University of Virginia Library

In his well worded attack on
New Leftists (The Cavalier Daily,
January 7), I think Mr. Montgomery
has missed an important
point, namely the history of collective
"Christianity." The crusades,
burnings at the stake, torture,
slavery, genocide, segregation, and
the use of napalm and atomic
weapons have all, in the respective
time and region, been comparable
with major Christian faiths.

There is no issue with the "one
hour week" but with what happens
between these gatherings. I believe
that a Church of Christ is, or at
least should be, based on the example
rather than the glorification
of Jesus. This example, set by He
who chose humble rather than
kingly parentage, was simple:
"Whatever you do to the least of
my brethren, you do to me." Jesus,
regardless of how one chooses to
view him politically, practiced this
until he was crucified.

If there is a purpose to organized
religion, it is to case human
suffering, to reduce violence, to
feed the hungry, i.e. to see Christ in
man. Holy wars, or a search for
heretics and red witches behind the
problems we "Christians" have
helped cause is neither the purpose
of religion or the solution to our
problems.

The considerable gap between
the example of a humble Christ and
our actual behavior simply means
that we have yet to overcome the
barriers between practice and this
example. Some of these people Mr.
Montgomery attacks so eloquently
believe that segregation, war, and,
yes, our excessive profit motives are
some of these barriers. I tend to
agree.