Faculty Members Debate Church's Place in Society

Two faculty members met in the Congregational Church last night to debate the resolution, "The Church is Necessary for the Preservation of the Democratic Ideal." But both agreed that it wasn't, and the question became instead, "Can the Church Support Democracy if Democracy is Secular?"

Supporting the resolution Sideny E. Ahlstrom, instructor in History and General Education, described the church's essential value to democracy while associate professor of Philosophy Henry D. Aiken '40 argued that there is no logical connection between the two and perhaps a definite antithesis.

Ahistrom, while agreeing with Aiken that democracy has existed without Christinaity, as in ancient Greece, stated that the church today supports democracy by maintaining a moderate and rational compromise between the extremes of individualism, corporate action, utopianism, and cynicism.

Live and Let Live?

Aiken questioned Ahistrom's contentions. "The fundamental attitude of the church does not encourage a free society," he said. "Toleration implies indifference. Can Christians live and let live even when letting live leads to spiritual looseness?"

He argued that ultimately a liberal democratic society with no connection between state education and the church develops into a secular society.

Aiken said he does not believe there is a current "religious revival."