THE UNITARIAN CHURCH AND ENLISTMENT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 31, 31 October 1917, Page 6

THE UNITARIAN CHURCH AND ENLISTMENT

Sir,—ln his letter on "The Unitarian Church and Enlistment," which appeared in Saturday's Dominion, "Unitarian is not fair to Mr. Isitt He does not give a fair statement of what actually occurred. It appears that the authorities of the Unitarian Church have informed the Minister of Defence that their ministers have no desire to be exempted from military service. Misled by this assumption of superior patriotism, the Minister of Defence went out of his way to belaud the Unitarians, and to hold them up as an example of others. Mr. Statham asked the Minister if he meant to imply that the other churches were not- patriotic. Sir James Allen said he did not desire to convey that impression; but Mr. Statham rightly held that no other inference could be drawn from the Minister's remark. Later on Mr. Isitt produced statistics to show that only 2.96 per cent, of tha Unitarian population of the Dominion had enlisted up to and including the Twenty-fifth Keinforcenients. whereas the Anglicans had sent 7.95 per cent., the Presbyterians 7 per.' cent., the Kouian Catholics 6.2 per cent., and the Methodists 5.24 per cent. As regards the Unitarian clergy, I believe that there are only three—or at most four—in New Zealand, and that not one of them has so far gone to the front as a ohaplain, or in the ambulance corps,or in any other capacity. Ido not know how many clorgy the other churches have sent to the front. I only know that the Anglican Bishop of Auckland recently stated that from his diocese alone sixteen clergy have gone, and I believe that the Presbyterians, Eoman Catholics, Methodists, and other churches have pro- , vided their quota of chaplains. Only the other day news was received that one of the Anglican chaplains sent with our men had been killed iu action, and that two others had been wounded in the same Battle. One Presbyterian and one Roman Catholic chaplain have made the supreme sacrifice, and a Methodist chaplain has lost a limb. ■ Five Anglican chaplains have returned to New Zealand invalided being declared unfit for further service. In view of these facts it was entirely right and proper that Mr. Statham and Mr. Isitt should have raised a protest when the Minister of Defence singled, out the Unitarians for special praise. The Minister declared that the Unitarians were a combatant church, and that it was the comfcatant Churoh that would win through. Official statistics provided by his own. Department ehow that this "combatant" Clraroh was represented at the front by only 2.96 per cent, of its total number, and ''Unitarian ,, ., knocks the Minister's statement to pieces by explaining that the vast majority of the members of the Unitarian Church "are elderly or middle-aged people." This explanation makes the Minister's r&; marks about the' special combatancy of the Unitarian Church look very foolish. "Unitarian's" reference to the Unitarian Church as a Church "of developed minds" is not likely to hurt anyone's feelings. It is merely an amusing exhibition of sinug self-satisfaction. "0 Lord, give us a good conceit of ourselves" might well be the prayer of such "superior persons." Bnt the Unitarian Church really., ought not to claim -to be doins more to win the war than those churches which are Wesced'with young people, and whose young men have gone to the front in thousands to fight for those "middleaged people of developed minds," who (as "Unitarian" tells us) form the vast majority of the members of the Unitarian Church.—l am, etc., . ANGLICAN LAYMAN. October 27.