CHRISTIAN v. SECULAR SOCIALISM.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 955, 24 October 1910, Page 8

CHRISTIAN v. SECULAR SOCIALISM.

. .AN AUCKLAND ' MASS MEETING. ; (By Telegraph,—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, October 22. , The mass meeting of. men, preliminary to the, meeting of the Anglican Diocesan Synod, was tho occasion of a passage-of-arras, friendly, but none the less. keen, between secular socialism, as represented by Mr. Scott Bennett and Christian Socialism, as represented by Mr. Joe Harris, from England. The Choral Hall, oiio of the largest halls in the city, was crowded. , .Mr. . Harris said he was a .working man, having worked thirteen years of, his'life as • a coal miner. Ho was a member of the Independent Labour party and a socialist, and he was also a member" of the Christian' Socialist Society'. Socialism without Christianity, •, he contended, was organised selfishness. (Bissent and applause.) Mr. Harris. said that a man had once said to him that ho was a Christian before he was . a They could put it that way if they liked, but ho was a Socialist before he was a church man, and ho was a thousand times • greater a Socialist' since ho became a church mail. If they set out to be Socialists it itas character that mattered. Let; them set an example of love to their neighbours. It was such love that wail going on' to raise Labour, to its proper place. "If we want people to be unselfish; aud pure," the. speaker continued, "we must be unselfisli ,and s pure ' ourselves, ' and nothing can make us so but the love of Jesus Christ.", The Church had been charged .with being against the working classes. (A voice: "So it has!") The, Church, he maintained, had been tlie first to educate theni, the Church had been ■ tho first. to start hospitals, ' and the Church' had kept Sunday sacred.' In conclusion, tho speaker said that everything camo biieK on character. What was wanted in the Labour movement was the inspiration of Jesus Christ.' The Church ought to get into the movement, and give it just the inspiration it" needed.' ' (Applause.) Canon Tnpper Carey thought one of the causes, why working men did not. go to church was that tho clergy were thought to 'bo stuck-up, starchy, and proud. He could' assure those present that they were not so. If a clergyman would only say, "Good morning, or "Good evening" to every working man he met in', the street, he would. meet \vith ' the best possible results. (Applause.).. Mr. Scott Bennett took exception to tho remarks that hospitals were inaugurated .by the Catholic Church. He understood that such institutions were in existence long before the Church started. Tho working man had. nothing to thank the Church for. Education as .we had it to-day, said the speaker, \vas the result of .the rationalistic movement. It was not . because the clergy were, ioo starchy that the majority of the working men remained outside the - Church. It was because the working men were not convinced that the Church's creed was sound. . (Applause.) The speaker .then went on to combat tho statement ■that "socialism" without Christianity was "organised selfishness." He said, "Despite your bishops, despite your churches, we have shown to the people ,to-day that the Socialist's mission is a .'gospel of , humanity. (Applause.) We can boast not only of our numerical but also of our intellectual strength." The day of the Church, added Mr. Bennett, was done. The working man did not want its sympathy, nor its blessing. The speaker then gave his conception of Socialism and its . ideals, maintaining that drink, gambling, and impurity were theresult of the prevailing social sys-" tern. In conclusion he said the working man had begun to think, and would soon begin to act. (Applause.) . A short address was then given by the Rev. K. "W. P. Teale, who confined his remarks chiefly to the great work the Church was doing and had done in tho cause of humanity. The Commissary, in a characteristic speech, referred to the fairness with which Air. Scott Bennett had put his 6ide of the question and the latter then proposed a vote of thanks to his "friend and antagonist the chairman..