| Summary: | Page 2 THE CONCORDIAN November 8, 1957 Intolerance Noted In Religious Area A shocking proportion of the students on this campus lack religious tolerance. They are Protestant, and what is more they are Lutheran, and what is even more — they are ELC Lutheran. It may be difficult to realize in a pri-marily German and Scandinavian section of the country, but there are other faiths. The misconceptions that are held about other denom-inations are appalling—not about something like Bahai or Theosophy, but faiths that are from the Christian point of view completely orthodox. Let's be sure of the facts before we start expounding hearsay as truth. To be a Roman Catholic or a Pentecostal or a Baptist is not to be pitifully misguided. It is to sincerely hold to doctrines that differ from Luther's conclusions. These doc-trines may be as long-established (or longer, if that counts for anything), and as carefully formulated. We profess to believe that the soul's salvation demands only faith in Christ as Son of God and Savior of man. If, as we say, God has given man free will, he is surely entitled to exer-cise it. Each of us must, as Bishop Lilje phrased it, "re-think the decision of the 16th century." We can have no semblance of the unity of which Pastor Svendsbye spoke in chapel if we continue to look with bigotry and misunderstanding upon other denom-inations. Possibly this smug, self-righteous attitude is unavoid-able on a church-supported campus, but I should hate to think so. Must the only alternative to religious indiffer-ence be religious intolerance? A.D. Problems Given The Gridiron Treatment by Earl Eliason "This week we hold the world in our hands!" said one of a group of four or five youths as they were discussing the week's activities. At that time there were perhaps 25 such "bull sessions" going on. Participants were some 70 Christian youth leaders from 16 foreign countries (five continents) and a like number of American youths from eight Lutheran synods. They had come together for the first "Lutheran World Youth Conference" and the following week they were to be the official "Youth Represen-tatives" at the LWF Assembly in Minneapolis. Cobbers at this international camp were Kay Skavanger, Don Burton and mys,elf. My roommates' home countries show somewhat the world-wide nature of the camp. One fellow was from Germany just 10 miles from the Iron Curtain. (He said he had found that Am-ericans are more afraid of the Communists than are his own people.) Another was from southern Australia and the third from Kansas City, Kansas. The theme was unity and the place that this word had the most meaning was during the Bible studies. Although our overseas friends used their "for-eign" Bibles (once 7 different languages at once), the resulting interpretation was more united than at most of our local camps. Unity in problems encountered in Christian youth work was striking. For instance, in Iceland: "Parents want their children to attend church . . . don't attend themselves." In France: "The majority of youth don't believe in anything." Germany tells us that: "Church people spend too much time in the church kitchen and not enough in bringing the gospel to the people where they live." Sounds like our churches. Unity probably was felt most during one of the discussions when a girl from Chile stood up and asked for help in starting their youth program. A spontaneous answer came from a German who promised to send material as soon as he got home. But all was not peaceful! For solving these problems each country had its own answer. The word "secularism"— what it means and what should be done about it—was kicked around more than the football on the Concordia gridiron 1 That we were not completely united shows the necessity for the LWF to con-tinue this program of exchange on even a wider scale in the future. Sundar Devaprasad from India stated what I think was probably the best summary of the camp when he told us to " . . . work out ways and means for more exchange programs like this between the East and the West; which in turn will disprove the saying, 'The East and the West will never meet.1 Let the world know that we are all one in Christ You belong to us, we belong to you!" Dear Editors: Last weekend we three stayed at Augsburg College when we journeyed to Minneapolis to wit-ness the Concordia-Augsburg football game. One thing that left a great impression on each of our minds was the common bond of Christian fellowship and friendship we experienced during our stay on the rival's campus. After but a short while we felt right at home with the fel-lows and yes, even the girls, at Augsburg. The hospitality of the Augsburg fellows was wonder-ful. They went out of their way to find beds for us as well as helping us explore our way around the city. It was wonderful meeting new Christian friends and touring their campus. We invited them to come to Concordia sometime and we hope they experience the same fellowship that we did at their school. Lowell Malm Kenny Harstad Jimmy Danielson. 'Conversation' Follows A Well-Beaten Path by Robert Tarrani For as long as I can remember, I was never much of one for girls, women, or creatures of the opposite sex. In grade school, rather than take part in such co-educational activities as Musical Chairs, Spin the Bottle, or Post Office, I would stand for hours before the chalkboard, writing over and over such charming and original ditties as, "I will not shoot dice in the classroom," or "I promise not to lip off to the teacher." When not entertaining myself in this fashion, I could usually be found standing patiently in the corner, facing the wall. Upon reaching high school, when all the other boys were going out with girls, I was still too afraid to talk with them—so much in fact, that I rarely took part in the integrated stockholder meetings, union negotiations, or labor-manage-ment conferences being held. In college, however, under Comfort Bedtick's patient guidance, an epochal change took place and I blossomed forth into that pitiful wreck you see around campus today, shuffling from class to class. I can still remember our first date, the scars are that vivid. We had driven uptown to see a movie in a car that Comfort had borrowed from a roommate. After the show, she cruised around town, finally parking on a dark street. Tarrant 'We Want The Facts, Man-Just The Facts' Cobbers have been asking when the Concordian is go-ing to stop handing out praise and thanks in its editorials and start "slamming" a few things. Here is the answer. We're not handing out compliments for the sake of complimenting or to take up space. If there is credit due, we intend to give It. Newspaper space is too expensive to fill with meaningless words. Now, as far as "slams" go. Students wonder why we don't hit things like the cafeteria, book prices, women's dorm hours and a hundred and one other subjects. Here's the answer to that. We're not going to write anything until we know that there is something to be gained and until we have the facts. We've checked on some things that students have asked about and as yet have found either no need or way for changes. If there are things that students feel should be dis-cussed on the editorial page of the Concordian, we will be glad to consider them. C.H.A. International campers Don Burton, Kay Skavanger, Earl Eliason The Concordian Published weekly during the school year except during vacation, holiday and examination periods by the students of Concordia College, Moorhead. Entered as second class matter at the postofflce of Moorhead, Minn., Dec. S, 1920 under the Act of March 8, 1870. TWELVE TIMES ALL-AMERICAN Member ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS Office: Basement Brown Hall Phone 3-5124 CO-EDtTORS C. HOWARD AUBOL ANN DRUMMOND News Editor DICK LEE Editorial Editor BONNIE ENGLE Feature Editor HERMAN HEUPEL Society Editor MARILYN ELSTAD Sporti Editor DICK WHITAKER Photo Editors VIRGIL LARSON, DAVE MATHRE Business Manager WAYNE INGWALSON Advertising Manager LOWELL BRATRUD Circulation Manager ALLEN LARVICK "My isn't it beautiful out to-night?" she asked, as she edged across the seat toward me. My heart started to beat wild-ly as her hand slid into mine, but not wanting to appear flus-tered, I decided to fall back on my talent as an intelligent con-versationalist. "Tell me about yourself?" I asked talentedly. "What is there to tell?" she queried. "I'm just an average girl with superior breeding, manners, beauty, intelligence/ poise, charm, wit and modesty." While I was trying to think of a suitable, intelligently talented reply, she demonstrated her average-type superior breeding, manners, beauty, intelligence, poise, charm, wit and modesty by getting a hammerlock on me and kissing me. Now don't get the idea Com-fort was the only girl who ever kissed me because that's not true. The other time it was a torrid little blonde at our third grade Spring picnic. There must have been something wrong with the third grade curriculum at good old P.S. 61, because as I remember, her kisses seemed a little dim in comparison to Com-fort's that night. I somehow finally managed to convince Comfort that my unit-leaders would be worried if I weren't home by 9:30 p.m. She started up the car and carefully drove back and forth a couple of times over a broken botlte in the street in the hope of getting stranded with a flat tire. As luck would have it, the tires were too good and she had to take me back to the dorm. what's op
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