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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1966)
University of nebr. LI1RARY Wednesday, December 14, 1966 The Daily Nebraskan Vol. 9V No. 49 Church Emphasis Today On Action, Not Belief EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second story in a four part series about modern religion and its adaptability to today's world. Senior Staff Writer Toni Victor will explore religion on the University campus and try to determine how it fits in with what many authorities consider a "change" in the church's attitude. Church emphasis today is on action, rather than belief, according to Dr. Ra leigh J. Peterson, dean of the Cotner School of Religion. Within the last six years, Peterson stated, there have been three general changes in religious thinking on the part of the institutional church. These changes are from institutional preservation to world service; from abso lute to relative morality; and from separ ate to joint projects. These three factors of cooperation, relative morality and service are behind all other church changes in Catholic, Jew ish and Protestant religions, Peterson said. ! ' "Churches are saying that their task is to serve fellow man, and thus serve God best," Peterson said. Two Dimensions He termed religion a two dimensional concept. The first dimension is concerned with something greater than man a supreme ideal or God. The second dimen sion of religion, and the side that is being stressed more and more, is the concern for one's fellow man, he said. Putting it another way, Peterson said, the church as an institution is denying its role as comforter of the afflicted. Instead, the church sees itself as afflicting the comfortable in the congregation, so that individually they will go out and comfort the afflicted. Peterson said that this is not such a popular idea with some laymen. Dr. Peterson cited the negative reac tion of Irving Junior High School students to a speech by Dr. Alan Pickering of United Christian Campus Fellowship. The speech given before Thanksgiving, crit cized the well-to-do churchgoer who nev er thinks about the poor and disenfran chised people of the world. Some 30 stu dents signed a petition protesting the speech, calling Pickering "un-American." But on campus the idea is more pop-social-concern organizations on campus that operate on basically religious prin ciples. Such groups as Friends of the Stu dent Non-violent Coordinating Committee (FSNCC) and Nebraskans for Peace in Viet Nam serve as examples of what churches are working towards, in terms of service, Peterson said. Other evidence of this change in em phasis can be seen in the role of church houses on campus, Peterson said. New Role "Twenty years ago, the campus church was considered a home away from home, apart from the wicked campus a safe and secure retreat for the members," Pe terson declared. Today, due mainly to ministerial atti tudes within the campus churches, each chapel sees itself as a powerhouse for ac tion, motivation and challenge, according to Peterson. Campus churches are trying to reach outside the fold with coffee houses and ' panel discussions. They are concerned with a variety of social problems, from abortion to civil rights. Dr. Peterson said Intervarsity Chris tian Fellowship, Navigators and Youth for Christ, are three evangelistic movements that are not in accord with the changing emphasis of the church. "These organizations specify the good of personal salvation, rather than the chal lenge of social service," Peterson said. Relative Morality The second area of change is con cerned with morality in religion. Churches and laymen are seriously evaluating posi tions on this question, according to Dr. Peterson. The question is being asked: "Should the church maintain an absolute set of values, or should the church help make individual relative decisions?" "In the past, the church has seen things in black and white. Now they are realizing and accepting the grey and fuz zy problems of life," Dr. Peterson stated. This idea of situational ethics evolves directly from a re-interpretation of the Bible's role in religion, according to Pe terson. "In back of all change is the accept ance that the Bible is not so much a set of laws, as principles for life and a source of Inspiration," Peterson said. The biggest issue concerning the Bible is whether or not it is literally the Word of God written by God, or is instead a book containing God's Word, Peterson said. New Ethics This re-interpretation of the Bible's role has been stressed in churches for some 25 years, but it has taken time to reach the man in the pew, according to Peterson. The non-fundamental view of the Bible paves the way for what is popu larly known as the "New Morality" or situational ethics, he said. The third area of religious change features a crossing of denominational and faith lines in church work. "The problems of the world are so great and frightening that one denomina tion cannot be effective politically or finan cially," Peterson said. In the face of world destruction, things that have divided churches now seem in significant, Dr. Peterson said. An increase in inter-church coopera tion is present evidence of this change, Peterson said. Many campus study groups on religious and social problems cross faith lines to make the church more ef ficient, he said. "Churches are saying that what we are doing, we ought to be doing togeth er," Peterson said. He stated that it will be a long time before any single church emerges, but that the future holds a definite increase in inter-church cooperation. tSts WHITE WATER . . . photographed by John Nollendorfs. j4 i 'White Water' Capture? Grand Prize hi Contest LICORICE . . . photographed by Mike Hayman "White Water," a black and white photograph of the AAU swimming finals held in Lincoln in August, taken by John Nollendorfs received the grand prize in the Ne braska Union photography contest. Nollendorfs shot the pic ture at night at the Wood Pool, which was lighted with TV lights. He used Tri-X film and an acufine develop er. There were approximately 50 contest entries from about 30 contestants, according to Ruth Saunders, chairman of the contest. Other winners included: Pictoral: Thorn Doran, "Pont Ncuf Paris 1964", first; John Schulze: Policy-Bill Conflict May Result In Compromise The conflicts between ad ministration policy and the proposed Student Bill of Rights are not dead-end al leys, but areas for change, according to Dick Schulze. Schulze said the conflicts pointed out by administrators in a student-administration meeting Friday represent the opinion of the Board of Re gents and not merely the opinions of the administra tion. Schulze is chairman of the ASUN Student Conduct Com mittee that drafted the pro administration spokesman in the meeting was Russell Brown, administrative assis tant to G. Robert Ross, dean of Student Affairs. Schulze said, "It is hard to say right now how the con flicts will be solved. We pre sented our bill of rights to Student Affairs and they, in turn, showed us where we conflicted with their policies." "I believe that when solu tions to these conflicts are finally determined, they will lie somewhere between the two opinions," he said. The conduct committee, ac cording to Schulze, does not see the statement of conflicts as absolutes, hut rather points of change that should be considered. "The committee plans to talk to the Board of Regents about the bill of rights, for it is this body which will be making the ultimate decision on any changes in University policies," Schulze said. He added, that the conduct committee will be meeting with individuals from student affairs again this Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the Nebraska Union. The Committee is beginn ing a series of meetings with campus living units concern ing the proposed bill of rights. Schulze said it is hard to tell the effects of the meetings at the moment, but that one committee member had ex pressed some disappointment in them. Nollendorfs, "Scenic", sec ond. Portrait: Robert C. Franklin, first, John Nollen dorf, second. Human Interest: Mike Hayman, "Licorice", first; Jim Swartz, second. Color: Carolyn Bedient, "Lake Zur ich", first; Thorn Doran, "Pavane for a Dead Prin cess", second. Schreiber Rehearing Is Denied Mark Schreibcr's request for a rehearing of the case, which resulted in the loss of his seat on the students en ate, was denied by the Stu dent Court Tuesday . In a decision, written by Chief Justice Keith Mclntyre, the basis for denying the pe tition's request was "that the defendant has given no rea sons in his petition which were not considered by the court in reaching its prior de cision in this case "and the court has declined to change its prior decision." Also. in the petition, Schreiber asked that he be allowed to retain his seat on the senate until the petition for rehearing is disposed of. The court decided, however, that since there was no com pelling fact that would change the situation, they could not issue a temporary injunction holding back the effect of their judgments until decid ing on the rehearing of the case. Christmas Spirit Glows In Selleck's Window Displays , k, -Visa's ey l - " r LJL "Deck the Windows" is the cry in the final week of the Christmas window dis play contest sponsored by Abel Hall and Selleck Quad rangle. Gayle Weeks, RAM activi ties chairman, said that the Selleck contest is open to all Selleck residents. Displays are in three divisions: relig ious, traditional and contem porary. "The religious displays center around the theme of the Nativity, while the tradi tional decoration use the tra- !- - ; "n - ' I " is ditional symbols of Christ mas such as trees, wreaths, candles and Santa Claus," said Miss Weeks. Contempor ary displays are comic win dow displays or anything very modern. Ted Suhr, RAM Council President, said that cash prizes of $5 will be awarded to the two best entries in each division. Judging will take p 1 a Thursday afternoon and eve ning and the winners will be announced Friday. Reggie Wyatt, President of Abel IV, said that Abel IV sponsoring a window con test for the residents of San doz Hall. Displays will be categor ized to method of construc tion, he said. Categories con sist of removable paint, con struction paper, greens and lights and miscellaneous ma terial. Judging of Sandoz entries will be Thursday afternoon, and the winners will be an nounced Thursday night at the Abel-Sandoz Christmas dance, Wyatt said. Individual trophies will be awarded to the winners 1 of each category and also to the first three places. Second and third place winners in each category will receive prizes. A traveling trophy will be presented to the floor having the most points. 1