Seven noted Americans have resigned as honorary vice-presidents of the Freethinkers of America, it was disclosed here today, because of a letter the atheistic organization sent broadcast to rabbis and Jewish leaders before Yom Kippur urging them to abandon the holiday as “the most degrading and humiliating day in all the superstitious annals of religion.”
Leo M. Franklin, rabbi of Congregation Beth El, disclosed that after receiving a copy of the letter, signed by Joseph Lewis, president of the Freethinkers of America, he had written to those honorary vice-presidents on the letterhead who are listed in Who’s Who. As a result, Rabbi Franklin said, the following have notified the organization to remove their names from the letterhead:
Dr. Harry Elmer Barnes, Clarence E. Darrow, Rupert Hughes, Miss Edna St. Vincent Millay, Prof. Chauncey D. Leske and Herbert Asbury. Prof. John Dewey took the same action after Rabbi Franklin had protested a similar letter last year.
Other names appearing on the letterhead of the organization as honorary vice-presidents include Chapman Cohen, Edouard Herriot, Sir Arthur Keith, Harold J. Laski, Joseph McCabe, Mme. Olga Petrova and Bertrand Russell.
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