Dear Editor
DEAR EDITOR Critic Calls for New Approach To Humanities, Social Sciences Melville J. Ulmer's review of Theodore Cap-low's The Sociology of Work [THE NEW LEADER, September 20] concludes with the...
...Visser 't Hooft, and Dr...
...ALEXANDER ST.-IVANYI Several Hungarian refugees have made declarations designed to condemn church leaders back home in the name of our Christian brethren dwelling under ruthless oppression in Hungary--not because of their actions, but on the basis of certain statements they have made...
...Subsequently, I was elected Honorary Bishop-Vicar for life--a daring decision on the Church's part, since I was already in exile and on the Communists' blacklist...
...One of them dealt with problems as they are faced by churches in Communist and non-Communist countries...
...In the preparatory study material contained in the Report of the Advisory Commission, the chapter on "Social Thought and Action in the U.S...
...There are, however, two errors in Mr...
...Who has the right to say that no contribution can be made by the Hungarian Evangelical Church, which has suffered so much and which thus has lessons to teach us, too...
...If this is true, is it permissible or politically wise to pass judgment on church leaders who, in any case, are the leaders of this manifestation of religious faith and who may have a share in the fact that Hungarian Christians have been judged so favorably by the West...
...I was Bishop-Vicar and President of the Unitarian Church of Hungary up to the middle of 1947...
...Both my church and my party were in constant struggle with the Communist party's growing collectivist influence (strengthened by Russian occupation forces...
...It ran only be described as ecumenical, since it is meant to include all Christians in the world...
...Fitch's otherwise excellent piece...
...These condemnations are directed against church leaders who are endeavoring to shepherd our Christian brethren in Hungary and keep them in the fold of Jesus...
...Father Drolet has been in the forefront of many organizational drives and strikes," says Rowland Watts, WDL National Secretary...
...neutralized" is entirely accurate and can be amply documented...
...THE NEW LEADER, July 26], Bela Fabian writes: "The Unitarian Church [of Hungary] submitted [to the Communists] without a fight...
...and...
...Let us believe that the oppressed church and its leaders are the last asylum for our brethren in Christ, now wretchedly alone on the earth...
...The presentation, to be made at a luncheon at the Hotel Commodore, will be sponsored by a committee of prominent liberals and labor-unionists, with three co-chairmen: Bishop Bernard J. Sheil of Chicago...
...Father Drolet deserves the tribute that is being given to him, for he has helped make significant labor history in the South...
...I do not deny that church leaders back home may have made, and probably will make again, declarations not to our taste...
...Its 163 member churches include Protestant and Orthodox churches and still other ancient bodies unknown in the U.S...
...Let us love them, that we may be worthy of the name of Christians...
...New York City JACQUES BARZUN Adds Footnote to Controversy On World Council of Churches Through a mixup in the mail, I read Eugene Lyons's August 23 letter criticizing Robert E. Fitch's fine article, "The Temper of World Protestantism" [THE NEW LEADER, August 9], while at Evanston and the article itself after my return home...
...isolated and...
...I was not a member of the Assembly of the World Council at Evanston...
...Nevertheless, I believe that Mr...
...Niemoeller, Dr...
...Possibly those who are concerned with the present condition of the humanities and with the ambiguous character of the social sciences will be able to interpret this opposition of views in such a way that Mr...
...to which Mr...
...Walter P. Reuther, CIO President...
...The head of the Unitarian Church, Deputy Bishop Alexander St.-Ivanyi, displayed a most courageous attitude against both the Nazis and the Communists...
...Because I did not want to compromise my church further, I resigned as head of the Unitarian Church of Hungary...
...Fitch's article to which Mr...
...In other words, the Unitarian Church not only refused to "submit without fight," but it was the first to fight and consequently the first to suffer the "wrath of the Furor Communisticus...
...Several secular leaders of the Unitarians were arrested as early as 1946...
...New York City JOHN NICHOLAS BEFFEL...
...in no way did it harm the United States...
...Christianity and Communism are two irreconcilable worlds resting on different basic principles...
...Since that self-same book is one which I have read with very great pleasure--the only work of sociology in many years of which I am able to say this--I believe that my opinion, taken together with the reviewer's, constitutes an important sociological fact in itself: namely, that a technically involved reader, which Mr...
...Fitch's statement that "American [Protestant...
...In 1947, I was "implicated" in a "show trial" (the Donat-St.-Ivanyi "conspiracy") and forced into exile--the first head of a church and the first party president thus eliminated...
...I am a member of the General Board of the National Council of Churches and am somewhat acquainted with these matters at first hand...
...Our present era seeks to cure Christian wounds with the ecumenical ideal...
...DEAR EDITOR Critic Calls for New Approach To Humanities, Social Sciences Melville J. Ulmer's review of Theodore Cap-low's The Sociology of Work [THE NEW LEADER, September 20] concludes with the statement: "Thus, the book is also difficult to read...
...Any unbiased person living in the free world knows that the priests of all religious denominations behind the Iron Curtain, without exception, are living under terrific pressure, and that free religious practice there is non-existent...
...Their presence was, from all I could gather, good for the Assembly, good for them and good for the churches they represented...
...The ideal of ecumenical Christianity stands before us...
...Rochester, N. Y. HUGH CHAMBERLAIN BURR Readers Describe Protestants' Struggle with Reds in Hungary In his article, "Red Clerics Visit U.S...
...Lyons takes exception was explanatory and incidental...
...However, on the basis of these words which do not come from the heart neither church leaders nor the church can be condemned...
...As it turned out, the statements and messages worked out at Evanston did not deal with particulars in regard to churches in any national group...
...to attain it we need the cooperation of all Christian churches...
...This was natural on our part, since we represented the liberal middle-class elements in the country and stood on the platform of human rights and liberties codified by the American and French Revolutions of the eighteenth century...
...The other error is really a matter of emphasis...
...I hate to see two good men at odds...
...In 1945-46, I was the only head of church in Parliament and it was my privilege to represent many legitimate interests of not only the Protestant but also the Free Churches (Baptist, Adventist, etc...
...For this reason, it cannot be doubted for a moment that churches behind the Iron Curtain today are the prisoners of Communist powers...
...Pradervant--agree unanimously that Hungarian Protestants comprise one of the most vital and deeply devout churches...
...I was present (for all except the last day) as a representative of our local Democrat and Chronicle...
...have been extraordinarily few...
...and Jewish synagogues...
...As a witness to life on both sides of the Iron Curtain, I can confirm that there is none such...
...Is it wise for us to forget that in Southeastern Europe Hungarians form the sole significant group of Evangelical Christians, even today comprising the second largest Presbyterian Church in the world...
...New York City BELA FABIAN Workers Defense League to Honor Louisiana Priest for Labor Work I think your readers would like to know that a Louisiana priest, who for 18 years has given valiant aid to workers in the South, will be honored October 9 when the Workers Defense League gives its 1954 David L. Clendenin Award for Distinguished Service to Labor's Rights to Father Jerome A. Drolet, pastor of St...
...The paragraph in Mr...
...situation leads one to think it pre-eminent, which it was not, and produces a lack of balance...
...We can only pity them, even if ultimately they may fall in their search for Christ along this path--as so many have already fallen...
...To discuss only the U.S...
...Caplow and I may yet join hands and dance around scholarly maypole together...
...Lancaster, Mass...
...The eight or nine delegates present (out of 570) from Soviet satellites received attention from the press which, in my opinion, was beyond what the circumstances warranted...
...Leber, Dr...
...Furthermore, is it a responsible attitude to wish to bar our Christian brethren from all Western contacts...
...The World Council is not a "sort of UN of world Protestantism...
...Day and night, he has been ready to go wherever needed in industrial conflicts in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Georgia...
...As such, they are entrusted with a great task in Southeastern Europe, where for 300 years they were the sole source of democratic spirit between the two authoritarian churches of East and West...
...This bold action resulted in the jailing of two of my colleagues, and several of the Church's Chief Councilors had to flee for their lives...
...Western church leaders who have visited Hungary--e.g., Dr...
...Charles Catholic Church in Thibodaux, Louisiana...
...Fitch gave so much attention is balanced by four similar chapters on Great Britain, Europe, the undeveloped countries and the Communist countries respectively...
...I also was a Member of Parliament and President of the Citizen's Democratic party--the only party of the five that made up the "Independence Front" which did not take part in the coalition governments of 1945-46...
...have been...
...A study of the true facts, however, will clearly show that this was not the case...
...New York City ALEXANDER SANDOR UNGHVARY Until the Communists took over completely in Hungary, the Unitarians there--few in number--participated fully in the struggle to combat them...
...they are still in prison...
...Ulmer, Mr...
...That is a natural analogy, but inaccurate...
...Ulmer is and which I do not claim to be, finds difficult a polished literary style which delights me in my own professional capacity of literary critic...
...Most churches behind the Iron Curtain have not been allowed to participate...
...The Roman Catholics have not yet wished to join...
...is there a single Christian church that can do without this comfort...
...A. J. Hayes, head of the International Association of Machinists (AFL...
...Otherwise, everything was related to the world as a whole...
...Repeatedly he has marched in both AFL and CIO picket lines, spoken realistically at union meetings where vital issues were at stake, said mass for strikers, taken part in conferences with employers, and frequented strike scenes even where strikebreakers were using guns...
...Because the Communists launched a campaign against St.-Ivanyi, he fled the country before the Communists took over...
...followers of the Communist-party line...
Vol. 37 • October 1954 • No. 40
