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PAGE 4—THE BULLETIN, April 14, 1962 LIBERALISM VS. CONSERVATISM The Backdrop JOHN C. O'BRIEN A great deal is being said and written about the “new surge of conservatism’’ on col lege campuses, particularly on campuses of Catholic colleges. A similar ideological split exists among faculties, although on most cam puses the so- called liber als now far outnumber the conserva tives. Among college facul ties, how ever, there seems to be a dispute about strength of the campus conservative move ments and the causes of the trend. Liberals tend to mini mize the significance of cam pus conservative groups, to re gard them as emotionally dis turbed, misguided youths who need to have their thinking straightened out. Conservatives, on the other hand, view the trend to con servatism as a natural reaction to the inadequacy of many of the solutions advocated by the liberals. NOTRE DAME DEBATE One debate which has attract ed considerable attention is that between a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame and the head of the political science department of that in stitution. In an interview last summer, the Rev. Laurence Murphy, M.M = , a candidate for the doc torate in philosophy, expressed the view that the conservative students were pursuing a “mirage” and needed guidance . from, liberals on the faculty. This view has been challeng ed by the Rev. Stanley Parry, C.S.C., head of the political science department, who sees the trpnd toward conservatism as a revolt against the “cliches” of liberalism. Father Parry notes that in the 1930’s college life was con trolled and dominated by con servatives, who held all the po sitions of power. But during the next 20 years, he points out, there was a gradual growth of a student movement with liberal orientation, for which he has! been unable to find an adequate explanation. In the 1950’s and 1960’s the trend of campus thinking took a turn to the right, notwith standing that by this time fac ulties had become largely domi nated by liberals. While a few conservative teachers attempt ed to foster and guide the con servative movement, Father Parry observes that in the main it was spread and organized by the students themselves. The political science pro fessor does not agree with Father Murphy that the stu dents in the conservative move ment are “emotionallydisturb ed.” He thinks the trend toward conservatism “is rooted in their experiences of the inade quacy of the prevailing ortho doxy.” “Earlier the simple busi nessman’s philosophy was in adequate for the problems of that day,” Father Parry main tains, “and today the liberal cliches no longer solve pro blems.” One of Father Murphy’s ob jections was that conservatives only see dangers, while the li berals see the opportunities. In Father Parry’s view precisely the opposite is true. He contends that the liberal is preoccupied with security. He is afraid of war, population, unemployment, and, for each of these he proposes a paternalis tic control of life in order to avoid the dangers. RISK TAKERS The conservatives, on the other hand, Father Parry in sists, are risk takers. They have confidence in the economy, are sure the United States would survive a war. Basically they want to open the doors of the political tomb that the liberal is constructing. Nor does Father Parry ac cept Father Murphy’s thesis that the conservatives tend to over emphasize the evils of communism to the exclusion of a positive effort to attack those evils which spawn communism- racial discrimination, human misery, social injustice and the like. Father Parry suggests that the philosophy of the campus conservatives is more realis tic than that of the campus liberals. The conservatives, he says, know that communism is not spawned by racial discrimi nation, social injustice and the like. These merely give com munist a chance to disrupt so ciety. Father Parry maintains that communists become com munists because of a “spiritual disease”—a complete trust in a philosophy of materialism. The Notre Dame professor also states that the conserva tives know that the aims of the liberals are largely Utopian, that they underestimate the im perfection of human nature. The conservatives know there pro bably never will be a time when social injustice does not exist, that you cannot improve the con dition of the Negroes by forced integration, that you cannot in crease the income of unskilled workers by legislated salaries. The liberal mentality, Father Parry notes, views any demand for an area free of political control as a demand for a license to commit acts of pri vate interest. The conserva tives believe that freeman are the best servants of the common good and that regulated men find ways to live on and exploit society as a whole. CRUX OF THE MAHER It Seems to .Me JOSEPH BREIG FALSE HOPES FOR THE COMING COUNCIL? Sum and Substance REV. JOHN B. SHEERIN. C.S.P. r l Are we indulging in false hopes for the coming Ecu menical Council? The bril liant young Swiss theologian, Hans Kung, fears that we. may be in for a painful dis illusionment if we peg our hopes too high. If it were anyone but Kung who was offering this advice we mig h t dismiss it as a false alarm from a pan icky pessimimist, a fuddy- duddy. But Kung is one of the most radically progres- s i v e theologians in the Church at the present time. He looks forward to the coming Council as to the coming of a new Pentecost. He sees it transforming the Church into such a vision of unity, truth and charity that separated Christians will seek for unity with its Gos pel splendor. When he warns against false hopes, it is a warning that is born of wis dom, enthusiasm and opti mism. As far as I have been able to discover, there is — sad to say -- no need for such a warning in this country. On the contrary, the danger here is apathy. Within the last year I have been traveling about in various Eastern cit ies giving lectures on the coming Council and Reunion. I have found a prevailing apathy to the Council that is due almost entirely to a woe ful lack of information about it. One senses a certain amount of devout curiosity about the Council but most Catholics seem to be timid about asking questions about it .for,fear, of revealing their ignorance. This is truly disappoint- .ing. Hem it is the month of April, the greatest event in Catholic history this century is only five months away, and yet few Catholics have any information about it. Whose is the fault? As Pope John says about the religious di visions of Christianity, let us not try to affix blame. I will say however that the Catholic Press has been admirable in its coverage of plans for the coming event. The diocesan Press has car ried the ample NCWC releas es and the Catholic maga zines have presented numer ous articles on the Council. Bishop deSmedt, in his “Priesthood of the Faithful,” (Paulist Paperbacks 1962) says that the Church does not rely exclusively on the Holy Spirit’s action on the bishops when it tries to arrive at the full knowledge of revealed doctrine. “It listens also to the action of the same Spirit at work in the People of God. Thus, the teaching body not only speaks to the People of God, it also listens to this People in whom Christ con tinues His teaching.” SUGGESTIONS WELCOME In my travels I have not met a single person who has written to the proper authori ties any suggestions for the coming Council’s considera tion. Cardinal Koenig told some Austrian newsmen last year that they should not wait for the bishop or a re port from Rome if they had something to say about the Council. “Sound a warning whenever you feel you ought to.” And Martin Work, head of the NationaLCouneil of .Cath olic Men, has reminded the laity that such suggestions would be welcomed. Several diocesan papers and Catholic magazines have published lay recommenda tions for the Council. One of the best articles of this type was the one that appear ed in The Sign (October, 1961). Entitled “What Lay People Want in the Church,” it began with Donald Thor- man’s detailed list of five topic areas for the Council to consider: the liturgy, the role of the layman, the role of the priest, Church-State relations and Free Speech in the Church. This was followed by short suggestions by nine other lay leaders. Douglas Wood ruff of the London Tablet, for instance, recommended that the seminary courses be remodeled in closer relation to the intellectual life of the non-Christian societies in which nearly all priests have to do their work. Donald McDonald suggest ed that the nature and func tion of the parish be reexam ined to see if it is a workable unit today. Margaret Mealey would like the Council to discuss woman’s role in the apostolate. Until such matters as these are a common topic of con versation among lay people I don’t think we need worry about overoptimism in regard to the Council. As to the cler gy, many of them felt a keen sense of disappointment when Pope John ordered seminaries to teach theology in Latin. But the clergy take it in stride. LIST OF POPES 1$ CHURCH’S TITLE DEED Sharing Our Treasure What is the precaution which a prudent person takes before he buys a piece of property? He checks the title deed to see if it is valid. If it does not go back to the original owner, the 3. Before one joins a Church, he too should check its title deed to see if it goes back to Christ, for only such a C h u r c h has Christ for its Founder and is therefore the one true Church. It was because Martin Kenneth Gordon of Bev erly Hills, California now a jun- REV. JOHN A. O'BRIEN ior at the University of Notre Dame, made that check that he embraced the Catholic Faith. “ I was born of Jewish parents,” related Martin, “but was not reared in the Jewish, faith. Mother rarely went to the synagogue, and father join ed the Science of Mind Church. Cults of this character abound in the Los Angeles area. “My sister Dolores was at tending St. Francis de Sales School and became a Catho lic. She was so enthusiastic over her religion that she pre vailed upon me to go to Sunday Mass with her quite often. On other Sundays 1 went to the Methodist Church and Sunday school. After graduating from the public grade school, I en rolled at Notre Dame High School in nearby Sherman Oaks, which is staffed by the Holy Cross Brothers. “I took the regular courses in religion, and was impressed by the fact that the appeal was made primarily to the intellect and not to the emotions. We were taught to think clearly and to see the reasonableness of every doctrine. My parents became divorced and I was sent to a military boarding academy for my sophomore year. During this year I alter nated in attending a Methodist Church and the Blessed Sacra ment Church in Hollywood. "The Methodists were much more friendly. They greeted (Continued on page 5) qualified for anti-communist leadership. Russell Kirk, the conserva tive theoretician, criticized Welch for “silliness and in justice of utterance.” William F. Buckley’s Na tional Review said that Welch’s “false counsels” should be re jected “out of a love of truth and country.” Welcoming such events as “potentially most significant,” O’Gara emphasizes that it is necessary to be clear on “what is meant by extremism.” He makes these illuminating ob servations: “THE EXTREMISM of the right wing certainly does not consist in the fact that it is anti-communist. The man who does not fear communism is a RETREAT SCHEDULE IGNATIUS HOUSE THURSDAY. APRIL 26 - SUNDAY. APRIL 29. 1962—(M) Captain—Mr. Dan Sutter, 719 Stovall Blvd., N.E. (Home) CE. 3-6900; Sutter & McLellan, (Bus.) JA. 5-2086. Co-Captain—Mr. Paul Smith, 3492 Woods Dr., Decatur, (Home) BU. 9-2566. THURSDAY. MAY 3 - SUNDAY. MAY 6. 1962—(W) Captain—Mrs. Henry deGive, 355 Peachtree Battle Ave., N.W., CE. 7-4834. Co-Captain—Mrs. John T. Kratzer, 3070 Santa Monica Dr., S.E., BU. 9-9329. Co-Worker—Miss Ruth Green, 216 Ponce de Leon Court, Decatur, DR. 7-2955. Co-Worker—Miss Irene Aden, 756 Greenwood Ave., N.E., TR. 4-7065. Co-Worker—Mrs. James J. Weldon, 2065 E. Lake Rd., DR. 8-1102. Co-Worker—Mrs. R. J. Martin, 111! N. Virginia Ave., TR. 5-3750. Co-Worker—Mrs. Wm. Bennett, 191 Rockyford Rd., N.E., DR. 8-4772. Co-Worker—Mrs. E. Wayne West, 24 Thirteenth St., N.W., TR. 6-0012. Co-Worker—Mrs. Paul Smith, 3492 Woods Dr., Decatur, BU. 9-2566. THURSDAY, MAY 10 - SUNDAY, MAY 13, 1962—(M) Captain—Mr. Charles J. Kerscher, Sr., 1067 Wimberly Rd., N.E., (Home) CE. 7-3755; Atlanta Post Office (Bus.) MU. 8-1214.. Co-Captain—Mr. George Hudson, 1121 Wimberly Rd., N.E., (Home) CE. 7-0266; Lockheed Aircraft Corp., Marietta (Bus.) 424-2473. Co-Worker—Mr. Joseph L. Sheehan, 2887 Blackwood Dr., Decatur (Home) 938-1235; P. O. Box 4081 (Bus.) TR. 5-8321. Co-Worker—Mr. Joseph L. Neiner, 1538 Windsor Pkwy., N. E., (Home) CE. 3-8473; 4111 Pleasantdale Rd., Chamblee, (Bus.) GL. 7-2571. Co-Worker—Mr. Verl V. Geisler, 3967 Club Dr., N.E., (Home) CE. 3-4491; (Bus.) same as home. Co-Worker—Mr. W. H. Wrigley, 2653 Redding Rd., N.E., (Home) CE. 7-1415; 306 Hull St., N.W. (Bus.) JA. 3-0456. Co-Worker—Mr. E. T. Early, 4175 Club Dr., N.E. (Home) CE. 7-8764; 2755 Piedmont Rd„ N.E. (Bus.) CE. 7-4611. Co-Worker—Mr. Francis X. Nerney, 3157 Woodrow' Way, N.E., (Home) CE. 3-1809; (Bus.) same as home. THURSDAY, MAY 17 - SUNDAY, MAY 20, 1962—(W) Captain—Mrs. Mary Smith, 231 E. Yale Ave., College Park, PO. 6-2667. Co-Captain—Mrs. Mary Zaworski, 3679 Atlanta Ave., Hapeville, PO. 1-3370. THURSDAY. MAY 24 - SUNDAY, MAY 27, 1962—(Ml Captain—Mr. George J. Gunning, 17 Dernorest Ave., N.E., (Home) CE. 7-9780; 125 Spring St., S.W., (Bus.) MU. 8-0800 Ext. 238. Co-Captain—Mr. Louis Schnurr, 3018 W. Pine Valley Rd., N.W. (Home) CE. 7-4748; 3166 Maple Dr., N.E., (Bus.) 237-3566. Co-Worker—Mr. David Carley, Sr., 3171 Peachtree Dr., N.E., (Home) CE. 3-1561; Carley Trailer & Equip. Co., (Bus.) 761-2181. Co-Worker—Mr. John A. Ryan, 491 E. Wesley Rd., N.E., (Home) CE. 3-0787; R-C Motor Lines, (Bus.) TR. 6-1048. Co-Worker—Mr. Joseph Novak, 2266 Stephen Long Dr., N.E., (Home) CE. 7-1149; Housing & Home Finance Agency, (Bus.) TR. 6-3311. Co-Worker—Mr. John J. Lynch, 425 Lindbergh Dr., N.E., (Home) CE. 7-2048; Federal Aviation Agency, (Bus.) TR. 6-3311. Co-Worker—Mr. Michael Wiedl, Jr., 2217 Virginia PL, N.E., (Home) CE. 3-5702; Atlanta Metropolitan Area Civil Defense, (Bus) JA. 5-4843. Co-Worker—Mr. John Correll, 23 Dernorest Ave., N.E., (Home) CE. 7-0259; 109 International Office Park, Hapeville, (Bus.) 767-0531. THURSDAY, MAY 31 - SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 1962—(W) Nurses—Other ladies invited. More precisely than any other in democratic organizations, commentator I have read, R i g h t-w i n g extremism, James O’Ga- O’Gara wrote, is “the match ing conservative temptation.” He observed: “For the conservative and business community, the radi cal on the right today poses a danger analogous to that posed to liberal groups by communists in the thirties and early for ties.” Some signs now indicate, O’Gara said, that “a long over- Mar c h 16, due process of conservative O’Gara noted that “left-wing self-examination is underway.” extremism” wa s the tempta- ' He quoted Sen. Barry Gold- tion of liberals. water as publicly calling for the That temptation finally was resignation of Rovert Welch as met head-on, he said, when head of the John Birch Society, liberal and labor groups barred Similarly, Rep. Walter Judd communists because they are said that he considers Welch totalitarians who have no place lacking in judgment, and un- ra of Com- m o n w e a 1 magazine has placed his finger on the crux of the dispute over “ extremism of the right.” In Common- w e a 1 for DORIS REVERE PETERS nAwerS YOUTH Pleasant Personality More Important Than Good Looks Dear Doris: I am 17 and have a problem you may think is funny coming from a boy. My mother and some friends have told me I am quite good looking, but they seem to be the only ones who think so. When I look into the mirror my nose and ears are misplaced and everything seems out of proportion. This bothers me when going out so cially. I’m afraid to ask a girl for a date because of the possibility of being turned down. Is plastic surgery my only solu- Your question isn’t funny but I think your solution is. Use some surgery on your person ality—if it needs it. A pleasant personality is far more im portant than regular features in getting along socially—even with girls. Don’t be afraid of being re fused by some girls. All boys are turned down at various times and for various reasons. But a girl will turn you down faster for poor manners than for a crooked nose and big ears. Another thing, Grey, at 17 your features may seem a little out of proportion because you haven’t finished growing. In an other couple of years you may have a real Rock Hudson pro file. But, regardless, a cour teous manner, a sincere in knave or a fool. “No, the question is what kind of response we are to make to this fearsome ideology, and the trouble with the response of the far right wing is that it is non- rational and even anti-rational. “In this framework the ex tremist is not the man who is opposed to the UN while I am for it; it is the man who says that to be for the UN makes one a part of the communist conspiracy. “The extremist is not the man who says that the U.S. armed forces should be used against Castro; it is the man who says that those .who oppose such intervention form part of the communist conspiracy. “The extremist is not the man who says the communists have made great gains since World War II, as Heaven knows they have, but he who ascribes every gain to betrayal at home . . . “The test, in short (of right wing extremism) is not whether a man holds strong views for or against segregation, or the UN, or fluoridation of water. “The test is whether he ex plains the major events or re cent history in terms of con spiracy, and slanders all who disagree by saying that they aid and abet that conspiracy, ‘ consciously or unconscious ly.’ ” O’GARA SAYS, rightly, that the phase “consciously or un consciously,” hurled as an ac cusation, is just about the last straw in “political non-ration ality.” It is profoundly important that Americans not fall into the dis astrous error of mistaking one another for enemies, and having at one another while the real enemy, atheistic communism, stands gloating over our folly. Any one who turns Americans against one another by circula ting innuendoes, suspicions and accusations is a badly mistaken person, and is only harming the cause of freedom which he seeks to serve. Which is simply another way of saying that justice and charity and mutual trust are not only virtues, but they also work; and injustice, uncharity and un founded distrust are not only evils, they are also gravely injurious to America, to the free world, to decent civili zation, and to religion. terest in others and good grooming are all a boy needs to be a social success. * * * RIGHTS AS TEENAGER Dear Doris: I am lacking three months of being 15 and my mother and I have differences of opin ion especially about the rights I should have as a teenager. Just a few days ago my girl friend asked me to spend the weekend at her house and my mother said positively “no”. Her reason was that she didn’t know my girl friend’s parents. Well, I know I’m not going to be affected by my girl friend’s parents and if they aren’t the right kind of people I’m sure I wouldn’t visit them again. But my mother seems to think that a girl can’t spend the weekend with her friend unless her par ents are friends. Please advise me. Don’t I have any rights? Wondering. Of course you have rights. So does your mother. It is your right, and privi lege, as a teenager to cooper ate with your mother. You will not always agree with her be cause she won’t always give you what you want or what you think you should have. But her decisions are based on her wisdom and her love and concern for you. It is your obli gation to try to understand this. If you accept her guidance in the rules of conduct and behavior now you will be able to make wise decisions, too, when you are on your own. It is your mothers right (and obligation) to guide your choice of friends, to know at all times where you are and with whom. Spending the weekend away from home, although fun and relaxa tion for you, means you will be in clsoe contact with people who may have an effect on you. And in this case with people who are strangers to your mother. I believe most would agree that she does not have to be personal friends with the other parents, but she should know them, the kind of home they have, their attitudes about pri vileges, supervision, etc. You don’t spend the weekend in a friend’s home to determine if “they are the right kind of people” for the next time. You should be certain of this before hand. And your mother is the one to make this judgement. * * * PAX CHRISTI Dear Doris: I’m a sophomore in high school and would like a foreign Catholic pen pal. I have heard of Pax Christi but would like to know more about it and where it is. Dolores. Pax Christi acts as inter mediary in the pen friendships initiated by the International Catholic Correspondence Or ganization. Pax Christi is an international Catholic move ment for peace, recognized and approved by the Holy See. It started as one of its ac tivities, a very interesting and instructive form of apostolate. This consists in making men and women, young and old, through out the world, acquainted with one another through the ex change of letters. Correspond ents become acquainted and many friendships are made. For students like yourself this can be fun and also useful in studies. The address is: Pax Christi-CCI, (18) Saarlouis 1, Stifstr. 12 (West Germany). * * * (Doris Revere Peters ans wers letters through her col umn, not by mail. Please do not ask for a personal reply. Young readers are invited to write to her in care of THE BULLETIN.) 416 8TH ST.. AUGUSTA. GA. Published fortnightly by the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, Inc., with the Approbation of the Most Reverend Bishop of Savannah; and the Most Reverend Archbishop of Atlanta. Subscription price $3.00 per year. Subscription in cluded in membership in Catholic Laymen’s Association. Second class mail privileges authorized at Monroe, Ga. Send notice of change of address to P. O. Box 320, Monroe, Ga. Rev. Francis J. Donohue Rev. R. Donald Kiernan Editor Savannah Edition Editor Atlanta Edition John Markwalter, Managing Editor Rev. Lawrence Lucree, Rev. John Fitzpatrick Associate Editors, Savannah Edition Vol. 42 Saturday, April 14, 1962 No. 23 ASSOCIATION OFFICERS GEORGE GINGELL, Columbus President MRS. DAN HARRIS, Macon Vice-President NICK CAMERIO, Macon J Secretary JOHN T. BUCKLEY, Augusta Treasurer ALVIN M. McAULIFFE, Augusta Auditor JOHN MARKWALTER, Augusta Executive Secretary MISS CECILE FERRY, Augusta Financial Secretary