CHURCH AND LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 507, 14 May 1909, Page 5

CHURCH AND LABOUR

. MR. FISHER'S VIEWS. . . ' (DI TBLEOBArB—FEBSS A'sSOCIATIONT-COPrBIOHT.) !'. ■'";',' ..'■;'. .Sydney; May 13. , Mr, Fisher, Federal Prime Minister, referring to his reception'.in'the, Presbyterian Assembly,' said there wero signs of the times ! that pointed, to the: Churches aB a whole ;bringing' their influence to bear in improv-, ing the lot of the/masses. ~'-'■. ' ' '■'■.' THE FEDERAL PRIME MINISTER ANSWERED. .:■ "NOT TO BE DRAGOONED." ; (or TBDEGRArn—rKEsa i association.) ,■■'_.. ~'",., Duncdln, May 13. Leading lights of the various churches were seen this morning by a "Star" reporter with rospect to the statement made at Sydney by the Federal Prime Minister (Mr. Fisher).' , . ' ' ,' , The Primate (Dr. Neville) said that had the Commonwealth Premier' consulted the Anglican Church Year-book he would hare seen' not only a' long list of institutions for grappling with social problems, but also might have discovered that last year alone the Anglican; Church raised over eight millions by voluntary contributions for' educational and benevolent purposes, a.large proportion of which went towards the remedying- of social evils. The Dunedin diocese, though, a poor one, supports both clergy and women workers exclusively to visit the hospitals and gaols and' grapple with social .evils. ■■('■... '. ■> ■ ; -.'.■•'■■•■■. •.•■The Rev. P. W. Fairclough'(Methodist) thinks the Presbyterian Assembly-.owes an anology to■,the for''.. giving Mr? Jisher a platform from .which, to deliver his canting nonsense. Men of his'kidney aro known to bo as much against tho Church as they aro against tho Empire. He 'considers there is more cant to the square inoh in Labour'talk about the churches than in any other department. Tho Church is not organised for political,purposes, and' could not> load in the. social question in the way the ■ Labour party concoives, without beinc political; but the Church can, and does, cnN tivato pure life, and humane feelings and sympathies. These are the true'sources of all social reforms. Tho churches:'nro not at all likely to bo dragooned into subserviency by stupid abuse, poured on them by Fishers, and Tilletts, and the like. • . ■ ' . " ■ ■ Drl iWnddellj.of St: Andrew's Church, admits •/that the Church ought never:to havo allowed a too active Government to look after her poor or destitute, children, but his experieuco of all these social questions is that political and. social legislation falls to tho ground unless backed up by tho religious reform, of individuals. Tho Church is tho dynamio forco.at.tho back of the Stato. ■ ; ■ "AN ENTIRELY WRONG VIEW." (Dt TKnEORApn-SrECIAI. COUItESPoNDENT.) m>. t, ' •„, W Auokland, May 13. ; The Rev. .W.. Gray Dixon, a prominent Presbj-tenau ministor in Auckland, speaking in.reference to the. remarks of the' Federal I Premier as to tho.Church':'and its duties, said that Mr. l'isher took an entirelv wrong jview.' Ho seemed to think that the Church's duty was to provide bread for the starving and m other ways contribute to the material well-being of the. people. Tho Church had done this, but in supposing this to be the primary duty of the Church, Mr. Fisher had made the same mistake as Mr. Blatehford. This was the view of the Church's duty that Christ rejected in His first temptation when Ho refused to turn stones into bread. The first duty, of ,tho Church.' was to preach' Christianity, and in doing this sbo imbued her members with the working principle' •which found its expression in'political and social efforts for tho wcllboing of mankind. The Church was in the world, not to preach equality, liberty, and fraternity, but to preach "righteousness, neaco, and joy. in the' spirit." "To advocate that tho Church should become a political organisation, that ■ it should, for instance, identify itself with the Tlahour party is quite wrong," said Mr. Dixon. "To do so would be to assumo that the Church is only for tho poor man, whereas she has a'duty to. all mon, to the rich as well as tho poor." • >