Article February 26, 1944 Issue

Signs of the Times

Christianity versus Isolationism

with contributions from Francis B. Sayre, Harry Emerson Fosdick

Francis B. Sayre, Special Assistant to the Secretary of State
The Christian Advocate, Chicago, Illinois

The nineteenth century notion of a world of isolated, self-seeking sovereign nations, each bent on gaining political and economic mastery over its rivals and competitors, killing and robbing whenever expedient in order to gain selfish power, is not compatible with the Christian conception of world brotherhood. If we are to build a civilization that will survive, there is only one foundation possible—and that is the Christian way of brotherhood.

What does that mean in terms of present-day realities? In a world as closely knit as ours has become, it means men and women of different races and different nationalities learning to work together shoulder to shoulder for the common ends of humanity. People will begin thinking, not in terms of a master race or the protection of national sovereignty, but of how to gain for all mankind security and lasting peace. There is only one practical way to achieve this. That lies through the building up of adequate international machinery and the closest kind of international co-operation....

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