stone would shock us into a realization of the errors of our ways. Cer-
tainly I believe that we must mend our lives, in both thought and
deed, if we expect to retain the fruits of our heritage and proceed on the
road to a higher civilization that has been so carefully laid out by our
ancestors. I think we can best mend our ways by returning to the
simple faith and philosophy of our forefathers, who devoted their lives
to spiritual ideals, turning their eyes away from all that was vain, cheap
and artificial in life and following the advice of the Scriptures to do
justly, love mercy and walk humbly with their God,

ADDRESS, ANNUAL BANQUET OF

THE WESLEY FOUNDATION
UNIVERSITY METHODIST CHURCH

COLLEGE PARK

April 27, 1960

It was kind of you to invite me to join in fellowship here this evening
with my Methodist friends at this annual banquet of the Wesley Foun-
dation. It is somewhat difficult for all of us to assess the forces which
have affected the way we live, but I have no hesitancy in saying
that aside from my family, the Methodist Church has been the greatest
single influence in my life. I respect its doctrines and revere its tradi-
tions. The service I have been able to render it as a layman is paltry
compensation for the rich rewards I have received from my association
with it....

You have asked me to speak tonight on the relationship of politics
to Christianity—on the part Christian ethics play in shaping decisions
in politics and government. To do your assignment justice may call for
more wisdom and skill than I possess. I welcome the opportunity,
nevertheless, to voice some strong beliefs I have on the subject.

To state it generally, I think that our American society and our
American way of life are products of the Judeo-Christian concept of the
relationship of man to God. The Golden Rule, that very essence of
Christianity, diffuses itself through everything we create and every-
thing we do as a people and as a nation. We all know how careful the
men who wrote our Constitution were to avoid the injection of religion
into government, how zealous they were in separating church from
state. State-established religion, to them, meant tyranny, and they

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