Evening star., 1951-04-04

The teTt OF President Tru-
mans address at the laying OF
the cornerstone OF the New York
Auenue Presbyterian Church fol-
loWS:
It is great privilege for me to
be able to take part in this service.
The New York Avenue Presbyterian
Church has played an important
part in the history of Washington.
For almost $50 years, a Presbyterian
congregation has worshiped on OF
near this spot. During all that
period, this church has preached
the Christian message to this busy
Capital city.
This new building demonstrates
that you are still going forward In
the same spirit which moved those
early worshippers who first came Il
the swaulps and woodland of this
National Capital century ano
la half ago. May you long continue
in that same missionary spirit.
The essential mission of the church
lis to teach the moral law. We look
to our churches, above all other
agencies, to teach us the highest
moral standards of right and wrong
We rely on the churches particularly
to instill into our young people those
moral ideals which are the basis CT
our free institutions.
Religion Is a Positive Force.
Religion is not an easy thing. It
lis not simply comfort to those
lin trouble or a means of escaping
from present difficulties, as some
people today would have us De-
|lieve.
Moreover, religion is not a mega
tive thing. It is not merely series
|of prohibitions against certain ac-
tions because they are wicked.
Our religion includes these ele-
ments. But it also includes much
more. It is positive force that
impels us to affirmative action. We
are under divine orders-not only to
refrain from doing evil-but also
Ito do good and to make this world
IA better place to live in.
Every one of us should measure
the actions of his daily life against
this moral code which our religion
gives us. Every one of us, according
to the strength and wisdom God
gives to him, should try his best
every day to live up to these Is-
ligious teachings.
More than this, religion should es-
tablish moral standards for the con-
duct of our whole Nation, at home
and abroad. We should judge Oil
achievements. as Nation, in Tie
scales of right and wrong.
Dependence on Moral Code.
The democracy We cherish, and
our free institutions. depend upon
the observance of the moral code
in private and in public life. Selfish
ness and greed can tear this Nation
apart. just as they have torn apart
other great nations in the past. Our
only defense against them is to fol-
low those moral principles which
have been handed down to us by
our forefathers and which are en-
shrined today in churches such as
this one.
We talk a lot these days about
freedom-freedom for the individual
and freedom among nations. Free
dom for the human soul is, indeed
the most important principle of oul
civilization. We must always re-
member, however, that the freedom
we are talking about is freedom
based upon moral principles. With
out a firm moral foundation free
dom degenerates quickly into sell
ishness and license. Unless mel:
exercise their freedom in a just aid
honest way, within moral restraints
a free society can degenerate into
anarchy. Then there will be free
dom only for the rapacious ana
those who are stronger and more
unscrupulous than the rank ald
file of the people.
If We neglect these truths. oG1
whole society suffers.