RELIGION SURVEY:
Atheism Claims
Scientific Basis
By VERNON EMERSON
Daily Feature Editor
(EDITOR'S NOTE: This concluding article in The Daily's
religious survey deals with the scientific approach to religion. Al-
though the views expressed in the following article at first may
not seem to be in keeping with the tenor of the preceeding eight
stories, the editors feel that expression of the scientific-atheistio
view (naturally not to be taken as the view of all scientists) has a
place in any full discussion of theological thinking. The editors
would like to note that the views expressed in the series are not
necessarily their own, but those of the spokesman for the various
beliefs, to whom we are indebted for their cooperation.)
HISTORICALLY THE great popular split between science and reli-
gion came in the last century when Charles Darwin's Origin of the
Species became widely circulated.
In the early ages, the scientist-philosopher viewed much of
his work in a divine light. The works and laws of nature were
interpreted as the -works of God. The natural and supernatural
were often intertwined; they did not conflict.
Then with Darwin the arguments of the biologist and geologist
began to be circulated widely. At first their theories seemed to deny
the very belief that God had created either the universe or man. The
split grew until there seemed to be two camps: scientists of all kinds
r, on one side; believers on the other. It was left to the individual to
choose between the scientists and their view (popularly that man was
related to, and in some supposed theories, descended from, the ape),
and the church and its story of creation in the Bible.
OVER THE DECADES, however, the gap between the two camps
N has been lessened. On the one hand some of the religious have adopt-
ed a less rigid interpretation of the genesis. These say that there is no
real dispute between the two theories of creation, and have gone on to
point out that much of modern scientific knowledge backs up their
beliefs (for example, prohibitions against eating pork are further jus-
tified by the findings of medical science that the meat is the trans-
porting agent of trichinosis).
And numerous scientists have also compromised their former
stand, now holding that the conflict between religious and scienti-
fic thought is at an end.
But the scientist who believes that there is a strict line between
dividing religion and science condemns this scentific theology as
weak-kneed rationalization.
* * * *
AS FOR SCIENCE lending support to the beliefs of certain reli-
gions, he terms this more of the same. One observer noted that such
things as trichinosis were not thought of until the scientist investigated
them.
And perhaps John Herman Randall, Jr., writing in "Social In-
stitutions" best criticizes the view of the religious-scientist when he
says: "It is true that many physicists have recently blossomed
forth as liberal theologians. Aware that modern physics has aban-
doned doctrines that were once hostile to "religious claims, they
imagine that there is no further conflict between religion and
science. But they are abysmally ignorant of all that anthropology
and psychology have discovered about the nature of religion itself.
They are ignorant of the serious philosophies that have built upon
such data. They do not realize that the present conflict of religious
faith with science is no longer with a scientific explanation of
the world, but with a scientific explanation-of-religion. The really
revolutionaryeffect of the scientific faith on religion today is not
its new view of the universe, but its view of religion. Reinterpre-
tations of religious belief have been unimportant compared with
reinterpretations of religion itself. For those who share them it has
become impossible to view religion as a divine revelation entrust.
ed to man. It has even become impossible to see it as a relation
between man and a cosmic deity. Religion has rather appeared a
human enterprise, an organization of human life, an exper-
ience ...."
See RELIGIOUS, Page 2
Students Lack Knowledge
Of Religion, Professor Says
By HELENE SIMON
"The average undergrad knows little about religion, but is highly
opinionated on the subject," according to Prof. Gerhard E. Lenski
of the sociology department.
Prof. Lenski, who is teaching the new course "Religious Institu-
tions," claimed yesterday that the University's curriculum "relatively
Li
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:43 a t t
Latest Deadline in the State
VOL. LXII, No. 74
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1951
FOUR PA
SL
Postpones
Bias
Clause
Action
Bus Tickets
Today is the last chance for
students to purchase tickets for
the Wolverine Club-sponsored
special buses to Willow Run.
The 50 cent tickets are being
sold from 1 to 4:30 p.m. today
in the Administration Bldg.
The buses, arranged to ac-
commodate vacation bound stu-
dents, will leave from in front
of the League at 11 a.m., 1:30,
3:15 and 5 p.m. tomorrow.
A llies Delay1
Talks, Study
POW.Lists
By The Associated Press
The Allies yesterday informed
the Communists they need more
time to analyzethe Red prisoner
of war list before resuming sub-
committee talks on prisoner ex-
change.
AngAllied liaison officer carried
the message to the conference
tent town of Panmunjom. He told
the Reds it was not known how
soon the Allied delegates would
complete their exhaustive task
and be ready to resume talks on
the exchange of prisoners.
M e a n w h i1e, in Washington,
Pentagon officials drove ahead in
the monumental task of double-
checking and clarifying the list of
Americans named by the Com-
munist enemy as being still alive
in prisoner-of-war camps in Korea.
. * *
AND IN Panmunjom, a second
subcommittee discussing supervi-
sion of the truce was going ahead
with its daily talks. The Allies
were insisting on effective super-
vision of a truce and a lid on mili-
tary buildup.
The Allies were known to be
unhappy with the prisoner list
furnished by the Reds. The
11,559 names led by Maj. Gen.
William F. Dean were unofficial-
ly considered unrealistic. About
10 times that number of Allied
soldiers are missing.
Brig. Gen. Frank Allen, chief
information officer for the Su-
preme UN Commander, said many
names "we had hoped to see there"
were missing from the official Red
list of 3,198 Americans.
* * *
PEIPING Radio and Communist
correspondents complained about
the UN list of Red prisoners even
before the Allies expressed dissat-
isfaction with the Red roster of
UN prisoners.
They said early yesterday the
UN list of 132,000 Chinese and
North Korean prisoners was
"useless" because it lacked iden-
tification of prisoners and was
written in English -phonetic
spelling instead of Chinese and
Korean characters.
An Allied spokesman, Brig. Gen.
William P. Nuckols, pointed out.
that the Communists had already
received information on prisoners
held by the Allies through the In-
ternational Red Cross.
On the battlefront, the twilight
war in Korea ended its third week
last night with only light action
along the fog-bound front.
The fog even grounded most of
the Allied Air Force, which has
been averaging about 700 sorties
a day.
Straw Vote
}i
Favors IFCI
StudyPlan
LI
Decision Delayed
Until February
By CRAWFORD YOUNG
Student Legislature last night
postponed until Feb. 13 any de-
cision on the bias clause issue.
After consideration of three al-
ternative schemes of action, the
Legislature recorded its unofficial
preference by a straw vote for a
plan essentially incorporating the
Interfraternity Council-SL study
committee approach.
Then, after complicated parlia-
mentary maneuverings, the body
agreed to put off action till the
second meeting in 1952.
BECAUSE of final examina-
tions,this will not be till next
semester.
Meanwhile, the Human Rela-
tions Committee will further in-
vestigate the problem.
To avoid becoming bogged down
in procedural red tape, the Legis-
lature quickly adopted a motion
by vice-president Bob Baker re-
solving SL into a committee of
the whole.
THREE ' MOTIONS were then
presented for informal debate by
the committee of the whole:
1-The time limit motion, by
Jules Perlberg, '52BAd, calling
for an October 15, 1957, deadline
for removal of discriminatory
clauses from constitutional
structures of fraternities and
sororities.
The Student Affairs Committee
would be empowered to grant one-
year extensions toman organization
showing it has made a positive
effort and has a "substantial prob-
ability" for clause removal in the
near future.
2-The study committee re-
port motion, by Leah Marks,
cabinet member-at-large, and
Keith Beers, '52E, requiring the
fraternity or sorority to present
evidence each year that it had
See SL, Page 4
UN Approves
West's Arms,
Election Plans
PARIS-()-UN political com-
mittees yesterday gave resounding
majorities to the two big projects
of the Western Powers at this as-
sembly session - their plans for
proceedings with disarmament and
testing the possibility of unified
German elections.
The United States-British-
French proposals to set up a
disarmament commission and
make a new start toward the
peaceful goal of limited world
armaments was adopted 44 to 5
with 10 countries abstaining and
Burma refusing to take part.
In adopting the program the
committee by an equally impres-
sive vote turned down Russia's in-
sistent demand for an immediate
ban on the atomic bomb, with en-
forcement of the ban to be left to
the future.
24*
*
*
*
*
*
I LLIO
GR~
T
II
ASKED
FROO
ST
I T
1
Record Higd
By Hatcher
Plan To Expan
LibraryFacilith
By DONNA HENDLEMAN
The highest appropriation r
quest in the University's histoi
$25,830,000, will be requested fro
the State Legislature for the 195
53 fiscal year, President Harl,
H. Hatcher announced yesterda
The request will include a reco
$18,575,000 operating budget, a $°
385,000 petition for building co
struction, embodying a $2,000,0
plan to begin an extensive libra
program and $250,000 for a ft
station; and $1,875,000 for buil
ing modernization, rehdbilitati
and heating plant extensions.
* * *
ONE OF THE largest single pr
jects outlined under the budg
the library program would invol
tearing down the old West Eng
neering annex and replacing
with a new undergraduate
brary.
-Daily-Larry Wilk
GRAB BAG-More than 40 rampaging kids were entertained at the fourth annual Phi Sigma Delta
Christmas party for neighborhood children yesterday. Ice cream, candy and comic books were
handed out in the fraternity's yearly attempt to "promote better relations" in the neighborhood.
Reds Threaten Merging of U' Eligibility
Arab Security, Rnnrrds Su Iested hv SL
i
i
{
rI
i
1
A merger of the eligibility committees of the athletic department
By The Associated Press and the Office of Student Affairs was recommended last night by
The United States formally ac- Student. Legislature.
cused Russia yesterday of threat- Also along the lines of the current de-emphasis controversy, the
ening the security of the Middle Legislature decided to sponsor a "discussion to bring out the facts con-
Eet adicker with Nazi-Germany cerning the status of inter-collegiate athletics at Michigan."
for domination of that part of THE END to the separate treatment of athletes and students in
the world. other extra-curricular activities was suggested in order to "elim-
An American note to Moscow,------------ inate suspicion of a dual eligibility
released by the State Department, ~ standard."
utterly rejected Russia's charge t E ~A
that a proposed new Middle East Further action is up to the
mlitary command is aggressive. University -- none is currently
* * * pending. '
RUSSIA'S OWN designs on the t
area are to blame for the plan to The-"discussion" motion arous-
set up the command, the United WASHINGTON-U)-As Amer- ed more heated discussion. Louis
States declared. France, Britain ica's Steelmaster's and CIO Steel Mazzarela, '55, in supporting his
World News
ignores religion, which is a vital
aspect of our society."
Roundup I
By The Associated Press
PARIS-Soviet Foreign Minister
Andrei Vishinsky in a bitter anti-
American tirade yesterday charged
four U.S. fliers held in Hungary
were spies and said he hoped they
would get "due attention" from
Communist military and judicial
authorities.
MAINZ, Germany -A second
German Protestant pastor has
been given permissionaby Pope
Pius X111 to become a Roman
Catholic Priest and still remain
married, church officials said,
* yesterday.
LANSING - Governor Williams
was asked by the Adjutant General
of Michigan yesterday to remove
Col. Herbert F. Layle, Quartermas-
ter General of Michigan, who has
been suspended from duty for al-
leged mishandling of state prop-
erty.
Another batch of heavy snow
and arctic cold began moving
across the storm-weary Midwest
yesterday promising to cause
trouble for Michiganders plan-
CONSEQUENTLY, the
instructor, an Eli, said that]
surprised when as many
students signed up for the
he is now teaching.
young'
he was
as 45
course
I
Prof. Lenski believes that the
new course is "helping to fill the
vacuum." Explaining the course,
he added: "The concern of the
course is not whether religion is
a myth or a reality. The em-
phasis is on religion as a factor
affecting society."
Students are not finding the
course "a snap." It's rather diffi-
cult, they admit, and "very en-
lightening."
Marvin Horowitz, '52, said "it
presents material the kids are
looking for, and I'm definitely
getting what I expected out of
the course."
"Just right," Ann Hanson, '52,
concurred. Miss Hanson, regards
the religious institutions study as
better than a curriculum of strict
religion.
"It's broad enough to get a bet-
ter picture of religious factors, but
not too broad to lose sight of the
goal," Miss Hanson said.
STILL UNOFFICIAL:
List of American POWs
Greeted with Joy, Tears
and Turkey sent similar notes re-
jecting the Russian protest.
Shortly after the American
text was released, Secretary of
State Acheson made clear in a
news conference that conditions
in the Middle East itself arel
highly worrisome to officials'
here.
Asked at a news conference how
he regarded the situation, Ache-
son told reporters it is quite ob-
vious that it has grown in serious-
ness. Ground has been lost, he
said, in the effort to work out
reasoned solutions of the Iranian
and Egyptian crises.
Meanwhile, Libya,. whose inde-
pendence is to be proclaimed two
days after Christmas, soon will
announce an important agree-
ment granting the United States
long-term permisson to maintain
its Wheelus air base here, it was
learned yesterday. -
Britain and France also will re-
ceive permission to keep troops in
L i b y a in agreements already
reached in principle and due to be
signed on independence day.
Heart Attack Fatal
To 'U' Linotypist
U n i o n Leaders converged on
Washington last night for govern-
ment-guided wage negotiations,
John L. Lewis offered to support
the steelworkers if they strike.
Whether there will be a walk-
out when the present contract ex-
pires Dec. 31 apparently depended
on whether the industry can get
price increases to offset wage
boosts.
Yon Three Others
Indicted in RFC Probe
proposal, suggested as an example
that Prof. Hayward Keniston of
the Romancedlanguages depart-
ment might debate the situation
with Director of Athletics H. O.
(Fritz) Crisler.
The proposal was opposed on
the grounds that the issues had'al-
ready been rehashed.
SL also voted to sponsor a Cru-
sade for Freedom fund drive.
A stack library is--also includ-
ed in the plans; its construction
would hinge on approval of the
giant Huron River research cen-
ter which is under study by the
Regents. The stack branch
would be located in this center.
The proposed $18,575,000 figure
is $3,730,000 more than the 1951-
52 operating grant. Total operat-
ing budget would be $23,291,500,
including some $4,716,500 which
would come from student fees and
other incomes.
PRESENT student enrollment of
17,000 is the basis for the $4,716,-
500 estimation, according to the
president.
I The $23,291,500 figure repre-
sents a 19 per cent increase over
the current budget, but is only
a seven per cent increase over
the original 1951-52 budget pro-
posal.
And the 1951-52 final appropria-
tion of $14,845,000 was more than
$2,000,000 below the amount nec-
essary to adequately meet oper-
ating needs, President Hatcher
pointed out.
THE NEW budget would help
eliminate deficiencies caused by
inadequate funds this fiscal year,
the president said. "He cited the
need for recovering accumulated
shortages in supplies and mater-
ials, adjusting salaries and wages,
reinstatement of a number of aca-
demic positions and the need for
meeting the effect of spiraling
operations costs.
As a result of the 1951-52
final grant, 97 members of the
academic staff had to be dis-
missed, library and. mainten-
ance facilities had to be cur-
Itailed and instructional and op-
erational supplies were reduced
below minimum standards, he
explained.
Commenting on the budget pro-
posal, President Hatcher said,
"The unique character of the Uni-
versity's educational program must
be borne in mind in any appraisal
of needs.
"The conduct of numerous spe-
cialized fields of training and study,
such as medicine and law, and
other graduate and professional
programs, requires highly special-
ized teachers, laboratory facilities
and expensive equipment and ma-
terials."
'nTI r"A Tn ,* ,+t* h
* * *
By The Associated Press
American families by the thou-
sands rejoiced with tears of hap-
piness yesterday at word that
their fighting men have been list-
ed by the enemy as still alive in
prisoner-of-war camps in Korea.
But for thousands of others, the
agony of suspense, heartbreak and
tragedy only deepened as news
wires completed transmitting from
Tokyo the full roster of names
sunlied by the Communists-and
U.S. official figures list 11,051
Americans missing in action.
Even for the wives, mothers,
sweethearts and other kin who
searched the long lists and found
the name they so desperately
longed to see, President Truman
had a special warning that the
Communist POW reports are cdtn-
pletely unverified. The enemy has
refused to permit Red Cross in-
spection of its camps.
WASHINGTON --EP) - E. Merl
Young, husband of the former
White House stenographer with a
$9,450 mink coat, was indicted for
perjury yesterday in the aftermath
of a sensational investigation of
influence peddling at the Recon-
struction Finance Corporation.
Young, a one-time $25 a week
messenger who rose swiftly to
affluence and enjoyed an entry
to the White House, was accused
of lying under oath twice to the
Senate investigators and once to
the grand jury.
.. .::.