ATTACKS ON RELIGION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1417, 18 April 1912, Page 6

ATTACKS ON RELIGION.

THE WAIHI SENSATION

80MK I'UHTlT.rcii PARTICULARS.

Further particulars regarding the at- . tacks on religion in the namo of Labour , or .Socialism at Waihi show that at the annual meeting of the members of , the Waihi Men's Catholic Society, held ! on Sunday morning, indignation was ox- , pressed at the action of the Waihi Miners I and Workers' Union officials in allowing . the Union Hall lo be used by speakers, ; appearing under the name of' Labour or Socialism, to attack religion. It was re- ; solved to be present at the meeting to be held in the hall in the evening, in ; order to refute the attacks made on ro- . ligion, and also lo protest against so many Christian members of the union having ! to allow their hall lo be used for speakers [ to insult their beliefs. , In nceordaneo with this resolution, Archdeacon lirodie was present, at Mr. Way's address, and made his protest, as reported in yesterday'.s Dominion . He demanded an apology from the Miners' Union for Mr. Way's utterances, under threat that if the apology or a satisfactory explanation was not forthcoming, he would at onco proceed with the creation of a separate union, which all workers holding religious beliefs would be invited to join. Statement by Archdeacon Brodie. Asked by an Auckland reporter for his version of what had happened on Sunday evening. Archdeacon Brodio expressed himself as being only too willing to explain the circumstances. It was publicly announced, ho stated, that Mr. Way's Icctnro on Sunday night was to be n reply lo au address recently gjyen bv Archdeacon Hrodie himself before tho 'Catholic Club on the subject of tho execution of I'error. A representative of the Socialist party was amongst those present: at the Archdeacon's lecture, but Mr. Way was absent. Tho Archdeacon, in tho course of his remarks on this particular occasion, refuted tho accusation that the clergy and Church in Spain wero in any way responsible for tho execution of i error. He refrained from attacking any party during the courso of his lecture, Socialist or otherwise, and maintained that Ferrer was hot a Socialist, but an Anarchist. At tho conclusion of the Archdeacon's address, the Socialist representative present complimented tho Archdeacon upon his discourse, and added that the Socialists of. Waihi regularly had lectures given under their auspices, at which members of the Catholic Club would always be welcome. Accordingly explained the Archdeacon, it was decided that tho invitation should be availed of for .Mr. Way's lecture on Sunday night, particularly as it had bo°n announced that Mr. Way was going to reply to the Archdeacon, and was "going to hurt somebody's feelings." jtr. Way commenced his address with an admonition to always study both sides of the question, and then gave an extensive review of the Ferrer case, as ho understood it, introducing a scathing indictment of corruption of Church and State in Spain, and attacking Christianity .in general. "True tor.hip promise," added the Archdeacon, "hi introduced vilification and attack which must have been keenly felt by all those present professing any religious beliefs. When Mr. Wav had completed his address I took tho platform, and commenced by referring to the fact that Mr. Way was presuming to reply to a lecture by myself which ho had not heard, and of which no report had been published. In my address no attack had been made on any section, Protestant or Socialist, as the chairman could testify. Mr. Way had exhorted his hearers to studv ' both sides,-but-strangely enough had kept very closely to one side himself, and that was the side represented by Mr. M'C'abo ' in his pamphlet. In fact, Mr. Way's lcc- i ture had been largely based upon the < statements contained in the M'Caba publication, and tho worth of those state- 1 nicnts had long ago been disproved. Explanation or Apology Demanded.

~ Way had also devoted considerable time to talk about the sale of indulgences, and 1 declared from the platform, on Sunday night that it was clear that Mr. Way (lid not know what an indulgence was"; tlie perusal of a penny catechism would convince the man himself of that fact. 1 also availed myself of the opportunity to reply to his charges that the ignorance ol tho people was due to clerical domination and the immorality of the clergy, buch accusations as these had ken repeatedly disproved by acknowledged writers and authorities. Tho fact that I'opo I ins \ and Cardinal Cassana had bath petitioned for tho reprieve of Ferrer was ample proof that Terror's execution was not a. work of clerical 'intrigue.' "In making these statements to the meeting assembled on Sunday night." continued the Archdeacon, "I received an excellent hearing, I told (hem that I resented and felt keenly the attacks made I hat veiling by the .Socialist party against the beliefs ol all religions sections of tho community. I challenged anyone to prove t.iat I personally had attacked anyone's convictions, Socialist or otherwise, durin" my eleven years' residence in Wailii T reminded the meeting that 1 was present uj invitation, formally expressed, and conveyed by the vice-president of the FocialII "■ fi re,r att «"tion to tho fact J « Jiad been uttered from the platform of the Minors' Union Hall, of which many Christian members were part owners. Yet it was being used on such occasions as these for the purposes ,of directly insulting the religious beliefs of many members. In conclusion, i I said that unless some explanation or apology were given, I was determined to bring about tho formation of a Christian Workers Union in which the members would bo banded together for tho uplifting of tho worker, and in which the members would bo perfectly free from attacks of such a description as had been card,, that evening. There tho matter lest?, concluded tho Archdeacon, "and if the explanation or apology I hare asked or is not forthcoming I shall, not hesitate to act on the lines which I indicated at bunday evening's meeting."

Hibernians' Congratulations, > At the ordinary fortnightly meeting of I the Auckland branch of tho Hibernian 1 Society on Monday evening, at which tho . Rev. I'ather Holbrook (president) was in i the chair, the following resolution was 1 This Branch No. 81 of tlio Ji.A.G.B. Society heartily congratulates the Yenerablo Archdeacon Brodic for tho spirited public protest entered bv him last night, Sunday, April H, at Waihi against the attack made upon the Church § • 'ifK ? oclnnes and practices by a socialist lecturer." The secretary, was instructed to forward the foreffointr resolution to -Archdeacon Brndie. Mr. Way's Version, Mr. R. F. Way, in tlie course of a let-''| torto the Auckland "Star," states—"l quite understand that in ft condensed report it is somewhat difficult to give other than a personal opinion what was said, but your report of my concluding remarks would make it appear I hat tho Cat holies and priests generally wero singled out lor « special attack' on my l'"} 1 - carofill to explain at the out>ef that T was an agnostic and a rationalist; and 1 further explained that history records (he fact I hat when (ho Huguenot mid Protestants were dominant m 1-ranee anil other countries in die middle ages, they oppressed and lortureil the ( alholics, just as bitlerlv as the I Catholics had lorlured lliem. I'lnis showing (hat given absolute power one branch ot theological thought was as intolerant as the oilier." Mr. Way goes on lo deal with the di« ptllcl points regarding (lie death oi'Ferrer, with the object ol' disproving \rchdeacon Brodie's statement thai: Ferrer's execution was not a work of Clerical intrigue. The letter then proceeds-— "Father Brodie Ihrealeiied to withdraw his nienibers from the union. 1 remarked that if tlnjre were member* of the Miners' Union who could be led out or in the union by priest or parson that the sooner they were out of it the better T.abour or reform could expect nothing from men who handed their reason info the hands nf priest or narson."

Mr. Way concludes as follows:—"T am jll n bijtol. Sir. Whether the i'roleslant Hunch "I' Hie Unman Church murder* [a leader of thoujjht,. J',- for mil', will ~n n. demu the. ai'l. I oll'ered (» debale {j,;* i|iu'sli;)ii with Father Hrodir. J| P clincil. Why? I waul. Oie (ruth. ami however unpleasant il may be, 1 shall have til swallow il. I undertake to siv lliat I here is no broad-minded Catholi'c in New Zealand who. I;noxyinsr the Inilli "bout terror, will not. fruiMomn hi< murder l)j. tlw Ckurtk Mid SUtt o£ Suain,-