CHURCH ATTITUDE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 127, 1 June 1942, Page 6

CHURCH ATTITUDE

VISITING TROOPS SUNDAY ENTERTAINMENT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Sunday. A statement issued by the Wellington Inter-Church Council on Public Affairs says: "The churches will join warmly in welcoming officers and men who come to us from overseas and will do their utmost to co-oper-ate in providing hospitality for those on leave. With regard to entertainment facilities on Sundays, courtesy demands that we should do all we can to enable visitors to follow the way of life to which they are accustomed. At the same time it will be conceded that courtesy demands that they should allow us to follow the way of life to which we are accustomed. There should, therefore. be no call for a sudden alteration in our practice of Sunday observance so far as our own citizens are concerned.

"The council Is of opinion that, without commercialing them or making them open to public entertainment, facilities for men of the forces, with the exception of public dances, could and should be provided on Sundays. It, therefore, suggests that, to meet the wishes of visitors from overseas, provision might be made for the opening of picture theatres and the organising of suitable concerts, such as could be arranged outside the regular hours of church worship. Admission could be limited to members of the forces and, say, two friends.

"Council is also of the opinion that public play areas should be made available on Sunday afternoons for the use of visitors. Council calls on churches to do their utmost to secure that as many men as possible find a friendly welcome into the homes of our people. It has been proved that such contacts are of inestimable worth in improving relationships between nations."