Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 44, 24 April 1942, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments

f Supplied by the Whakat BATTLE OF THE HOME FRONT A. (reading the paper): "I see. the Archbishop of Canterbury is resigning so that a younger man may plan reconstruction alter the war." 8.-: "1 don't think thai religion has any real influence in politics ov economics. They \vi!i be our biggest problems." A.: '"lint even economic systems depend on character. Gangsters would always wre_'k a 'democracy." C.: "Anyway B is wrong. Religion lias a powerful direct effect. You remember how Green the historian said that John Wesley saved England from a revolution. In France at the same period the lack of it brought anarchy and bloodshed." 13.: "Well, that may be so. But what can the Church do to-day?" A.: "The hrs't task is to: give the millfons( a sense of responsibility to God and brotherhood to man. The Christian Church tackles that every generation. Sometimes a whole generation or a whole nation refuses to listen and then as now we get chaos" C.: "There is another point. You remember how St. Augustine wrote his greatest book, the 'City of God,' while the Huns Averc hammering at [he Gates of Rome."

B. "So what?" C.c "Well, that book shaped the a(Tairs of Europe for nearly 1000 fears. You see Christians may do as much by thinking" as by doing when tilings go wrong." B.: "I agree with you there. Karl Marx's influence is not through his actions but through his book 'Das Kapital.' I think Marx was right when he held that religion was unnecessary." A.: "Now you're hedging. It is impossible to get rid of religion. Man is created with the urge to worship. No tribe has ever been discovered which had 110 religion." C.: "Germany threw out God and took in Hitler. They put out ' the Bible and took in Mein Kampf." B.: "I admit the Devil seems to be as large as life again in Europe. J.'t would seem that a spiritual vacuum is impossible." C.: "He's not asleep in New Zealand either. Do you know that our liquor bill since the war began is enough to pay for three new battleships?" B.: "You win. The facts fit your case. I had not thought about it carefully before." A.: "I think it's up to us to stop being neutral in the biggest and longest fight of all—the battle against evil. If we don't we will betrav our children." (And then they all went home to think.) WORLD CONFERENCE OF FAITH AND ORDER What prompted this simultaneous campaign of the Churches in "New Zealand? We can trace the inspiration back to the great Conference on Faith and Order which was held fit Edinburgh in 1937. There the :

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

nj Miiiist ers' Association). World Church of Churches Avas born. Of this Council our own Church in New Zealand is a member. We had delegates present at the Conference. So had other Churches, O'lle of the Anglican delegates Avas the present Archbishop of New Zealand who brought back Avith him great conceptions and hopes. NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES IN N.Z.

Under his leadership a New Zealand counterpart of the World Council has been formed; the National Council of Churches in Ncav Zealand. This marks a new stage in the Church life of our country and the members hope that it may be instrumental in making it much more easy for the Christian Church to speak to the nation than has hitherto been possible. THE CAMPAIGN On the agenda of the Council meetings there appeared very early a project for furthering this very purpose. The Churches haA'e much more In common, than the public might think. The most important things ">f the Faith are their common task nnd concern. Accordingly it 'Seemed prooer, and indeed necessary, that they should address themselA'es, all together in their various Avays, to the people of NeAv Zealand. The discussion ofhhoAr\ r it might be done and what should be said resulted in the inauguration of the National Campaign for Christian Order 1942, Avith the result that plans are noAV Avell in hand in the Presbyterian Church whereby Ave can play our part in this common AA T itness to the nation. —J.M.B. WINSTON CHURCHILL "Let us therefore do our duty and so bear ourselves that if the British Commonwealth and Empire lasts, a thousand years, men Avill still say, 'This was their finest hour'.' PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

> "Will our children wander oil . goose-stepping in search of new gods? . . . We reassert our abiding , faith in the vitality of our constitutional Republic as the perpetual home of freedom, and and devotion to the Word of God.'" OUR PRIME MINISTER TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY I "The immediate future is full of uncertainties, but faith in the ultimate triumph of righteousness strengthens our souls . .