 The Lawn Jean Chronoscope, a television journal of the important dishes of the hour, brought to you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. A presentation of the Lawn Jean Wittner Watch Company, maker of Lawn Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Wittner, distinguished companion to the world-honored Lawn Jean. Good evening. This is David Ross. Tonight the Lawn Jean Chronoscope turns away from the man-made problems of the world to an examination of spiritual values, a subject in keeping with the holiday season. To help you find the truth, Father John Sheeran, CSP, editor of Catholic World, Reverend Dr. William Rosenblum, Rabbi of Temple Israel of the City of New York, Reverend Dr. Robert J. McCracken, pastor of Riverside Church, and Father Charles Howard Graff of St. John's Church in the Village. Our moderator is Mr. William Bradford Huey. The Chronoscope viewers have now satisfied all of the material requirements for Christmas, and tonight we'd like to explore some of their spiritual yearnings. And now, Father Graff, if our average viewer tonight could ask for a spiritual gift for Christmas, what gifts do you think would be highest on the list? I think that men, Mr. Huey, are looking for security, a security which is based not upon material factors, but a security which is based upon God the Creator, who is the ultimate security for all men. I think men want peace, a peace that can only be found as exemplified in this season and the Christ child and the manger, the peace of Christ, the reconciler. And thirdly, I think men are looking for moral fortitude and stamina in a time when men are not recognizing always moral values. So security, peace, and moral stamina. Now Rabbi Rosenblum, it's been said that this is a nervous age, an aspirin age, age of tension. Now, sir, what could you offer to our viewers as some relief from these tensions of our time? Well, that's not what I offer, but I think as I analyze the age, while it is true, it's an age of heartache and headache, there are great many tensions in all areas and the phrase aspirin age is a very, shall I say, eloquent description on the negative side. I believe there's a positive awareness about these tensions that people generally want to do something about it. It's an aspiring age, aspiring with reference to ideals. But I think our presence here tonight exemplifies what the formula would be to improve conditions because the religions of the world, we represent some of them, having their keeping, the spiritual ideals, the moral values that will make for peace and make for a better world. And I think if we can get together in a more constructive program, I believe that's one of the great hopes of the future. Mr. Sharon, the infant Christ has been called a symbol of weakness. And now in these days, to meet the challenges of our time, do you think that we need a symbol of power? Well, it's true that the infant Christ is a symbol of human weakness. About the same time, I believe that he is a symbol of divine power, not only divine physical power. I firmly believe that as God, he created the sun and the moon, the stars. As Francis Thompson says, he swings the world like a trinket at his wrist. But more importantly, he is a possessor of infinite moral power. And I do firmly believe that his edicts as law giver must be obeyed. And any ruler who chooses to violate the natural law established by God must go down to destruction. What has the Christ contributed to the concept of human dignity? Well, I'd say that he constantly emphasized the dignity of the human person in his teachings. He consorted with the off-scouring, you might say, the scum on the streets of Jerusalem. But at the same time, he showed a reverence for the souls of those persons. And I think that that dignity, as found in his teaching, has come down to us and has been incorporated in the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights. More importantly, I'd say that the fact of the incarnation has given Western thinking an awareness of the dignity of man, the fact that God chose to incarnate himself in human nature. He became one of us in order that we might be adopted into the family of God. And I think that the fact of the incarnation, the fact of the birth of God on Christmas, has given to all Western thinking a very clear awareness of the dignity of the human person. And this Christmas, does the Christmas 1952 hold ground for hope for the future? Well, I think it does hold hope provided we have humility. Not so long ago someone said that arrogance is the chief evil of our time, that's very true. And I think it is necessary for us to kneel down humbly in adoration of the infant and the crib. Dr. McCracken, most of us are familiar with Professor Toin, this figure of the human procession creeping up the mountainside rather laboriously, and their periods in human history when the procession seems to make progress and other periods when it seems to be in confusion and retreat. Now, how do you feel, Sir, on Christmas 1952? Do you think that our procession at this time is making progress or that perhaps we are so confused we may be in retreat? I know, Mr. Huey, how I would like to feel. I would like to think that we were making distinct progress. I am disposed to avoid generalizations because while Toin be certainly made one, I had a professor of history who used to say to us, never generalize in saying it, making a generalization. At the same time, I think it's incontestable that things are going from bad to worse in the world. I'm reminded of what the late by Count Gray said in 1914 when war broke out, lights are going out all over Europe. Yet, on Christmas Eve 1952, I'm not without hope because after all, Christianity is an optimistic religion founded on a provisionally pessimistic view of man. It's when man realizes his predicament that he feels neat and it's at that point, of course, that Christmas is particularly significant in as much as it means that man isn't left to work out his own salvation. Well, now, are the faiths represented here, the principle Judeo-Christian faiths, is it true that today they all are alerted to the great danger of our time, the danger of the all-powerful state, the danger of communism? Do they all recognize the principle danger of our time? I would say that there's a deepening understanding on the part of the Western faiths of the problem presented to us by Soviet communism, though I would there want to add that we're deeply conscious too of problems closer to home and of the danger always of decadence from within. A point I might add that Toinby brings out. Yes. Father Graf, do you feel hopeful as an individual for the human procession in 1952? I do very much because I think that the realization that faith is ultimately the basis of seeking for security and peace and moral stamina, that reawakening is going to have a profound effect upon all of us. I'm very hopeful for the years which lie ahead because I think men are realizing now there is an awakening on all of these issues. For us to have hope for free government, Rabbi Rosenbloom, is it necessary for us to have must-men have faith in order to support free government? I think without faith we have seen that there is no free government because every single dictator that we've had in the past, those in recent years and those that are in power now, one of the first things they tried to do by forcing decree is to take faith out of the lives of people. And I think you find that in the democratic countries like our own, while there are some tensions and difficulties and disappointments, we are in a great situation. So there's always this welling up of faith, faith in God, that faith in life has an interior purpose and I think faith and freedom go together. Father, sure, and you mentioned the great documents, Magna Carter and the Declaration, these noble works that have sprung from the mind of men. Do you think that those could have sprung only from men who had faith? Oh, very definitely. Men with very firm, definite, precise religious principles. And is it true that today, when the threat of totalitarianism is over all of us, is it true that all totalitarian governments of themselves must first destroy faith or attempt to destroy faith? Dr. McCracken, is that true? Well, I don't know that they destroy faith utterly. There's always faith in the leader, the leader principle. I think faith in God seems to go, whether you're thinking of Hitler or whether you're thinking of Soviet... Well, the totalitarian concept, if you're going to believe in the all-powerful state, wasn't that what Rome feared of Christianity, for instance? The idea that the individual man considered himself important and God-like, worried that he'd be free. In the outlook for 1953, do all of you believe that there is a realization on the part of the American people of a need for more faith or proper balance between faith and reason? I think they're showing it, Mr. Huey, in all our synagogues and churches and their way of life. They're returning so to the ideas of faith. And do you think that perhaps more Americans will go to church, for instance, in the next 24 hours than did last year? Well, certainly there's a heightening of the religious element in the Christmas celebrations this year. I've noticed that. Well, gentlemen, I'm sure that our viewers have appreciated these expressions from you and thank you very much for being with us. They distinguished guests on the laundry and chronoscope this evening were Father John Sheeran, CSP, editor of the Catholic World, Reverend Dr. William Rosenblum, Rabbi of Temple Israel of the City of New York, Reverend Dr. Robert J. McCracken, pastor of Riverside Church, Father Charles Howard Graff of St. John's Church in the Village. The moderator for this special holiday program was Mr. William Bradford Huey. The problem of selecting a gift of great prestige for someone near and dear to you is most happily solved with a lawn gene watch. Throughout the world, no other name on a watch carries as much prestige as lawn gene, the world's most honored watch. 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