"A DAY OF HUMILIATION"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 49, 22 November 1918, Page 5

"A DAY OF HUMILIATION"

Sir,—l should be pleased if you would publish a few words, in reply to "Believe" in his headed "A Day for Humiliation." I think he must be overlooking the Work which is being dono in such a noble and unselfish spirit, not only by doctors and nurse 3, but, by so many others who know very well what risks they are running. .They have no time for the many pleasures and vices mentioned in "Believe's" letter. Nor do they want them; they have suffered and are still suffering tie ravages of influenza as much as anyone. If "Believe" is referring'to his own circle of acquaint•anccs, I think lie is making a mistake in publishing their deeds abroad. As for meeting together for a day of. humiliation, that is just what must be avoided at present, especially as. prayer in solitude is quite as eflicacious as in public. There should be as few meetings together as possible until this dreadful epidemic has been stamped out—l am, etc.,

_ Sir.—Truly the way of the fanatic f ,is foolish. ' Even in the old Bible (lays there have never been wanting those who would havo ns believe that the time for repentance had come, and yet the people have never seemed convinced. All the trainings at the mouth of the old HebrewProphets are deservedly forgotten, and any reader of the Bible (with or without the key which Shaw says that Ibsen's works furnish _to it) cannot but be wearied by their purposeless passion and inveterate invective. Your correspondents, "Believe" and " Ropentance," remind one of those who contended that there, could bo no infection from the chalice cup passed from mouth to mouth Sacraments in the Church of England because it was a ilioly vessel. Keligion (and this is the view of tho materialist) does not enter into epidemics. There are always those who see in natural events what they are pleased to term manifestations of the Divine will. How far these peoplo have, in .their blind superstition, been responsible for wars and epidemics in tho past, how far (hey and their bloodthirsty creed of the inverted message of Christianity will be responsible for wars and epidemics in the future, I am not prepared to discuss. Let it fiuflico to say that humiliation does not lull germs while formalin does.—l am, etc,, C.Q.P. November 21.