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icupmtwMWANNAPQttS, MP, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1HEART* HANDSHAKE — Rear Adm James Calvert, superintendent of the t S NavalACauciliv. shaken Iiaiiua wiui the KcGraham aiur Graham s u (hapel usterdavii hi the at ademym*- 11mmT- t I rljbl nhotoiPreaches at Naval Academy---- JCurtailing academy worship♦part of plan, Graham saysBy BOB TIMBERS _ Staff Writer The Rev Dr Billy Graham said yesterday that efforts tocurtail compulsory religiousworship at the nation's three major service academies are part of a wide-spread plan to exclude all chaplains from the armea forcesULGtdham s remarks camefollowing his participation inservices at the Naval Acadeim chapelAsked his opinion of a suit being pressed by six midshipmen and a West Point cadet that could eno me academies’ requirementfor onee-a-week attendenee atreligious services, GrahamrepliedI believe it is part of a planned attack against all chaplains, to force them completely out of all the services It was stated that all the men involved in the suit, while objecting to the academiesChapel fight suit enterJTIcourt today: 7 oroten #■aiSix midshipmen and a West Point Cadet were to annpar in U.S District Court today to continue their fight to end compulsory attendance at religious services at the nation s three service academies They were to request a preliminary injunction that, if granted, would bringrequired religious activities atA«VS,r,nMiv in. uuT-iiutc,pending £u 3p-pealTKa nnaA -1-J —— lU -IIw Uitoiu 40 C|UCU VI* UICbasis -if cfinsfetutiui-al prmcspies, the plaintiffs,’ attorney, Lawrence °Speiser, ^ of theAmerican Civil Liberties Union, said FridayIf I read the Constitution correctly, the position of the service academies has got to be illegal, Sppisp- said Naval Academy regulations state. All midshipmen will attend church or chapel services on Sunday, but are i squired to attend at no other tune ” Academy spokesmen maintain that compulsory attendance at some form ot religious worship is essential if Che academy’s mission to ‘prepare midshipmen • (Continued oa page 8, col. 5}regulation, reportedly hold strong religious convictions themselves ‘ What kind of religious convictions’” Graham asked. '’Communism is a religion, too ” Graham refused to specifically identify the group or groups behind tne alleged attack on the chaplains He did say that they were the same people who had been successful m ending prayer ana Bible reaamg in public schoolsThe suit was to be heard this morning in IIS D«str«ct Court for the District of Columbia Graham fully endorsed the academies policy regarding chapel attendeneeI think it is a tretnenrin’ic thing, he said It would be the greatest possible tragedy if it were to be stopped It is a part of the discipline, a part of the training, far beyond its being a religious service We need it now more than ever before it unpartsa moral and spiritual strength I’d hate to see it ended ”‘Can an atheist be a good naval officer’’’ he was asked “I can't comment on that,” Graham answered Earlier, visitors jammed the chapel, to hear Graham deliver a sermon in which he offered both an explanation for and a solution {Continued on page 8, col. 5)oi
Newspaper Details
Capital Gazette
Annapolis, Maryland, US
Mon, Feb 09, 1970
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Us N.
MD, USA 09 Dec 2022
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