Evening star., 1950-02-26
The Week in RELIGION

Mounting concern in Protestant
circles over the implications of
hydrogen bomb manufacture was
reflected at Columbus, Ohio, this
week when the International
Council of Religious Education
adopted proposal calling for an
interfaith conference on the ques-
ton.
The council-which rarely passes
resolutions on issues outside re-
ligious education-acted in re-
sponse to a plea by its president,
Harold E. Stassen, former Gov
errior of Minnesota.
Mr.. Stassen told the concil's an
nual meeting that church leader
ship Should think very carefully
and prayerfully about the moral
implications of the hydrogen
bomb, and within three or four
months call an interfaith confer
ence Of church leaders on hydro
gen bomb policy"
In issuing its call for an inter-
faith parley, the international
council described the H-bomb as
IAN issue of life and death for the
Nation, civilization and all man
kind" 1t urged that together we
take steps whereby Protestants,
Catholics and Jews can unitedly
bring the religious mind and faith
OF Americans to bear upon the
formulation of policy in regard to
the hydrogen bomb"
Other Groups Concerned.
The council emphasized that
Christians above all must not
stand before the world paralyzed
in an hour of crisis. submissive
to the seeming probability Of wide
spread or even universal annihila-
ton"
Other religious groups have
clearly Unlimited that the hydro
gen bomb threat is 50 grave that
leaders Of the major faiths are
challengedsto join in a moral coal
ition against it.
Underscoring the proposal ad-
vanced by the International Coun-
Gil of Religious Education was the
appeal previously voiced by Rabbi
Israel Tabak, president of the
Rabbinical Council Of America,
urging the worlds spiritual lead
ers to unite into one mighty
worldwide effort" to halt the arm
aments race.
In New York. meanwhile, q
spokesman for the Federal Council
OF Churches disclosed that con-
situations of an exploratory nature
were already under way on an in
terfaith APPROACH to the moral i'm
plications Of the military use OF
weapons Of mass destruction. This
was before the Columbus meeting.
Protestant Leaders to Meet.
Coincident with the call issued
by the religious education body
came the announcement that two
Protestant leaders from the United
States had left for . meeting Of
the World Council Of Churches
Executive Committee in Geenva to
discuss the problem Of the hydro
gen bomb.
The churchmen were DR.. Frank
lin c. Fry, president Of the United
Lutheran Church in America, and
Methodist Bishop q. Bromley Ok
nam Of New York. They were
expected to acquaint the meeting
with the apparently growing In
sistence among American Protes-
tants that religious and other nom
political groups join forces against
the threat Of atomic and hydrogen
bombs.
A strong plea to Christians sv-
erywhere to exert their utmost IN
fluence against the military use
of these weapons came from the
National Study Conference on the
Church and Economic Life held
at Detroit.
Sponsored by the Federal Coun-
ell Of Churches and attended by
some $50 delegates Of ~ denom-
nations from the United States,
Canada and Alaska. the confer
ence adopted q resolution calling
upon. the worlds governments to
confer as quickly a. possible on
means Of preventing military use
Of the bombs.
Presbyterian Men Act.
A similar demand was made by
the National Council Of Presby-