RELIGION
Americans in the 1960's live in a land of almost unbelievable
material well-being. Science and technology have eased the
burden of labor and have provided a standard of living of
unprecedented opulence. Wealthier than ever before, more
powerful than ever before, Americans still are plagued with
doubts, tensions and moral uneasiness. The quality of life,
in the opinion of some, has not kept pace with quantitative
advances. Governor Tawes, continuing to speak often to reli-
gious groups of all denominations, urged a return to the
spiritual values of the nation's founders. The philosophy of
humanism—of the dignity of the individual—ought, he be-
lieved,, to guide the policies and decisions of governments.
We neglect our spiritual heritage, the Governor contended, at
the risk of losing our freedom.
ADDRESS, CALVARY METHODIST CHURCH
ANNAPOLIS
January 14, 1964
John Calvin, the 16th century Reformation leader, said that if religion
is to flourish and prosper and the gospel to be spread, there must be
order in society. The agency for the establishment and preservation of
that order, he noted, is government. Calvin concluded, therefore that
the "magistrate"—a term he was using to describe government officials
in general—was a calling to be revered above even the clergy.
As a government official, I would shun such comparison, which
Calvin as a clergyman with modesty could make. But his point is well
taken that good government is important to religion and that those
who administer it play an important role in the religious strength of a
community. Of course, order, as Calvin construed it, meant not simply
protection from violence and physical harm to person and property.
It meant such things as laws protecting commerce so that the economy
may prosper. It meant the assurance of certain basic rights of the
people so that they may have an opportunity to develop their God-given
talents.
In the Christian view, man is recognized as a totality. With no
significant distinction between the spiritual being and the physical
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