THE CHURCH AND WAR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20039, 11 September 1939, Page 3

THE CHURCH AND WAR

REASONS FOR ATTITUDE ADDRESS !•»V BISHOP Reasons why “the church does not take a more definite stand against war” was the subject of an address by the Rt. Rev. J. S. Moyes, Bishop of Armidale, in the Cathedral in Christchurch.

“The church is not just the clergy, but is a body containing all sorts of men and women,” the bishop said. “It has never had a single mind on any question in history except after long years, because its members vary so much in outlook and ideas. The bishops of the Church of England have stated and believe that war is an uij-Christion way of settling international disputes, and have urged arbitration and conciliation in its place.

“When we talk of peace what do we mean” lie asked. “Peace means justice and harmony—a positive friendship to the level of which the nations have not yet come. Until the majority develop this attitude to each other evil men will cause wars. We must realise that hunger and reed, the disease following those, cause as many deaths as war does', and until we face these evils and seek justice we cannot have peace.” Merely to refuse to fight while doing nothing else was negative, and makes no contribution to peace. Indeed it helped the aggressor who was trying to win his wav by force, and to be judge in his own cause, which was the real evil of war. The contribution which especially Christians could make to-day was to preserve a love of others and the determination that whatever happened they would seek justice and love for others in their homes and -their nations, and even for their enemies. »

Answering the question of whether right triumphed, the Bishop said that in the long run it did. “God dees work out a purpose of good in history, and what is evil and selfish does fail in lime," he continued, “though at. the moment and on a short view evil often triumphs.”

“Why does not God slop war?’ he asked. “God docs not stop evil except through us. He allows evil mer to have their way into evil. God does not stop the crucifixion, but He raises Jesus from the dead and makes His cross a way of salvation.”