The three great faiths—Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant—have agreed on what they shall demand when the peace conference builds the postwar world. On October 6, 1943, there was issued in New York a seven-point "declaration on world peace." It calls for the establishment of a world order based on the moral law, and demands the organization of international institutions to enforce international law, through "adequate sanctions" when necessary.
This seven-point declaration was released simultaneously by the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, the Social Action Department of the National Catholic Welfare Conference, and the Synagogue Council of America, after months of negotiation. It was immediately hailed by religious leaders as the first interfaith pronouncement on world order.
The signatories comprise 144 prominent persons of the Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant faiths. Included among them are forty-seven Catholic archbishops, bishops, priests, and laymen; forty-seven representative rabbis and laymen; and fifty leaders of Protestant denominations and national organizations. Prominent among these signers are Henry St. George Tucker, president of the Federal Council and presiding bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church; Edward Mooney, archbishop of Detroit and chairman of the administrative board of the National Catholic Welfare Conference; and Rabbi Israel Goldstein, president of the Synagogue Council of America.
Among the signers also are the heads of twenty Protestant denominations, as well as officials of twenty Protestant interdenominational organizations, eleven archbishops and twelve bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, two representatives of the Eastern Orthodox churches, and the heads of four rabbinical bodies and five Jewish national congregational Organizations.
The declaration contains seven propositions derived from an extensive study of about forty pronouncements on world order issued during recent months by religious leaders and bodies. These propositions represent the areas of agreement that are found in the various pronouncements. With the text of the seven points there were released three separate preambles. These represent the various approaches to the problem by the Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant signers. These three preambles are as follows:
"Protestant. In a world troubled to despair by recurring war the Protestant churches have been seeking to show how moral and religious convictions should guide the relations of nations. Their conclusions are in many important respects similar to those of men of other faiths. In this we rejoice, for world order cannot be achieved without the co-operation of all men of good will. We appeal to our constituency to give heed to the following proposals enunciated by Protestants, Catholics, and Jews, which must find expression in national -policies. Beyond these proposals we hold that the ultimate foundations of peace require spiritual regeneration as emphasized in the Christian gospel.
"Catholic. We present for the consideration of all men of good will the following postulates of a just peace as embodying the principles of the moral law and their prime applications to world problems of our day. To our mind they express the minimum requirements of a peace which Christians can endorse as fair to all men. They are the foundation on which Catholics in a free world can work from deep motives of Christian justice and charity for the building of a better social order.
"Jewish. The American Synagogue commends to the attention of its own constituency and to all men of faith the following principles as a guide to thought and action in dealing with the grave world problems of our time. These seven principles, while they do not exhaust the teachings of the Jewish tradition on issues of social relationships, have their sanction in Judaism both Biblical and rabbinic. Judaism's highest goal has ever been 'to amend the world through the kingdom of God.' The Synagogue therefore calls upon its adherents, both as citizens and as Jews, to seek after the implementation of these principles. They will thereby act in faithful conformity with the moral values of the Jewish religion, and at the same time serve the best Interests of country and of mankind."
The seven-point declaration* had its inception in the mutual concern felt by leaders of the three faiths that the peace should be built on "moral foundations," as well as in their awareness that comparative studiesof the various pronouncements of recent months had shown a considerable amount of common ground. The negotiations were carried on in New York and Washington over a period of months. Preliminary drafts were submitted to a number of Protestant, Jewish, and Catholic leaders. After many revisions the final draft was agreed upon.
This is the first time in American church history that such an interfaith declaration embodying an agreement among the three faiths on the principles of an enduring peace has been issued.
In Great Britain, however, the three faiths had established a precedent for it in 1940 when, in the form of a letter to the Times of London, published December 21, 1940, and signed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the late Cardinal Hinsley, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, and the moderator of the Free Church Federal Council. Again in May, 1942, a joint statement on co-operation was issued in
*The seven-point declaration may be summarized as follows : "The moral law must govern world order ; the rights of the individual must be assured ; the rights of oppressed, weak, or colonial peoples must be protected ; the rights of minorities must be secured : international institutions to maintain peace with justice must be organized ; international economic cooperation must be developed ; and a just social order within each state must be achieved."
Britain by Protestant and Catholic leaders, which was subsequently endorsed by the chief rabbi of Great Britain.
Although the seven-point declaration contains excellent suggestions, and sets forth lofty ideals, it is disturbing to many devout Christians that great combinations of religion should be entering the realm of politics and governmental affairs in an effort to control the peace. The great ecclesiastical organizations of the world are not really peace agencies. They only claim to be. The Catholic Church is becoming very active in peace movements. It has its own peace society—Pax. Its popes have issued many peace statements. But its influence has not always been exerted in behalf of peace. Peace is an instrument it is willing to use when such an Instrument serves its purpose. It has shown itself equally willing to use war. Looking at the record, we find ourselves most uneasy at the thought that the Catholic Church may shape the peace.
We are no less uneasy at the thought of the combined Protestant churches controlling the peace. They have proved equally fallible and mistaken. They were swept by pacifism during the interim between World Wars I and II. They made pronouncements regarding militarism, disarmament, and conscription which they would not be happy to have brought to public attention now. They worked diligently to keep the country unprepared, denouncing armaments and every form of military training. If their counsel had been followed, America would have been in far worse condition to meet the stunning shock of Pearl Harbor.
No, the church, and all the churches together, are not safe guides in political affairs or in managing governmental matters. They were never meant to be. The greatest service they could render a tortured humanity now would be to carry out the divine commission of their Lord and Master and just "preach the gospel," leaving diplomacy, and politics, and government where they belong, in the hands of statesmen.
Human society is more broken up and turbulent today than ever before. In a stricken and dying world, men are reaching out in almost a death agony for peace. And as the many and varied peace plans are launched one after another, laden with human hopes, we believe it to be the sole province of the churches to point the souls of men to the only way any human being can reach the port of quietude, peace, and joy: namely, personal peace with God by full surrender to Jesus Christ.
That, and that alone, is the divine mission of the church in the world. Civil government has been divinely appointed to care for the secular interest of humanity. .The church has been divinely appointed to care for man's spiritual interests by preaching the gospel of salvation. Let the church be about its sole business.
