The Church as Forum

Memorial Church was on several occasions in the fall term the site of strong talk about the conflicts of the time. On October 2 former New York...

Memorial Church was on several occasions in the fall term the site of strong talk about the conflicts of the time. On October 2 former New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis '48, Nf '57, said at Morning Prayers that if the purpose of the September 11 terrorists was to destroy our faith in American values, they have succeeded, for "in the last year this country has retreated significantly from two of its core values: protection of civil liberties and commitment to the rule of law." In a sermon on October 6, Gomes said that "bombing Iraq into oblivion as payback to those who have done us injury, at this moment seems to me to be the wrong thing to do." He declared, "As a citizen I demand a better excuse than revenge, or oil, for the prosecution of a war that is likely to do more harm than good, that will destabilize not only the region but the world for years to come, and that, worst of all, will confirm for all the world to see our country's reputation as an irrational and undisciplined bully who acts not because it ought, but because it can." The full text of the sermon, "Patriotism Is Not Enough," may be found at www.memorialchurch.harvard.edu.        

Most popular

What Trump Means for John Roberts’s Legacy

Executive power is on the docket at the Supreme Court.

This Harvard Scientist Is Changing the Future of Genetic Diseases

David Liu has pioneered breakthroughs in gene editing, creating new therapies that may lead to cures.

Fas Dean Outlines Preparations for Loss of Federal Funding

“To preserve our mission, we must act now,” Hoekstra says at faculty meeting

Explore More From Current Issue

Public health dean Andrea Baccarelli wearing a white collared shirt and glasses.

The School of Public Health, Facing a Financial Reckoning, Seizes the Chance to Reinvent Itself

Dean Andrea Baccarelli plans for a smaller, more impactful Chan School of 2030.

David McCord in suit reading a book at cluttered wooden desk in office filled with framed art and shelves.

The Pump Celebrates Its 85th Birthday

Giving Harvard traditions their due 

Catherine Zipf smiling, wearing striped shirt and dark sweater outdoors.

Preserving the History of Jim Crow Era Safe Havens

Architectural historian Catherine Zipf is building a database of Green Book sites.