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.Just as Taylorand Truman had sought to influence the internal religious composition ofthe World Council of Churches, they did not hesitate to push the CatholicChurch on matters of theological confession either.Nothing if not persistent, Taylor made one final effort in the summer of1951.He met with Bishop Dibelius, who as always pledged his unequivocalcommitment to the plan, and with leaders of the Anglican Church at Lam-beth Palace including Bishop Sherrill, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and theArchbishop of York.The Archbishop of Canterbury voiced enthusiasm fora joint declaration and even offered to preside over the drafting of possiblestatements.Two months later, however, in the now familiar pattern of a cler-gyman s profession of support turning into a confession of reluctance, theArchbishop of Canterbury wrote Taylor that he and his colleagues thoughtthe prospect of persuading Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox leaders to signany statement is so remote that the attempt ought to be abandoned. Heincluded a recent pronouncement by the WCC discouraging such efforts atinter-communion cooperation and offered his sincere apologies to Taylor.Perhaps to demonstrate that he had not given up without an effort, the Arch-bishop included drafts of two possible statements that he and his colleagueshad written.The statements were distinguished only by their copious plati-tudes and bland inoffensiveness.Unable or unwilling to join in the simplestof affirmations, the world s churches remained profoundly divided, leavingTruman and Taylor bitterly disappointed.119The president now lost his last measure of tolerance for these churchdisputes.For four years he and his deputy Taylor had labored diligently,118Taylor to Pope Pius XII, June 20, 1951; Myron Taylor Papers 2; HSTPapers.119Taylor to Truman, July 5, 1951; Myron Taylor Papers 2.Archbishop of Canterbury to Taylor,September 6, 1951; Myron Taylor Papers 2; HSTPapers. THE REAL TRUMAN DOCTRINE 153patiently, faithfully to bring Christian leaders together in a simple campaignagainst a common threat.Their persistent inability to get along baffled andangered him.He decided to vent his frustrations publicly.Appearing beforea large meeting of Washington clergymen on September 29, 1951, Trumanpreached a virtual sermon on the spiritual foundations of America s greatness,America s divinely ordained role in the world, and the malicious threat posedby Soviet communism to a world civilization in which man s belief in God cansurvive. Truman s speech, which received wide media coverage, concludedwith remarkable candor.He described his efforts to bring the religious leadersof the world together in a common affirmation, but regretted that he couldreport little fruit.I am sorry to say that it has not yet been possible to bring the religious faithstogether for the purpose of bearing witness in one united affirmation thatGod is the way of truth and peace.Even the Christian churches have notyet found themselves able to say, with one voice, that Christ is their Masterand Redeemer and the source of their strength against the hosts of irreligionand danger to the world and that will be the cause of world catastrophe.They haven t been able to agree on as simple a statement as that.I have beenworking at it for years.120Expressing his palpable frustration, Truman also revealed once again his owntheological agenda.In order to bring the churches together against the threatof communism, he first had tried to convince them that they shared a commonChristian identity.In both attempts he had failed.Edward Pruden, Truman s pastor at First Baptist Church, responded withalarm to Truman s address.Pruden was close friends with many mainlineProtestant leaders and hoped to heal the rift between his clerical colleaguesand his most eminent parishioner.Proclaiming his support for the idea of aunited religious front, Prudenexplained to Trumanthat some of the oppo-sition had resulted from misunderstandings between the WCC and otherchurches.Furthermore, while not personally acquainted with Taylor, Prudenhad heard from other churchmen that Taylor is by no means capable ofachieving the goal which you have in mind. Some believed that Taylor hasvery little grasp of church life, and is woefully uninformed, while otherscomplained that Taylor s advanced age hindered his diplomatic interactions.120Truman, address to the Washington Pilgrimage of American Churchmen, September 28,1951.Public Papers of the Presidents: Harry S.Truman, 1951 (Washington: United StatesGovernment Printing Office 1965), 547 550.See also New York Times and New York Herald-Tribune articles of September 29, 1951, clippings in WHCF: State Department Papers; MyronTaylor Papers 50; HSTPapers. 154 PART TWONevertheless, Pruden encouraged Truman not to abandon the effort.ThePresident responded with his usual bluntness.His agenda had not been tointerfere with church government or to put the Church into politics, but to letpeople who believe in honor and morals be lined up on one side and let thepeople who do not believe in honor and morals be lined up on the other. 121Truman still could not fathom why the churchmen had not seen it that way.Old convictions die hard, however, and sometimes do not die at all.Taylorshared Truman s regret at the failure of their project, and remained convincedthat it was both a good and right endeavor.Its noble goals notwithstanding, helamented to the Archbishop of Canterbury, it has ended in seeming failure
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