Evening star., 1948-11-25
Sectarian and Other Disbursements

Your reviewer Of Lloyd Douglas new novel,
"The Big Fisherman" published Sunday, No
vember 21, fell into deplorable sectarian at
titude which, feel sure, your unbiased news
paper would like to disavow. The reviewer
asserted that "The Big Fisherman" (Simon
Peter) founded the Christian Church and
was the first Pope" That statement, Of course,
is very definitely a partisan view of q most
controverted subject, view held only by ap-
proximately Is per cent of religious adherents
who reside in Washington A national broad
cast for well-known product on the market,
recently guilty Of the same blunder, inmedi-
ately apologtzed to numerous complainants,
offering in explanation that itN inadvertently
had been led into this uphappy predica-
ment Of seeming to champion a strictly
partisan view.
Mr. Douglas novel nowhere puts forth any
such claim as to Peters alleged papal position
AL Protestants insist that there is no his
torical evidence whatever to substantiate the
claim that Peter was Pope. Indeed, it can
not be proved factually that Peter ever was
In Rome; and In the belief of Protestants there
is no Scripture which indicates that he ever
was Pope. In saying this, am not asking
The Star to accept the Protestant view. am
only protesting against its unwary and un-
your readers is manifestly fiction.
In line with the above, am one of multi
tudes made to wonder about your fervent
championship of the Roman Catholic hier-
archy's slurring pronouncement against the
Supreme Court in its decision in the Cham
paign case. Has The Star nodded again? We
sympathize deeply with the Romanist concern
for adequate religious instruction for the chill
dren Of our generation. They are much to be
commended for their zeal for religious educa.
tion, for all Of us should be profoundly chal-
lenged by the menace Of communism and cer-
tain other equally sinister forces working to
change our national culture We accord to the
bishops utter sincerity also in believing that
the Government should join with the churches
In conducting religious education, for we know
that their Roman Church Is accustomed by
doctrine, tradition and practice to expect gov
ernment aid, financial and otherwise, to be
extended to the church. But that is no valid
reason why they should ask the Supreme
Court to rule against the constitutional pro-
vision for separation Of church and state in
our democracy. On this principle sectarian
teaching in the public schools is forbidden by
the Constitution of every State in the Union.
The lengthy and labored argument of the
bishops, In their effort to interpret the Con-
stitution, may be summed up in one sentence:
In respect to union Of church and state the
Constitution forbids the marriage of the state
with single church; but in respect to this
matter OF union Of church and state our found
ing fathers left the state free to marry any
and all churches just 50 1t treats all alike
Who but non-Protestants believes any such
doctrine Of q polygamous union?
Religious education. as joint effort of gov
eminent and churches, was long tried out in
Germany, along the identical lines in force
in Champaign. Ill. Did 1t save either religion
or the state? Elsewhere in Europe has 1t made
religion more vital or dynamic than In Amer
lea? Our historic arrangement has proved
best for both the church and the state In this
country. I cannot believe that democratic
Americans are ready to turn the teaching of
religion over to the Government either in
whole or in part, because under our conception
1t is not the function Of government to teach
religion, except possibly as related to history.
ethics, the arts or social effects of religion
never in relation to personal faith, as was done
in Champaign. Just see what was being done
there: Churchmen appointed by the churches
clothed In their sectarian garb, armed with
their sectarian textbooks, invaded the public
school property, where they collaborated with
the school authorities in use Of the school ma.
chinery, all under the framework Of the com.
pulSory school law, to segregate the children
Of their particular faiths and teach them Sec
tartan creeds. Do we want to reverse our sea-
soned American philosophy Of separation Of
church and state embodied in our Constitutions
Federal and State, to set up such sectarian
opportunities as existed in Champaign and
elsewhere? Not democratic Americans who
have thought this thing through!
JIM. DAWSON
Executive Secretary for Public Relations.
Baptists Of the United States.
Editors note: 1t is unfortunate that the
book reviewer neglected to qualify his references
to Simon Peter in acknowledgment of Sec
tartan differences of opinion.
Gn Mr.. Dawson, author of the recent book
Separate Church and State Now" The Star
recognizes qualified spokesman for those who
agree with the Supreme Courts decision In
the Champaign, Ill., case. BY no means does 1t
accept Mr.. Dawsons implication that those who
" disagree are nodding, or are undemocratic
Americans who have not thought this thing
through.D
Prices of Chain Store Turkeys
To the Editor Of The Star:
The Star of November 20 revealed the great
mystery-the price Of turkeys. Up until the
afternoon of Tuesday, the price that the gro
Gerry chains were going to charge was deep,
dark secret. However, they were taking orders
without quoting . price. Why this unusual
sales procedure? Why the delay in setting the
price? Could 1t be that the chain stores didn't
know what they were going to pay for their
turkeys until Tuesday afternoon? doubt it.
Thumbing my way through The Star before
dinner, came upon page after page of large
turkey ads Here they were: The prices an
nounced by all the chain groceries at the same
time; and what's more, the prices were the
same-to the last penny. Remarkable I
thought
There seems to be suficient evidence to war
rant an investigation to determine II there
has been collusion and violation Of the anti
trust laws. realize that your paper. or any
paper, may be disinclined to become interested
in such a matter, as these chain stores are