God and the Road to Peace
by Leo McCarey

TODAY, from the four corners of the earth sounds a steadily rising cry for a greater accent on religion.

Hollywood would do well to hear this cry. There is a place on the screen for entertainment with a religious theme. Screen Stories which emphasize that man has something more to do in life than satisfy his selfish urges would help to direct motion picture audiences' attention to God. On the screen, too, the presentation of prayer should be more natural. The idea that strong men do not pray should be counteracted by evidence that they do. Washington, for instance, wasn't against kneeling in the snow at Valley Forge in order to seek Divine guidance!

Today, religion answers the deepest urges of the human heart. "Where do I come from? What am I doing here on this earth? Why am I?" The answers to these question are bound up with happiness and if they are not given, neither will happiness be given. Undoubtedly. one of the sources of our unhappiness lies in the decline of religious faith.

Faith, a gift of God, is something we, as a nation, stand to loose unless we exercise great care. And currently, the threatening and dangerous evil of Communism strives to alienate us from our faith in God and ultimately in ourselves.

The role that are a resurgence of religious fervor can play towards insuring a future and lasting peace is practically limitless. Prayer and religion, by directing man's thoughts outward, helping him to forget his own selfish desires, create a more ordered life for him.

Religion played one of the greatest parts in my own life probably, when I decided to make "Going My Way" and "Bell of St. Mary's." Both these pictures played to three time as many people as "Love Affair," "The Awful Truth," and "Ruggles of Red Gap." So I really believe that the majority of film audiences are interested in spiritual values. As I had occasion one night to say: "I thank Bing Crosby and Barry FitzgelaId for their performances and thank God for the subject matter." And I meant that from the bottom of my heart. My latest picture, "Good Sam," is the story of a good samaritan. The underlying theme is "Faith, hope, and charity, and the greatest of these is charity." At the moment I am preparing another film. "Adam and Eve" and I believe that this one, too, will have the kind of story that people want to hear about.

Religion must not be sold short. The United States was founded on a belief in God the Creator. When we reject this principle of Americanism we lay ourselves open to any and all subversive influences which would rob us of our most treasured heritage.

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