Evening star., 1962-05-16
Presbyterians
Sound Alarm
On immortality
BY CASPAR NAMES
star staff Writer

May l6.-SeX, pornography and
politics were debated by COM
r1llssioners of the Presbyterian
Church, U. s., (Southern) as
they brought the 1920 general
assembly Of the domination to
q close yesterday.
They also acted on several
resolutions concerning inter-
church relations. approving one
advocating closer ties with
the Reformed Church in
America and turning down
two motions aimed at eventual
union with other Protestant
bodies.
The statement on the Christ
ian view Of sex warned that
"premarital sexual relations
are, to say the least, a poor
preparation for a Christian
marriage. Young people need
to be told by a person they ad-
mire that immortality Is not
only wrong in the eyes Of God,
but it cripples them psycholo-
gically and emotionally, as well
as spiritually, in their attempts
to make a Christian marriage"
Asserting the records of
domestic relations courts and
other agencies show that pre-
marital as well as extramarital
sex relations are widespread"
the report charged church
people do not know "how much
Of this type Of immortality goes
on in their communities. "It
further declared many have mo
conscious feeling Of guilt" while
indulging in these practices.
COunSelling Advocated
Pre-marriage counselling with
ministers was urged as a
way to combat the large number
of marital failures.
The current outpouring Of
pornographic literature was
called a peril Confronting the
moral and spiritual life" of our
country by a corollary state
ment.
Pointing out that more than
$500 million a year of porno-
graphic material goes through
the mails each year, the report
insisted there is a definite re-
lationship between this porno-
graphic trend and the appalling
increase of sexual crimes and
juvenile delinquency in our
country"
School Grants Opposed
Parents. ministers and others
were urged to combat this flood
of obscene literature by bring
ing evidence to the proper law
authorities by any other means
available.
Strong opposition to either
grants or loans" of Federal
funds to private and parochial
elementary and secon dary
schools was voiced by the COM
missioners.
The commissioners voted
unanimously that the Southern
Presbyterian Church continue
further talks with the Re-
formed Church in America, ex-
ploring still further areas
where the two denominations
(. could cooperate. Although the
statement did not suggest
(, merger Of the two churches. it
! indicated that this possibility
may eventually be reached.
IA Areas Of Accord
Last month representatives
of the Reformed Church in
America and the Presbyterian
Church, U. s., meeting in
. Washington, noted IA areas
: where the two denominations
could work profitably together.
They issued a joint statement
call for further study Of these
common grounds, with reports
to be given annually starting in
1868 to the national meetings
of each church.
An effort to bring the South
ern Presbyterian Church into
merger discussions now taking
place among four other major
American Protestant bodies
was overwhelmingly beaten.
A motion that may prove the
opening wedge in permitting
women to become ordained
ministers and elders in the
church was approved yester-
day. This measure calls for a
study to be made the coming
year as to what changes would
be necessary in the book Of
church order for this step to