OUR BOYS AND THE CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2812, 1 July 1916, Page 11

OUR BOYS AND THE CHURCH

Sir,—ls the Church absolutely indifferent to the fact that thousands of our young men are leaving our shores caclj month from Wellington, to risk their lives for thoso who stay behind; or is she, as usual, asleep? My experience in your City on the day beforo 'he departure of the Fourteenth Reiuforeements seems to point to one of these cnclu-. sions. .1 attended at two of. (lie City churches. 011 that -day with 0110 of tho lads who was. leaving, next day; /but although ini.eacli church there was a fair sprinkling of khaki, and err boys and their relatives wero naturally hoping for some message appropriate to the solemn occasion of a last service with those about to depart, tho sermons in

both cases could not possibly iiavo teen more (hopelessly inappropriate j and but for tho iact that tho rest of the sirvico at one of tho churches has been stereotyped' by 'those who have, evinced n-oro thouglittul caro iu its preparation than those othors responsible for its dflivery, there would have boeu nothing more than ft mere passing referenco to tho departure 'of the At ono church we were lectured oil the importance of foreign missions, and an impassioned appeal was made to make up a Miserable deficiency of Jj-10 which had been ttcci-mu-l.ating for a year. At tho other, a homily 011 tho subject of "education," and tho importance of Sunday schools, was delivered. Surely those in authority 111 the churches are sufficiently awuke to bo aware of the departure of cur boys. Possibly so many. Reinforcements havo left that they are gotling indifferent, or possibly 'their little parochial difficulties ovc» .£4O deficiencies and the lack of school teachers completely obscure all other matters, however important; It isevident that tho departure 'of ilha troops has been practically ignored, t'«r there was not a single advertisement of any 'mooting or service specially veforring to the subject. Relatives of the "boys" were in Wellington in larco nunVbeie for the send-off, and might reasonably ii<we expected the Church to notico the Matter] However, they, were, 110 doubt, liko myself, disappointed. What is the matter with the Church f—l am, etc., .H.E.LAWRENCE. Stratford, Juno 27, 1!)16. [For the information of our correspondent and others, wo may state that 110 advertisement or nows item 1 elating to the departure of troops is allowed to be published in the Press of the Dominion.. This is considered, a necessary jjrecaution by the military authorities.]