An official of the National Conference of Christian and Jews has criticized the “blatant anti-Catholic tone” of remarks made by Gov. Lester Maddox’s pastor who replied to Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan.

The Rev. Bob Hite, interim pastor of North Atlanta Baptist Church, the home church of the governor, said that neither he nor the governor “take our faith from a foreign power.”

The minister said, “Baptists distrust political dictatorships and we likewise distrust hierarchical dictatorships.”

In a speech to the Atlanta Press Club, the archbishop had said he marveled at what “an ambitious preacher or politician” can do with “pesky and trivial” questions.

“My religion as a Catholic regards gambling and drinking, unless they are done excessively and harmfully, as ordinary forms of recreation,” Archbishop Hallinan said.

He said that “rags worn in slums are far worse than the miniskirts allegedly worn in the statehouse.” Although the archbishop did not mention the governor by name, Maddox earlier had issued a memo to his staff banning long hair on men and miniskirts.

Don McEvoy, NCCJ executive director in Atlanta, wrote the Rev. Mr. Hite, saying, “I am distressed at the blatant anti-Catholic tone of your recent reply to Archbishop Hallinan.

“In a free society you certainly have every right to publicly differ with him and engage in open discussion of those issues on which you have varying opinions. In fact, I believe you have an obligation to do so if your individual conscience commands.

“Your response, however, to remarks made by Archbishop Hallinan before the Atlanta Press Club went far beyond the area of responsible public discussion.”

McEvoy said the minister’s remarks were irrelevant to the discussion of the ethical issues. “In choosing, however, to reply to him not on the strength or weakness of his ethical arguments, but rather by an attack on his church, you have done a great disservice to the very cause of religious liberty which you claim to cherish.”

“As a Protestant I am deeply grieved by your myopic attempt to discredit our Catholic citizens by raising once again the old canard of divided loyalty. I hope that Governor Maddox will see fit to publicly disassociate himself from your appeal to naïvitism on his behalf.”