Should religious bodies and their organizations do business with firms that discriminate?

This question was posed last week to representatives of Atlanta’s religious groups at a meeting at the Cathedral Center by Thomas H. Gibbons Jr. of Chicago, national director of Project Equality.

“We hope to launch Project Equality in the South. We think there is a need for an affirmative signal to show that you are interested in fair employment practices,” Gibbons told the group. “Something more than statements are needed.” He said Project Equality was formed to battle employment discrimination. “It is a program to eliminate artificial barriers, to try to motivate businesses and unions to promote fair employment.”

Bishop Joseph L. Bernardin, administrator was named temporary chairman of an ad-hoc committee. The committee is to prepare the groundwork for the program. It will meet May 23 to select co-chairmen and a secretary.

Gibbons said a little more than one-third of all hospital beds are in hospitals under religious auspices. “Churches and synagogues are big employers and it’s hard to preach a good sermon if you don’t follow it. Most denominations have approved statements against discrimination, but they had been hard to put into practice.”

He said Project Equality tries to use information and education to sell the program. “We seek a meaningful commitment from a bishop or a church’s ruling body. It takes time to implement the program.” “How do you know you can change the outlook?” Gibbons asked. “We say there is a mission to try. You won’t see the real results for two or three years, but when you’re preaching you don’t stop after you’ve been at a church for a year.” Project Equality was announced in 1964 by the National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice. The program has been supported by inter-religious cooperation.

In a report in June 1967, Gibbons said that two Roman Catholic archdioceses were members. “Now there are more than 130 religious bodies in it including 25 dioceses, 60 Protestant groups, 20 Jewish bodies, the Unitarians, the Eastern Orthodox.”