Evening star., 1953-11-12
The Presbyterian Letter


In recent editorial on the 2.300-
word Presbyterian Letter" issued for
the General Council of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States of Ameri-
ca, The Star asked for some clarifica-
tion Of what might be very unaccept-
able political implications of the letter.
I should like to add a request for en-
lightenment on some unjust and un-
charitable religious implications which
the letter evidently contains. Follow
ing subtitle, 1.-THE Majesty of Truth
Must Be Preserved at All Times" the
letter calls into question the truth of
the testimony of certain leading ex-
Communists who transfer their al
legiance from one authoritarian sys-
tenn to another" The obvious reference
is to such well-known converts from
communism to Catholicism as Louis
Budenz, Elizabeth Bentley, and DR..
Bella Dodd and the implication that
by and large there is not much diff
ference between the Communist au-
thoritarianism and the so-called "Cath-
olic authoritarianism." Does DR.. Mac
kay and his council sincerely wish us
to believe that they reject all authority
unfortunately, whether good or evil,
or that they wish to say that the au-
thority Of the Catholic Church, which
she exercises by specific delegation
from the Son of God, is Of the same evil
piece as the tyrannous, atheistic au-
thoritarianiSm of communism?
Very evidently the council uses the
words authoritarian system" as a term
of opprobrium, namely advocating
obedience to authority as opposed to
individual liberty" (Websters New In
ternational Dictionary, to be applied
equally to communism and Catholi-
cism. Does the council advocate indi-
vidual liberty even against the au-
thority of Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
If it does, then it does not support
true liberty but chaotic, secularistic
license. How does the council account
then for the war of Catholicism against
communism, and that, long before the
Presbyterian Council entered the lists?
In the name of the millions of Catholic
bishops, priests, religious, and laity
who have suffered torture and martyr
dom since communism first reared it's
ugly countenance, rather than accept
such a system, and in the name of
thousands of Catholic soldiers in
America and throughout the world
who have fought and died alongside
their Protestant and Jewish compan-
ions. protest against this covert, un-
just and uncharitable attack upon their
Catholic faith and this clear attempt
to identify it with the tyranny of its
Communist enemies. Do the Presby-
terian clergy and laity generally ac-
80
Presbyterian Letter written in their
name? Does the pastor of the Pres
byterian church which lately re-
ceived the President of the United
States as convert accept this posi-
ton? Like The Star calling for clari-
fication of the letters" political i'm
plication, should like to ask for
Qualification of the position of the
writer's Of the Presbyterian Letter in
this religious aspect. A reputation of
this religious implication of the "let-
ter" would certainly call for a deletion
of the phrase which have quoted.
(Rev.) Charles A. Hart,
Catholic University of America.
The Star editorial on November S,
"The Presbyterian Letter." is to be
highly commended. The conclusion
that 'it is document which falls into
the error Of excessive generalization, q
document which trieS-and fails-to
make rhetoric serve the purpose of
specification" Is an excellent charac-
terization of the factually insupportable
rawlings of the self-styled liberals" of
the anti-McCarthy press, upon which
the deriSive accusations contained in
this letter are patterned.
AS one example The Star quotes
from the letter: Despite the lofty
idealism Of many Of our national lead
ers, truth is being subtly and silently
dethroned by prominent public fig
ureS from the position it has occupied
hitherto in our American tradition"
and then asks, "Who are the promi-
nent public figures?" OF course, this
smear is directed at the chairmen of
the investigating committees, particu-
larly Senator Mccarthy. The COM
posers of this letter are more interested
in concealing the truth than in its
possible dethronement. Their sincerity
would be better appreciated had they
suggested that witnesses should emu
late the Rev. Daniel Polling, editor of the
Christian Herald, who, in a letter to
the New York Times, said that during
World War II he was persuaded to join
an outfit called Friends of Russia, but
resigned when the Communist backing
of this organization became evident.
Clearly" writes Dr. Polling, "I was one
"a dupe) in 1943. and so were the
'dupes' who invited me-" More such
frankness by the clergy would bring
the ATTACK issue down
to a rational level, where the Com
munists and their allies don't want it
to be AS former Representative Thomas
l.. Blanton says in his letter in the
same issue of The Star. ut is high
time for preachers to get in behind
this fight, and aid instead of denounc-
ing"
Old ReactiOnary.