Jewish Leaders Assured of Growing Amity Between Christians and Jews

“Never before in American history has there been so little religious prejudice as there is today, ” leaders of the American Jewish Committee were assured here today by John Cogley, director of the American Character Study, a major Ford Foundation project. He stressed that inter-religious cooperation and understanding are on the increase both among leaders and peoples of all faiths throughout the western world.

Mr. Cogley spoke at a session of the American Jewish Committee’s national executive board meeting here, He emphasized that the new trend toward interfaith cooperation is marked by a discussion of differences among religious groups rather than an attempt to gloss over them. He said that theological leaders “instead of barring differences, have been making sense out of the various positions taken by different groups. “

“Leaders of all faiths have shown us that different commitments to different faiths does not mean that we cannot be committed to each other as human persons and as Americans. ” he declared, “All over the nation, Christians and Jews, Protestants and Catholics, believers and non-believers are meeting together to discuss questions of common concern. Jewish writers are contributing to Christian publications, both Catholic and Protestant, and Christians are called in to address Jewish gatherings.”

As to questions dividing religious groups in this country, Mr. Cogley labeled them sociological and political rather than issues of faith. As examples of these problem areas, he listed observance of religious festivals in public schools, the law and birth control, aid for parochial schools and Sunday closing laws. Discussion on these issues, he said, “are properly centered on the Constitution and the law of the land” rather than in theology.