The Protestant Council of the City of New York issued today a statement “profoundly” regretting the implications contained in the report published by the Amsterdam News on a study by the Council of the religious discrimination of New York City officials. The statement, issued by Rev. Dr. Dan M. Potter, the Council’s executive secretary, reads:
“The Protestant Council has always stood firmly for equal and open opportunities for all people based on merit and without regard to their religious or ethnic background, This position has been vigorously implemented by our ongoing social action program in behalf of fair employment practices and equal housing opportunities.
“We profoundly regret the implications contained in a story in the Amsterdam News on March 9, 1963, with reference to a Protestant Council study of the religious distribution of New York City officeholders. This story distorts the purpose of the study, which is not to criticize any group but to encourage more active Protestant responsibility in civic and government vocations. Such unfortunate Journalism increases tension and mis-understanding and serves to weaken the cause of democracy and interfaith cooperation.
“Two specific items in the news account were not accurate. One stated, ‘Protestant leaders planned to release the survey; the implications were of such a nature that they decided net to release the study at this time but rather to keep it confidential,’ The fact is, the study was of such a tentative and inconclusive nature that the Protestant leaders never intended to publish it.
“The other item stated: ‘About 85 percent of the city’s Protestants are Negroes.’ This statement is not factually related to the study or to any authority of the Protestant Council. Actually, according to the most recent studies of the Councils department of church planning and research, the non-white Protestant population of the City of New York is approximately 40.6 percent of the total Protestant population.
“Regardless of this unnecessary roadblock, the Protestant Council will continue its study and research. When properly evaluated ant crystallized, such studies are made public as a contribution to greater self-understanding in our community.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
