Religion: Too Much Peace?

Brush-haired, 33-year-old Episcopal Minister Robert M. Muir found himself last week just where it seemed he wanted to be—in boiling hot water. A long-time propagandist against the cold war, he had been fired as temporary pastor of two churches in Quincy, Mass. (Christ Church and St. Chrysostom's) for preaching straight down the Communist line.

Young Pastor Muir first got in trouble with his parishioners by signing the Communist-sponsored Stockholm Peace Appeal against the use of atomic weapons (TIME, July 24). Then he began sounding off from the pulpit against "national idolatry" and "my-country-right-or-wrong" patriotism. By last week both congregations had had enough, but the Rev. Robert Muir had no intention of changing his ways. "I preach the Gospel as I see it," he said cheerfully. "We need to mobilize for peace, not war."