOWN, Pa, Aug. 4.-In