Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-11-08
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
Fuith-Form or Force?
M nm EpEnERIcK BROWN HARRIS
BY DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain OF the United States senate

Inc tremendous impact OF
an idea, even though a falla-
cious and q twisted one. has
been wildly illustrated by
the visit Of the Soviet leader
to America. His consuming
faith Is an ominous comment
on the old saying, Beware
Of q man with an ideal" His
whole being is gripped with
the firm conviction that COM
munisn is the wave Of the
future and will inevitably
win, as he said to the greatest
array Of newspapermen per-
haps ever assembled in the
Capital Of the Nation, 1--WE
will bury your system be-
cause ours is right and yours
is wrong"
In It's appraisal Of the
individual the Communist
faith is terrible to contem-
plate. It is degrading, cruel
and relentless. But it is train
ing millions who. with eyes
blinded to the truth, will
even die for it and. living.
will give their all for its vic
tory. Let us make no mistake
about 1t, the faith Of goddess
communism is a force-a
tremendous force - to be
reckoned with in the world
of today and tomorrow.
This is no time to simply
boast Of our faith" 1t is
time, and the hour is late,
to ask ourselves anxiously,
pertinently, searchingly: Is
our boosted faith a form or
a force? The Soviet faith has
nothing to do with things
unseen. It Is Of the earth,
earthly. It does not flt into
the dimensions Of q faith
such as we Of the West
profess, defined so well by
John Freeman Clark: "All
the strength and force Of a
man comes from his faith in
things unseen. He who
believes is strong. He who
doubts Is weak. Strong con-
victions precede great &C
lions. The man strongly
possessed of an idea is the
master of all who are I'M
certain or wavering. Clear,
deep, living convictions rule
the world"
The question now before
an America challenged by
convictions which utterly
deny the reality Of the I'M
seen is: Are our beliefs clear,
deep, living convictions? II
not they cannot rule the
world, and the day will come
when those who have such
convictions will rule us. Only
beliefs that set on fire the
whole personality, body, soul,
and spirit, are on their wey
to coronation.
Our generation has been
so busy finding flaws in
ancient creedS that often 1t
seems that the baby has been
let out with the bath. We
have debunked sanctimoni-
ously until the faith of the
saints has often disappeared
with the halo. Vital beliefs
about God and man are
fighting for their lives in
confused minds. And all this
in a day when a deluded and
attenuated Christian faith
which asks little is being
challenged by the violent
positive assumption Of ia.
natical systems which de.
mand everything of their
devoteeS.
One of the bishops Of the
Church of England some
time ago uttered this star.
Ting statement, To-day We
confront q new phenomenon
a generation that has lost
God and a whole dimension
of life-the spiritual dimen'
sion. Half our countrymer
are worse than heather II
that they believe in nothing
not even in themselves.
That announcement can b
honestly applied to hosts o
Americans who belong II
churches and synagogues
Their so-called faith is
form and not a force. The!