>>14875915

I say this not because I believe Christianity is a weapon in the present world struggle, but because I believe it is at the root of the struggle, not in terms of the physical organizations of Christianity versus those of atheism, but in terms of good versus evil, right versus wrong, in terms of "the stern encounter" of which Cardinal Newman so prophetically wrote:

"Then will come the stern encounter when two real and living principles, simple, entire, and consistent, one in the church and the other out of it, at length rush upon one another contending not for names and words or half views, but for elementary notions and distinctive moral characteristics."

Cardinal Newman spoke of this conflict as yet to come. Doubtless its climax is yet to come, but in essence the conflict has been going on for 2,000 years. It has not been limited to one nation or to one form of government. The issues, the slogans, the battlefields and the personalities have been different. But basically it has been the same encounter of opposing principles, a struggle more comprehensive, more deep rooted and even more violent than the political and military battles which go on today. It is easy to envision the struggle as being wholly physical – of men and arms – of stockpiles, strategic materials and nuclear weapons – of air bases and bombers, of industrial potential and military achievements. This is the material struggle, and the central problem here is to be equal to the sacrifices necessary for ultimate survival and victory. But of far deeper significance is "the stern encounter," the very nearly silent struggle, with no din to be heard in the streets of the world, and with weapons far more subtle and far more damaging than cannons and shells. The encounter of which I speak makes no more noise than do the inner process of disintegration.

Remarks of Senator John F. Kennedy at the Dedication Ceremony at Assumption College, Worcester, Massachusetts, November 10, 1956

https://www.jfklibrary.org/archives/other-resources/john-f-kennedy-speeches/worcester-ma-19561110

>>14876023

We can barely hear the stern encounter, and thus too often we forget it. Our minds, like the headlines of our newspapers, are intent upon the present and future conflicts of armed might, and upon the brutal, physical side of that ominous war upon which we have bestowed the strange epithet "cold." We tend to forget the moral and spiritual issues which inhere in the fateful encounter of which the physical war is but one manifestation. We tend to forget those ideals and faiths and philosophical needs which drive men far more intensely than military and economic objectives.

This is not to say that we have overlooked religion. Too often we have utilized it as a weapon, broadcast it as propaganda, and shouted it as a battle cry. But in "the stern encounter," in the moral struggle, religion is not simply a weapon – it is the essence of the struggle itself. The Communist rulers do not fear the phraseology of religion. On the contrary, they leave no stone unturned in seeking to turn this aspect of religion to their own advantage in order to cement the obedience of their people. What they fear is the profound consequences of a religion that is lived and not merely acknowledged. They fear especially man’s response to spiritual and ethical stimuli, not merely material. A society which seeks to make the worship of the state the ultimate objective of life cannot permit a higher loyalty, a faith in God. It cannot permit a belief in a religion that elevates the individual, acknowledges his true value and teaches him devotion and responsibility to something beyond the here and the now. The Communists fear Christianity more as a way of life than as a weapon. In short, there is room in a totalitarian system for churches – but there is no room for God. The claim of the state must be total, and no other loyalty, and no other philosophy of life can be tolerated.

Is this not simply an indication of the weakness of the Communist position? If the ultimate struggle is indeed a moral encounter, then are we not certain of eventual victory?

https://www.jfklibrary.org/archives/other-resources/john-f-kennedy-speeches/worcester-ma-19561110