Churches adopt worldly view
By NED VALENTINE
In a peaceful, well-settled village hidden securely somewhere on the vast plain known as the Midwest, a small white steepled church stands as a humble bulwark of traditional Christianity.
Within the church, a grey-templed clergyman, tightly grasping a well worn Bible with his shaking, honey fingers, mumbles something about religion to a semi-conscious congregation.
SOUNDS AS FAMILIAR as an often repeated nursery rhyme drift over the straight back pews. "Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit. Amen."
At the same time, in another spot in the plains, the same service, the eucharist, is being celebrated in a manner reflecting a new, exciting, and perhaps more profound attitude toward Christianity.
Here a congregation sings a familiar folk tune accompanied by a lonely guitar, a sharp contrast to the deep majesty of the organ. "Create in me a new man," the church sings, "A new man wild and true; with a bold hand and a free hand; that can reach out and wrestle with You."
THE TRADITIONAL CHURCH is going through a change, particularly on college campuses where students try to find themselves and where the tools for digging deep are close at hand. In an intellectual atmosphere where students learn to question matters of depth, they find Christianity as they understood it, or didn't understand it, grossly inadequate.
Many students and clergy on the KU campus agree the church is, of necessity, coming from behind the stained glass into the reality of the world.
"There is a need to switch from the emotive, responsive type of religion," said John Simmons, Disciples of Christ campus minister, "to an appeal to the mind by Christianity.
"I WILL NOT be responsible for extending the warm, cozy religion some bring with them from home."
Simmons said he has continually asked the church why it isn't being honest, and why, early in the Christian's experience, it does not raise doubts and tackle questions he will discover during his higher education.
"There are people I call 'Sweet Jesus People,' Simmons explained, "who have Christianity wrapped into a neat saleable package guaranteed to take care of you. Christianity is not easy, it is a struggle, and this fact must be faced."
IN RECENT YEARS science has often thrown Christianity into hot water. One example is the theory of evolution, which some believe refutes Christian beliefs. However, some feel people are becoming aware of the deeper aspects of religion.
"We can feel now the victory of being on the offensive," said Tom Woodward, Episcopal minister at Lawrence.
"We are getting people to communicate, talking of life rather than religion. More emphasis is being placed on choice. We are
Men add day to fall rushing
Rush week for KU fraternities next fall will be one day longer to allow rushees more time to decide what house they wish to pledge.
Dennis Taylor, Rancho Cordova, Calif., junior and president of KU's Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC), said the lengthening of rush week to four days would give entering men "a chance to see more houses, get better acquainted and make a better choice" than did the old three-day system.
The extra day will allow ten more "dates" for rushees to visit individual houses. They will arrive on campus Monday, Sept. 4, to register in residence halls and attend a rush orientation dinner.
Actual rush begins Tuesday morning, Sept. 5, with the new men signing up at breakfast for the houses they wish to visit that day. This system will be followed throughout the remainder of rush week, ending Friday.
Another change decided upon by the IFC will provide for increased counseling service in the residence halls during rush week.
Taylor said most pledging would probably be done on Thursday and Friday.
Daily Kansan
Tuesday, May 23, 1967
willing to analyze our rituals, our authority and question our beliefs.
"THE COLLEGE STUDENT doesn't lose his faith when he faces other philosophies," said Ronald Sundbye, pastor of the First Methodist church, "he can't lose what he didn't have. He discovers the inadequacies of the fundamentalist."
If the student is completely disillusioned, the church has a responsibility to pick up the pieces, Sundbye said. Fundalmentalism is not the only expression of Christianity. He must also experience Christian humanism and Christianity existentialism.
Sundbye has stated many times he is not a Godless humanist, but that he sees humanism as an integral part of Christianity.
"CHRISTIANITY MUST NOT be changed but recast," he said. "We must experiment with changing the words of the services, for example, or the hymns to folk music. There have been experiments with a rock and roll mass."
"We have to communicate with the world with words people dig," he said.
Local churches are reacting in this way. On May 14, the University Lutheran Church presented an all folk song Eucharist celebration entitled "Create in Me." After the service an elderly couple walked up to Norman Steffen, pastor, and said, "We had forgotten what we had been believing. We felt it again in this service."
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