Letters, Oct. 7, 1946

Gastropod? Pal!

Sirs:

Under the title-heading of "Compleat Conchophilist" [TIME, Sept. 16], I am happy to find that others enjoy and appreciate as much as I the joy, interest and advantages of "snail-watching," but regret the sense of levity with which you handled the subject.

I am an industrial and management engineer and have, for many years, made it a practice to study and enjoy the movements of the Helicidae when confronted with a knotty problem in original research which would not work itself out with just logical and scientific thinking—and thus required creative thinking or inspiration.

As opposed to the general concept of a snail's life and locomotion . . . I have found that the snail is in actuality a fast-moving animal in relation to his sphere and the relativity of distances. . . . Considering the great heights to which he can lay his track, the rough terrain over which he can glide, the obstacles which he tackles and surmounts . . . . the tenacity of purpose in achieving his goal, and a total lack of the all-too-human traits of indirection and lassitude—the snail is to be considered among the higher of the living animals.

After early-morning or early-evening studies of this gastropod friend, I have many times returned to my study and my problem, refreshed and free from the fogs of unrelieved cogitation and too intense research. . . .

M. V. M. GODDARD

San Francisco

Christian Unify

Sirs:

Your quote from Christian Century [TIME, Sept. 16] gives readers a distorted impression of the Episcopal position in regard to church unity.

It is the conviction of many of us that the Episcopal Church is in itself only a part of a far greater body of Christians, the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ. . . . The Catholic Church is not divided but within the Church are tragic schisms.

The persistence of pan-Protestants in regarding only those of the Roman obedience as Catholic Christians is unfortunate. The Orthodox, Eastern, Old Catholic and Anglican Churches are all communions within the Catholic Church. . . .

True union means not the "virtual absorption of all other Christians into the Episcopal Church" but the return of all Christians to the faith and practice of the Apostolic Church.

STANLEY T. EDDISON

Albany

Sirs:

In commenting upon the proposal for union between the Episcopal and Presbyterian Churches in the United States, TIME'S religion editor might well ponder upon the difference between mating (which produces merely offspring) and marriage in the Christian sense (which produces a family), and better understand the justifiable caution with which many in both churches approach the issue.

ROBERT R. SPEARS JR.

Mayville, N.Y.

Little Joe

Sirs:

Psychologist Joseph Banks Rhine's PK crap-shooting [TIME, Aug. 19] has made more than a few of the veteran crapshooters here smile.

Psychokinesis (no doubt his trade name for a hunch) is a—little inane, a great deal beyond ordinary, garden variety crapshooting. Miss Dale's figures showing 171 hits better than pure chance out of 31,104 rolls, rather than proving PK, could just as well be 171 hits worse than pure chance.