The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 46, No. 24, Ed. 1, Friday, March 20, 1959 Page: 2 of 6
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by Jack Moore and Jim Wooten
EDITORIALS
Forever Not Forever
"First Things First Forever" only lasted for a few
weeks. in
The "Forever" banner had hung on the wall on the
northeast front of Sewell Auditorium an an accomp-
lishment of the Student Senate and its religious commit-
tee. It was purchased to replace an old purple and white
banner which had hung since the 50th Anniversary ob-
servance for Abilene Christian College in 1956.
The replaced banner had said "First Things First for
Fifty Years."
The "Forever" banner had been on the wall for only
a few weeks when it disappeared.
A "Where's our banner?" question was brought up
in both Studnt Senate and Executive meetings this week.
No one had the answer.
We've got a feeling the "Forever" banner is not gone
forever. We expect it back on the wall any day.
But until then whosoever took "Forever" put "For-
ever" back.
Spring Gives Clutter Temptation
As sure as we all try together we can keep our cam-
pus clean and beautiful during the coming season.
As sure as midnight comes tonight spring will come.
As sure as spring comes people will be getting out-
side. As sure as people get out into the wide open spaces
the sun's warm rays will come upon them.
As sure as these rays get stronger cold drink bottles
and cups will appear.
As sure as cold drinks call for potato chips and candy
bars the wrappers will be added to the cups and bottles.
As sure as we sit outside enjoying the weather and
refreshment we will leave loose papers around out of
notebooks and textbooks to be blown around adding to
the clutter.
BUT as sure as we all pick up our own trash the
campus will be a clean place to spend a glorious new
Spring afternoon.
Student Labels Loyalty Oath
"Humiliating Unnecessary"
Forum Editor:
To the editorial question "Loy-
alty Oaths Safe?" I stand ap-
palled and state that the loyalty
oath on the National Defense
Scholarships is a great and emin-
ent danger to America.
There are laws governing the
phenomena of political science as
valid as those governing the phys-
ical sciences although they are
not as well understood.
IF IN THE field of political
science a loyalty oath were to bar
the student from every path in
the maze-like search for truth ex-
cept the well-trodden one It
would produce a travesty com-
parable only if Newton had been
bound by a loyalty oath to the
tenets of alchemy.
The government under which
we live was not conceived in the
realms above but rather it is the
product of evolution and com-
promise. The overthrow of the govern-
ment is not an event unknown or
unsung in American history. The
Constitution came into being by
a "coup d'etat" an overthrow of
the Articles of Confederation by
other than lawful means.
IF SUCH overthrow were to re-
occur it would in effect but re-
write the contract between the
goverencd and the governors.
To contend that the present
contract is insusceptable to im-
provement in the Interest of ef-
ficiency and humanity Is to claim
infallibility.
The only infallible form of gov-
ernment Is theocracy. And if that
is established we will be stuck
with it for a thousand years.
Among those who exhibit
qualms at signing this declaration
of chauvinism are those who do
no genuflections to the sacred
cows of our society. They are the
few that reason not the many
that believe.
THEIR'S ARE the doubting and
questioning minds that can dis-
cern and remove the cancers of
ignorance inefflency and intoler-
ance from the body politic and
preserve a thriving democracy.
One must also swear to defend
the Constitution against all its
enemies I would suppose that the
Christianity Encompasses All
Leaving Room for Patriotism
Forum Editor:
It is in the firm belief that
Christianity is a very beautiful
free glorious all-encompassing
intensely living entity that I
write.
Neither these adjectives nor
any others which stem from mere
human thought can really begin
to portray the glory that belongs
to Christianity. ' c
Yet a fcreat deal of this glory
may be seen in the inspired w.ords.
"He was in the beginning with
God; all things were made
through Him and without Him
was not anything made that was
made."
WE SEE THAT Jesus Christ
our savior shares fully in the
glory of creation so that every
inspired line or idea in the Old
Testament which praises the
handiwork of God must also
apply to Him who died for us and
gives us life.
In the Bible the praise of the
beauty and wonder of nature is
Intended as praise of its Creator.
The praise of the noble deeds
of men even of sinful men as
David praised Saul and Jonathan
is really an appreciation of the
grandeur of man's acting in ac-
cord with some of the high prin-
ciples such as love courage pa-
triotism which God intended for
man to live by.
These Ideas form a part of in-
spired literature. They are cer-
tainly worthy of devotional use.
RECENTLY in the devotional
part of our chapel period the two
hymns "America" and "America
the Beautiful" were used.
As was undoubtedly anticipated
by the gentleman who selected
and so ardently led these songs
there has been some questioning
about the propriety of using them
in Christian worship.
Quite in accord with the God-
given liberty mentioned in (the
''SonEsthemselves as expressed
in' our -freedom of the press this
question 'was raised In the "For-
um" column of the March 13
Optimist: "How appropriate are
the songs 'My Country Tis of
Thee' and 'America' for a period
of worship to God?"
ANYONE SERIOUSLY inter-
ested in this question should care-
fully read the words of the
hymns numbers 558 and 561 in
"Great Songs of the Church."
These words should not jar our
religious sensibilities but if they
do let it be remembered that
teaching religious truth by jar-
ring religious sensibilities is
neither a new nor an unchristian
technique.
Jesus used it when He healed
on the Sabbath when His dis-
ciples ate with unwashed hands
etc.
If it can be used today to make
us realize and be thankful for the
fact that "In Him we live and
move and have our very being"
much good indeed will be thereby
accomplished.
Olaf Wick
Senior
THE iiPTIMIST
PubtUhad wwkly axcapt during lumim vecatlone by tha itudenti of Abllan ChrliHan
College. Subtcrlptloni On Dollar par year. Entered H 100(14 dan matter June 29
192. it the pott office of Abilene Texas undar Act of Auguit 24 1912. Addreti ill
communication! to The Optlmlit Station ACC Ablltna Texai.
Editor
Assistant Editor
Feature Editor
Society Editor
raotograpner
THE STAFF
DENNIS RENNER
V- MARILYN MATNEY
Advertising Manager
Faculty Advisors
Harold straughn
BARRY JACKSON
. BARBARA ANTHONY
DAVID DALLAS
BILL "MOSES" OSBORN
REGINALD WESTMORELAND
LANECUBSTEAD
Constitution is well protected in.
its heavily guarded helium-filled
bomb-proof vault.
So our willing defense must bo
of the principles imbued therein.
To stand adamantly behind each
prerogative restriction and guar-
antee would make of the virtue
consistency a vice if one ad-
heres to the letter of the oath.
ONE MUST stand immovable
behind every 5-4 decision of the
Supreme Court for therein is the
essence of the Constitution.
""'Yet one's Immovability must be
tempered with a willingness to
capitulate should that 5-4 decision
be reversed by another 5-4 deci-
sion. The editorial admitted the in-
ability of the oath to catch com-
munists but noted "should they
be caught in actual subversion
perjury would be an offense that
would be a certain trap."
Yet I contend that this humil-
iating oath is unnecessary for the
trap it would supposedly pro-
vide is already in existence.
Every communist In the United
States is required to register with
the federal government under the
provisions of the Communist Con-
trol Act of 1054 or be subject to
heavy fine andor Imprisonment.
THUS ANY communist that is
uncovered is already subject to
punativc measures.
Therefore let the applications
for scholarships be compared
with the list of admitted com-
munists let the Justice Depart-
ment already armed with suffic-
ient laws hunt and punish the
unadmitted communists and let
be free of this dastardly oath.
Don Stacy
Junior
Jackson Mississippi
Nation's Burden
Lifted by Song
Forum Editor:
If God be for our America who
can be against it? If God be
against our nation who can be
for it?
It seems that oppressors arc
present on every hand and we
should pray to God that He will
deliver us out of the hands of our
enemies and that He will look
on our country with grace.
But waitll The other day I
heard us pray this feeling in
chapel. We prayed this In chapel.
We asked that "God shed His
grace on thee" America and
amen!
STRONG DAVID the great
king was not strong enough to
save Israel by himself and so he
called on the Lord Jehovah to
save both himself and Israel..
Can we lesser weaker far than
David be stronger and save our-
selves? No. And so we pray "Pro-
tect us by thy might Great God
our King."
We can do this in song or pray-
er eyes open or shut.
LET US NOT be ungrateful to
this land that has borne us nur-
tured us protected us and af-
fords us so great luxury.
Let us pray that God will ever
keep our land free.
In our chapel period of prayer
each day and at every other op-
portunity our country's burden Is
appropriate to lay at the throne
of grace.
Douglas LeCroy
Junior
51
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 46, No. 24, Ed. 1, Friday, March 20, 1959, newspaper, March 20, 1959; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth95938/m1/2/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.