The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1961-04-27
Chr Erxtngtnn Anurrtiarr
Against Communism
National Council OF Churches Work RECOGNIZED

~ ~ lsJOO. WHEN Jne
denominations constituted this agency to
wi ness to their unity in Christ and to
conduct their cooperative work, the Ma
tional Council of Churches has never had
a communist party member or sympa-
thizer among its officers or staff or its
executives . Every one of them re-
sists by conviction and by virtue of his
professional activity the attempts of COM
munism to infiltr,te and undermine 4 free
society both in America and o.her nations
of the world. | defy anyone to offer proof
to the contrary. Since the Council was
formed, literally thousands of clergymen
and laitv have pa-ticipafe ed actively in
the work OF the Councils numerous de-
rortnents and commit ees. Including the
members Of the Revised Standard Bible
Committee. We know of no one of these
thousands who has c~ommunistic leanings.
and certainly none has ever been proved
to have such leanings."
No government agency has ques-
toned the v~eracity of his statement.
But it is unfortunate the statement
of DR.. Ross and other spokesman for the
National Council of Churches has not en-
joyed the widespread publicity that
charges levelled against them have had
= simply because the professional agita-
tors, who roam the country like vultures,
thrive on headlines and are always seek
ing out ways to capture them, while the
clergy and Council personnel for the most
part have refrained from Identifying the
charges by repeating them.
However, when a vast segment Of
the American public becomes honestly
concerned, as is now the case, it is time
to set the record straight and speak out
in no uncertain terms.
Faith in our churches and the clergy
is one of the bedrock values of the Ameri-
can character. Anyone who seeks to de-
strov our faith and confidence in our
churches and ministers is trying to under
mine the very foundation upon which our
personal and national lives are based be-
oao tHCy ICP1CSCuC III OCldIllLy lCScll.
These spokesman are doing as much to
confuse and divide our people by their
present methods as they could if they
were actually paid by the communists.
We hope the George Washington
Honor Medal Award presentation to the
National Council of Churches will be as
widely publicized as the "red" charges
made against it have been but we
doubt it.
The Council itself would be doing a
vital service to the American people by
embarking on a truth campaign to educate
the public to the falsity of the charges
which have been made against it by pro-
fessional smear artists and those who
have innocently been influenced by them.
In order for the American way to
prevail over Communism we need the
strength which comes to us from our
faith in God and dedication to His pur-
pose as individuals and as a nation
in addition to a superiority of armed
might.
We cannot continue to tolerate the
Fermites who are seeking to undermine
this country and everything for which it
stands by permitting their false accusa-
lions to go unchallenged.
M~ississippians, along with other
Americans, are today beset by a UNI
Der of dangers - but Communist infil-
tration of our churches and clergy is not
one of them. Before we permit fear OF
this alleged penetration to influence our
thinking or dominate our lives, we should
exercise every power and means we have
to learn the true facts.
It is only when we fail in our own
lives and in that of u church to truly
live the Christianity we profess, that we
are in danger from any philosophy or
movement, from within or without
n Adve. fiser