Evening star., 1949-10-31
Truman Urges
More Active
Re|igiousLife
u. S. Pre-eminence
Rests on Spiritual
Strength, He Asserts

IN radio DrOadCaSt from the
White House told the American
people not to take their religious
heritage for granted but to work
at it so religion could be "a living
force in the world today"
II believe that every problem in
the world today could be solved if
men would only live by the prin-
ciples of the ancient prophets and
the Sermon on the Mount Mr..
Truman declared.
Asserting that the United States
has been "a deeply religious Ma
ton from its earliest beginnings"
the President said it's present pre-
eminent position rests on this
spiritual strength.
He said it was because of this
profound religious faith" that
the United States is able to meet
the call of other nations for lead
ership "in the ways of peace"
But he warned religion is like
freedom. We cannot take it for
granted. Man-to be free-must
work at it. And man-to be truly
religious-must work at that. too."
Text of Speech.
President Trumans speech fol-
lows:
The United States has been a
deeply religious Nation from it's
earliest beginnings. The need
which the founders of our country
felt-the need to be free to wor-
ship God, each man in his own
way-was one of the strongest
impulses that brought men from
Europe to the New World. AS the
pioneers carved a civilization from
the forest, they set a pattern
which has lasted to our own time.
First. they built homes and then,
knowing the need for religion in
their daily lives, they built
churches. When the United States
was established, it's coins bore wit
ness to the American faith in a
benevolent deity. The motto then
was In God We Trust" That is
still our motto and we, as a peo-
pie, still place our firm trust in
God.
Building on this foundation Of
faith, the United States has grown
from a small country in the will
derness to position of great
strength and great responsibility
among the family of nations.
Other countries look today to the
United States for leadership in the
ways of peace, and it is our task
to meet that challenge.
Il am convinced that we are
strong enough to meet the chal-
lenge. We are strong enough be-
cause we have profound re-
llgious faith. The basic source
of our strength as a Nation is
spiritual. We believe in the dig
nifty of man. We believe that he
is created in the image of God,
who is the Father of us all.
1T is this faith that makes us
determined that every citizen in
our own land shall have an equal
right and an equal opportunity
to grow in wisdom and in stature.
and to play his part in the af-
fairs of our Nation.
1T is this faith that makes us
respect the right of men every
where to worship as they please
and to live their own lives free
from the fear of tyranny and
strife.
World of Tolerance.
"It is this faith that inspires
us to work for a world in which
life will be more worth while-a
world of tolerance, unselfishness
and brotherhood-a world that
lives according to the precepts of
the Sermon on the Mount.
Il believe that every problem
in the world today could be solved
if men would only live by the
principles of the ancient prophets
and the Sermon on the Mount.
Each one of us can do his part
by a renewed devotion to his re-
ligion. If there is any danger to
the religious life of our Nation, it
lies in our taking our religious
heritage too much for granted.
Religion is not a static thing. It
exists not in buildings, but in the
minds and hearts of our people.
Religion is like freedom. We
cannot take it for granted. Man
to be free-must work at it.
And man-to be truly religious
must work at that, too. Unless
men live by their faith, and prac-
tice that faith in their daily lives.
religion cannot be living force
in the world today.
That is why each of us has
duty to rticipate-actively-
the religious life of his commun-
ity and to support generously his
own religious institutions.
Just as an active faith sus-
tanned and guided the pioneers
in conqueMng the wilderness, so
today an active faith will sustain
and guide us as we work for a.
just peace, freedom for all, and a
world where human life is truly
held sacred.
Religious faith and religious
work must be our reliance as we
strive to fulfill our destiny in the
world"
Negro Opera Company