Evening star., 1948-05-20
Baptist Group Urged
To Uphold Separation
OF Church and State
By cospor Names
Stor Stoff Cores pcndsrt

DR.. j. M, Dawson OF washington,
executive secretary of the churchs
Joint Conference Committee on
Public relations, and DR.. Walter
Pope Binns, president of William
Jewell College, Liberty. Mo, called
on the Southern Baptist Convention
today to take aggressive steps to up
hold the separation of church and
State. The convention is in the sec
ond day Of its annual meeting.
DR.. Dawson charged that permit
ting tax funds to be used for sec
tartan schools would introduce sec
tarianism into our schools and wreck
the public school system" He de-
clared such a move would break
down the separation Of church and
State The speaker also insisted
that erroneous conclusions have
been reached by many on the recent
Supreme Court decision on released
school time for formal religious edu-
cation in public school buildings.
Eight-Point Program Endorsed.
The decision does not rule out
prayers and scripture reading In
schools nor does it forbid chaplain
service in Legislatures and armed
services, DR.. Dawson said.
DR., BinQ6, after tracing the his
tory of religious liberty in the
United States, Endorsed an eight
point program of the recently Or
ganized Protestants and Other
Americans United for Separation OF
Church and State. Among the
items stressed were active support
of amy community or State which
are seeking to protect their public
schools from sectarian domination,
or resisting any other assault on
the principle of separation OF church
and State" and the immediate dis
continuance of the ambassadorship
to the papal head Of the Roman
Catholic Church.
No anti Catholic Animus.
"In seeking these objects we are
QSGCt ll1llCu W pun QUO q SON1cS eAAoc
cannot be justly characterized as
Catholic animus," DR.. Binns
declared. Profound differences
separate us in the area of religious
faith. But these differences have
no relevancy in the pursuit OF our
objectives as clearly defined in this
manifesto. The issue of Church
and State has arisen in the political
arena. And we propose to meet 1t
there"
The question of political activity
was brought into the debate yes
terday, when motion asking that
the convention send telegram to
President Truman congratulating
him on recognition of the newly
formed State of Israel was defeated.
The motion was introduced by
the Rev. Ed Solomon of Jackson
vile, Fla, editor of the Florida
Baptist Witness, who said for the
first time in 1000 years the Jews
have a home they can call their
own.
Will Win Battle.
1T is the greatest thing that has
happened in our day and genera
ton" he said. They will win the
battle whether we help them or
not, because God Almighty is on
their side"
The Rev. L. E. Barton of Mont
gomery, Ala, parliamentarian Of
the convention and retired min
lister. opposed the motion "as a
strictly political measure we should
not go into" He declared. Mr..
Truman first approved the division
of Palestine, and soon saw that this
probably lost him the Jewish vote
Now, 81 minutes after the State of
Israel was proclaimed, he recog-
nized it probably for the purpose
of winning the Jewish vote in New
York, which he needs to be re-
elected. Besides this resolution goes
into purely political matter which
we had better let alone"
10000 jam Convention Hall.
More than 10000 people jammed
the Convention Hall as DR.. Louie
E. Newton of Atlanta, president OF
the body, called the meeting to
order yesterday. At the end OF the
first day 8,427 delegates were regis
tered in contrast to the 1892 for
the same day at st. Louis last year.
The number of delegates is expected
to reach 10000 with an additional
5000 visitors attending.
A successor to DR.. Newton. who
refused to seek reelection, will be
chosen today. Leading contestants
are DR.. Robert G. Lee, pastor OF the
Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis,
and DR.. John H. Buchanan, pastor
of the South Side Baptist Church,
Birmingham, Ala. A dark horse"
possibility is a layman, John w.
Mccall, Memphis attorney.
Controversial issues such as the
civil rights report. communism,
universal military training and labor
legislation are now in the Resolu-
tions Committee and will be brought