Show LUTHERANS AFTER 1 MR ROOSEVELT Members of Conference Take Issue With Presidents Views SEND HIM AN AW OPEN LETTER DECLARE NO ROMAN CATHOLIC SHOULD BE PRESIDENT I New ew York Nov 0 13 In an open letter to President Roosevelt the original of of which It is 15 was was wai mailed to the i president pr Saturday night nl ht and a copy COP of which was made public here today toda th the New e ew York 1 ork city members of the conference of the Evangelical Lutheran church hurch of America take Issue with the tue president over oer the letter made public a 1 week veel ago in which he denounced as hun un unwarranted warranted bigotry refusal to vote ote for Jl t candidate for office because of 0 such candidates membership in 11 the Roman Catholic church j The letter lett r it Is t wa was author authorized authorIzed authorIzed at a recent meeting of or the loc I Ioel I II j Lutheran I conference when a committee committE of two was directed to address addres the president president I dent The Tue letter to the pr sl Ent declared that it was Subversive of the basic bailie prin principles of a L real separation of ot church and I state to permit the religious belief belle or ornon non belief of any candidate for tor public of office office office fice to determine the tile casting of ones vote ote for or against a such candidate except when that very verj en r religious belief or lief antagonizes this principle of complete of church and state Thus they agreed with the president that those thase citizens are to be severely criticized who vote ote against a man merely because he Is a Unitarian a Jew Meth Methodist Methodist odist or any an other othel religionist Differ From Catholics I But hr r centuries the letter went wet on the tile Catholics had denounced ns ps wrong Ton and a condition on only to tl be tol tot tolerated tOlerated so long as a it could not no be changed separation of church and state and full religious liberty Ubert freedom of speech conscience and the tIle press The letter to substantiate thes these statements quoted from Pope Boniface VII In his Bull Bun Sanctum Plus Plug X in his Syllabus of Leo XIII In encyclicals and Cardinal Gib Gibbons GIbbons I bons bont in his book The Faith of Our Fathers How could subscribers to the doctrine of separation of or church and state the letter went on consistently help to elect to the presidency a Roman Catholic so solon long lon as that church does not officially official revoke Its diametrically opposed declaration declarations sT Are Arc the two million and more Luther Lutherans ans ann of or this tills country not to speak of or the millions of f other Protestants who take tills this j position pOll iii on for the reasons stated to tobe tobe tobe be accused of bigotry or fanaticism be because because because cause of such stands The TIle letter concludes We iVe c protest that It is neither personal feeling or 01 religious antagonism which determines our attitude In this matter but solely our disagreement with the Ro Re Roman Roman Reman man Catholic church on this basic prin principle principle principle ciple a disagreement growing out of or the rejection and denunciation by b the Roman Catholic church of that very er principle which you ou admonish all aU faithfully to up uphold uphold uphold hold not only In the ordinary but in practice v vWe We uVe do not wish to be understood to accuse the bulk of the Roman Catholics of being disloyal citizens We Ye sincerely j believe belle a great many do not fully full realize the position the hierarchy hierarch of or their church maintains with reference to the principle i in question and that if It came to an issue compelling a decision either for lor forthe forthe the constitution or the papal hierarchy they the would decide In favor of or the former upholding the constitution of the United States |