The Miami times. [volume] (Miami, Fla.) 1923-current, 1953-07-11
Church. Coers, |mnaturity, Hate Help
Cause Of Prejudice, Hurt Democracy


racial hate are among the chief
boosters of prejudice and are
hurting the cause of democracy
speakers declared here last week
at the 10th Annual Race Rela-
tons Institute at Fisk university;
Some 80 consultants and lOO
community leaders from 20 states
are attending the famed Race he
lations Institute which opened
June 20 and is now in progress.
In America, people who go 10
church regularly are more olaseo
than non-church goers, DR.. Cor
don w. Airport, noted psycholo-
gist and professor at Harvard
university, declared. He explained
however, that person with true
faith in God experiences "a sharp
reduction. in whatever race ana
cultural prejudices" he had be-
fore.
DIR. Charles S. Johnson, presl-
dent of Fisk and a noted soc1olo-
gist. told the Institute that al
though Americans have accepted
the continuing progress OF Ne,
groes, there is still racial ana
cultural conflict because OF I'M
maturities in democratic de-
velopment." He cited the gains OF
Negroes in America, and he also
deplored the hysteria of sus-
picion in the United States. -,
Telling his audience OF the III
treatment of natives IN the Union
of South Africa, DR.. Ray E. Phil
Inns. a missionary to South Africa
for IS wears, said the Whites SIN
cerely believed in their practlces
of prejudice although their o!o
nolicies are proving to be strain
IN that nations economy. he de-
plored laws that are keeping the
natives down and expressed Inc
feeling that America could never
stand for such dual citizenship
DIR. Smiley Blanton, psychlatry
instructor at Vanderbilt unlver-
sitv. also spoke, declaring that re-
ligion when truly practiced, cuts
down hate. He said that through
religion 1.-The hate impulse o1ten
becomes transformed into the I'M
pulse that drives us TO gooo
deeds"
The Institute will continue
through Saturday, July IL. Dr.
Herman E. Long, head of the uni
versitVs race relations depart
ment. is chairman of the Institute
Theme of the 1858 Institute is
"Next Steps in Indignation"
Probably the most thought
provoking address during tne
first week of the meeting was the
one by DR.. Airport in connection
with the church and religion.
He said in part:
"Institutionalized" church goers
too often attend as IAN island o.
safety" in which to hide thell
Illustrations, while the more
sniritualized church-goers i
"interior revelation" to inspire
and improve their moral con-
sciences.
public opinion polls and So
cial study tests have shown thai
church-goers on the average are
more prejudiced than are non
church-goers. We find that the
greatest bigots are often the
greatest church-goers, that sucn
persons tend to an excessive
moralism and conventional
ism.
g. The churchgoer who per-
sonaIy absorbs the great truths
IF religion exhibits a sharp
reduction in prejudice and IN
him we find brotherhood that be-
comes woven into the very heart
muscle. nerve and gland
DR.. johnson challenged Amer
leans to mature, declaring in part:
There can be no backward
people or third class citizens in a
democracy if it is to exist as a
democracy. Social morality, free
dom and equality . grow
only with the most careful Guilt
walton"
He also denounced attacks
which call persons who fight for
minority rights supporters OF
Communist ideas.Y He said Amer
leans must guard against 1.-The
hysteria that is manifesting itself
in a lack of confidence in any
body, suspicion of even our friends
liberation of wild and irrespon-
Sible violations of our fundamen-
an1 oi,,;l lihartieS,, under the p1liSe