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Communications

A Sense of Humor

NO WRITER ATTRIBUTED

To the Editor of the CRIMSON:

I notice that Mr. Phillips objects to Prof. Moore's article. Mr. Phillips believes that he insults the intelligence of the students who knelt in prayer, for us at Indianapolis. I would hardly say that Mr. Phillips used the right word--I had not seen it as a matter of intelligence. Really, I think, the situation quite balances. The students of thirteen colleges gathered at Indianapolis had the pleasure of satisfying their mystical natures and Christian enthusiasm in an effort to bring "godless" Harvard by prayer into a similarly kneeling posture. On the other hand Professor Moore and Harvard are honestly amused. Surely nothing is lost and each group has enjoyed a pleasant moment.

Of course we do not want Mr. Phillips to feel that we are unsympathetic and ignore the sincerity of these people. We see clearly that the task is not nearly as simple as that of the patriarch Moses when he faced a similar situation. He had to deal with people who had already descended to their knees in worship. Finding them in this emotional mood it was not difficult to transfer their adoration from a golden calf to the heavens. There was no argument needed worship was worship.

The question is one of approach rather than of godlessness. There is such a thing as primitive abject worship: there is such a thing as a sense of humor, and the two will clash as long as men are borer into this world. RICHARD RATUJE '25.

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