Religion: No Miserable Sinners

Parishioners of St. Michael and All Angels’ Protestant Episcopal Church, in Berwyn, Chicago suburb, last week, went to the church house for dancing lessons started by the rector’s wife. She is Dorothy Deuel, famed in Broadway musical shows, before her marriage a year ago to Rev. Henry Scott Rubel, as one of a featured sister dancing team. She hopes, she said, to be able to add to the parish funds through her classes.

The miserere in the Episcopalian litany used to read, “Have mercy upon us, miserable sinners.” .But the phrase “miserable sinners” has been cut out. Other similar changes have indicated that Episcopalians feel that Christians have been exaggerating their own sinfulness.