75 years ago: Liberal clergy gather for Interfaith Conference on Unemployment

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. II Corinthians 11:13-15

Ecumenism in the name of "social justice" is nothing new. As reported by Jewish Telegraphic Agency, April 11, 1940:

WASHINGTON (Apr. 10)

A national interfaith conference on unemployment will be convened in Washington June 4 to 6 under the direction of the industrial division of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, the Social Action Department of the National Catholic Welfare Conference and the Social Justice Commission of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, it was announced here today by the Rev. James Myers, Monsignor John A. Ryan and Rabbi Edward L. Israel, leaders of the religious groups planning the conference.

"Unemployment," the clergymen declared, "is the basic problem before the nation and vitally affects all other problems of national well being. It must be approached and solved in a determined spirit of cooperation and national unity. It must not be allowed to become a political football but must be the common concern of all political parties, of all economic groups, of employers, organized labor, farmers, consumers and government."

The purpose of the proposed conference, the clergymen pointed out, is to "define impartially the issue and to lay upon the conscience of the nation the paramount necessity of its solution."

"The first thing which is needed," they said, "is a united will to abolish unemployment. The three faiths are glad to join in a united appeal to abolish unemployment."

Whatever findings the forthcoming conference may adopt will be the responsibility of the conference itself rather than of the convening organizations, the three social action leaders stated. "Such findings," they added, will in turn become recommendations to the various religious bodies for further study and action."

An interfaith committee of 30 to be appointed by the convening organizations will assist in the organization and operation of the conference, it was announced.

And as reported by Jewish Telegraphic Agency, June 5, 1940:

WASHINGTON (Jun. 4)

Dedicated to the solution of the unemployment problem as a basic factor in making democracy work, Jewish, Catholic and Protestant leaders convened in Washington today in the Interfaith Conference on Unemployment and heard outstanding leaders in Government and religion call for a “united will” to put men back to work.

Jewish groups represented were the Social Justice Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly of America and the Social Justice Commission of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Rabbis Edward L. Israel, Baltimore, and Samuel H. Goldenson, New York, participated in the discussion.

American has nine million unemployed, it was estimated by Dr. Leonard Kuvin, of the National Industrial Conference Board. He estimated that business would have to be stepped up 45 per cent above present levels to absorb all the unemployed. He said it could be done under the present system, “which is the basis of tolerance, democracy, liberty and freedom.”

Arthur Dunn, president of the “Realists’ Group,” organized last September as a protest against the Neville Chamberlain type of “wishful thinking,” said of Hitler: “He is the world’s greatest industrialist–the premier manufacturer of death and the most successful butcher of all times.” He said that without “wishful thinkers” mass murder by Hitler could not have been.”

Dunn said: “The majority of those sponsoring the interfaith conference claim to be Christian. They call the United States a Christian country. And almost the last words of Christ were, ‘Go ye unto all nations.’ Christ was no isolationist and if we ever meet him face to face we will have a hard time explaining why, until our own hides were threatened, we fail to give any real help to our unfortunate brothers in other lands.”

Rabbi Goldenson called unemployment the supreme indictment of our intelligence and common sense and said unemployment was “not unrelated” to the tragedies in Europe. “For many the cause of war is certainly the circumstance that vast numbers of men during the last generation or so have been unable to find gainful occupation. The effect of unemployment has been to create in every country large armies of dissatisfied, troubled, discontented, disgruntled men and women. These unhappy persons have naturally become resentful of and rebellious against the status quo.”

The liberal clergy didn't have to wait long to get their way when it came to a "united will" to put men back to work, although perhaps it didn't happen in the way they were expecting. On June 10, 1940, Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano informed the French and British ambassadors that as of the next day Italy would consider herself at war with both nations. Speaking at the graduation ceremonies of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt denounced Italy's entrance into the European war, declaring, "The hand that held the dagger has stuck it into the back of its neighbor." He called for "full speed ahead" in the U.S. defense effort.

On June 11, the U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to the Senate a $1.004-billion defense tax bill, which also authorized an increase in the national debt to $49 billion. The bill was approved by the Senate on June 19, and signed into law by President Roosevelt on June 25. On July 31, the House passed and sent to the Senate a $4,963,151,957 national defense appropriations bill for rearmament; the bill was approved by the Senate on August 29. The amount had increased to $5.251 billion by the time the Second Supplemental National Defense Appropriations Act was signed by President Roosevelt on September 9, 1940.

On June 13, Mr. Roosevelt signed a $1.308-billion Navy appropriations bill, providing for construction of 22 warships. Two days later, he signed a bill expanding the United States Navy air corps by 10,000 planes and 16,000 aviators; on June 17, he asked Congress to appropriate $1.2 billion more for naval construction. On July 1, Mr. Roosevelt signed a bill providing for construction of 45 Navy vessels costing $550 million; two days later, he prepared legislation requesting $5 billion more for national defense. On July 20, Mr. Roosevelt signed the "Two-Ocean Navy" Act, calling for a buildup in naval forces to 35 battleships, 20 carriers, and 88 cruisers. On September 9, 1940, the same day that President Roosevelt signed the Second Supplemental National Defense Appropriations Act, the United States Navy Department announced contracts for the building of 201 ships, including 7 battleships. On September 18, President Roosevelt signed a bill authorizing over $23 million for the construction of drydocks in New York, Boston, and the Caribbean.

On June 18, 1940, President Roosevelt said that a bill for universal government service for all young men and women would soon be introduced. The buildup in America's defense effort required manpower; "universal government service" came into play just a year and a half later when Japanese forces attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, bringing the United States into World War II, and settling, at least for the duration of the war, the issue of unemployment in the U.S.A.