Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 297, 23 April 1941, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments

(Supplied by the Whakata

HOME DEFENCE

But I'or those who remain in New Zealand the threatening dangers seem as yet remote. We are not yet required to extinguish incendiary bombs, to wear gasmasks, or to rush for protection into underground shelters; 'nevertheless. There is an enemy in our midst, an enemy more .subtle, just as destructive, and in the end, more; deadly in its effects than the bombs and "blitz" of modern warfare. Religious indifference, like a poison gas, is paralysing the life of New Zealand.. P/rental laxity, ay devastating as any Fifth Column activity, is undermining the home life of our country. Are you playing your part as a Christian parent, or does your failure to discharge your full responsibilities as such, leave a dangerous gap in .your home life through which deadly enemies arc pouring in ? We deplore the anti-Christian training of Gorman youth, but many of our own young people are being steadily paganized through the neglectful indifference or easygoing incompetence of their parents. We appeal to you to take your stand in the front line of New Zealand's "Home Guard" of active, intelligent Christian parents. Neither father nor mother can afford to be off duty. Under God, you arc chiefly responsible for your child's physical and spiritual welfare. You arc prepared to Avork your fingers to the bone to provide your child with food and clothing for his body. Are you prepared to exert yourself to feed and nourish his enquiring soul ? There are organisations to help you in this—the Girls' and Boys' Brigades, the Sunday School, the Bible Class and the services of the Church. The services of experienced Christian men and women are made freely available to your child. But —no one can fully take your place. Especially in his early years you are the final authority and the model of right behaviour to your child. Much that is taught and done by outside organisations can be confirmed 01 cancelled out by your example. What kind of example are you setting before your child ? God becomes real to the child who sees Him honoured and obeyed in his own home. God wall be central in the affairs of the nation to the extent that He is central in your home. Neutrality is dangerous; Act now ! The Government of New Zealand has, quite rightly, shown concern for the gaurding of the shores, of New Zealand from the possibility of an enemy attack. A great deal of time, energy and money is being spent on the training and maintenance of the Home Guard. There is, however,, one danger of the future, welfare of New Zealand which is. being greatly neglected, and is, indeed, being fostered.

ne Ministers' Association)

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

Neither the Government itself nor a great many of the peoples seem to realise that the greatest danger to our country is not in the possibility of an invasion by some er-'iuy but the spiritual well-being of the nation. We have been told over and over again that the cause for which our country is fighting is the maintenance of those Christian principles which form the basis of our democratic ideals. What is not realised, however, is the fact that the ideal? cannot be. maintained if the spirit that gives them life is absent. The tragedy of our day is that men give lip service to the ideals, but are not willing to accept the implications which lie behind the ideals. They cannot have the one without the other. The chief sign of this lack of appreciation that the welfare of New Zealand is bound up with the spiritual development of the people is to be seen in the encouragement given by the Government to practices Avhich cut across . Christian, ethical teaching. Perhaps the outstanding example of this is the spread of gambling through the menace of art unions. The Patriotic Fund Board, which could not have acted 'without the permission of the Government, has increased and developed the, so-called Art Unions until they have invaded ever 3- department of life. Gambling, as every clear thinking citizen knows, is a vice which brings in its train other evils even worse than itself, and when these evils are encouraged in the name of patriotism is a virtue, it ought to be encouraged by virtuous means. But it is the very reverse of true patriotism to encourage those acts which lead to the destruction of moral principles. Another act of the Patriotic Fund Board in some districts is to encourage Sund ly entertainments. The sanctity of the Christian sabbath was one of the principles upon which our pioneers built. Within the last twenty years or so, it has been the lot of successive Governments to encourage the breaking of that sanctity in many ways. Now the Patriotic Fund Board is in the naniQ of patriotism increasing that movement away from the Christian Sunday. It is bad enough when men and women as individuals so far forget Avhat they owe .-to their Creator as to break the sanctions Avhich bind them to Him, but the situation beI comes much more desperate when it is developed by the State,, and by those Avhose business it should be to care for the true) welfare of the community. When this is done officially in the name of patriotism, there is reason for great concern as to the future of our countrj r . It is this refusal to Conserve the high principles of its Christian foundations that has made it possible for such a country as Germany to produce a Hitler. There is a Avord of our Lord's which is a warning to communities and to States as Avell as to individuals : "You cannot serve God and Mammon."