In Re Religion

To the Editor of the CRIMSON:

Without wishing to commit myself to the cause of materialism versus spiritualism, I do, nevertheless wish to take exception to some of the remarks made in Tuesday's issue by that zealous crusader who deplores that fact that certain undergraduates, "hypocrites, heathens and one-cylinder Shaws," have become so spiritually warped that they are raising "their puny, babbling voices demanding that God be sold for a gymnasium."

In the course of his evangelical discourse this self-appointed disciple announces, with the cock-sureness common to all those inspired by the 'holier than thou' complex that "the lack of religious feeling in Harvard has reached such a point and is so well known that something must be done about it." This statement of our Defender of the Faith is wrong or right according to the meaning of the term religion. If by that revered word is meant those narrow, dogmatic views which condemn those who do not conform, which are founded on and thrive on superstition, fear and ignorance, and the devotees of which feel it their duty to show their piety by publicly kow-towing at the behest of some dervish who prates the while about glory, salvation and sin--then we may safely and thankfully say that Harvard is lacking religious ardor. And--it is well to bear in mind that Harvard's freedom from religious narrowness and bigotry has been and is one of the many factors which make her the leading University of the country. But if religion means an appreciation of the works of nature and a feeling of admiration for their creator which manifests itself not in the blind worship of a concept set up by some one else but in a search for the true Uultimate whatever it be, the regard for the rights and opinions of our fellow men, the desire to lead good, clean, useful lives and the feeling that each should do his bit for the betterment of society--then there is as much religious feeling in Harvard as there is in the College of Cardinals.

Then, as to doing something about this lack of conventional religion Would the one-cylinder Bryan (to use our apostle's own system of concocting words) advocate an Inquisition or merely the inauguration of the Yale system of compulsory chapel? It is to be hoped that the day of religious persecution has long since gone the way of the Dodo. A religion militantly thrust upon one is no religion.

The remainder of this appeal to the faithful really smacks too much of the sawdust trail oratory of the camp meeting revivalist to merit much comment. But nevertheless I can not but wonder if the men I knew who died in France would have been so comforted by the assurance that a temple erected to their memory would lure "thousands of beauty lovers to come and jam its pews in search of the road to righteousness" that to find fault with the plans of suggest a different memorial would constitute a sacrilege. A Poll taken among men before going into battle might yield interesting results.

As to be promist that this chapel will be "an oasis of holiness in a desert of sin" I must say that it is a pretty figure and I regret that the reference was not inscribed as I should like o read the entire look. But can there be any need for an asks where there is no desert? Love say no and I for one am entirely unawake that the Yank, is such a wasteland of inequity.

In conclusion let me say that it is say opinion that anyone who is under the impression that Harvard is a hot bed of heathenish leaguse her says re use to succumb to he hell fire and brimestone type of religion with its intolerance and bigotry, must either be a very poor student of men or mast have his cerebellum "Considerably infested with the smallest of God's creatures." Kenneth Kennedy '28