Dogma is Dead.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 August 1913, Page 2

Dogma is Dead.

But Religion Survives.

LECTURE BY MK G. M THOMSON, M.P.

Mr G. M. Thomson, M.1 , ., addressed the public of Levin last night, under auspices of the local branch of the Y.M.C.A. The Key. A. C. Kanderson presided. In introducing.Hie'speaker of the evening, Mr liariderson said the honour waa Levin's in having Mr Thomson amongst them. Mr Thomson began his lecture by saying that he had' selected the subject of his address ("Modern Tendencies and Developments") because he felt that in addressing an audience >n a Y.M.C.A. some subject touching upon social and religious work would be appropriate. It was in his work as an elder of the Presbyterian Church, in Dunedin, that he first became seized of the importance of this subject. He was struck, he sa'd, by the democratic nature of his church---he believed all the evangelical churches were so and that, he took if, was the right spirit. In his own church they had some of the leading merchants of Dunedin amongst the elders: alse they had, or did have, a h'slimoiifi,!'],, a janitor of a school, and i\v<> blacksmiths all meeting 1 on terms of equality; and all gentlemen. Mr Thomson went on to speak of the ITLIFT OF THE MASSES

tlirough education and the higher plane that had been reached in respect to literature, decorations, and other artistic pursuits. . He compared the ordinary working man's home of forty years ago with the much-improved conditions obtaining to-day, and incidentally referred to one working family he knew in Dunedin, wherein the girls had such accomplishments as reading French and playing the piano, as well as the ability and tho need to ciirn their own living. Mr Thomson c;::v----pared the working conditions of his boyhood (with working days of 10, 11 or 12 hours) with the much shorter periods worked to-day. Thirty years ago short could not be followed as it was to-day. Working men could not find time for it then. Now every young fellow played it, and it was a good thing too, provided it was not allowed to subordinate more important duties. Golf and bowls were other games that had come to the front in recant times filtered into the mass of the people. "With this spread of frames and the diminution in the hours of the workers ha;l come in a great evil that of gambling. An enormous increase had taken place since thirty years ago ; to-day he was staggered when he found the prevalence of it in circles where ho had thought it would be left alone. TTe spoke, h: v said, of the GAMBLING

that consisted in trying to make money in ways that could be successful only at the expense of somebody else,, and in which the gain would not be the result of the gainer's work. Such gambling as tin's was a detriment to movements for uplifting humanity. Touching another aspect of modern changes, Mi , Thomson said he remembered the scare caused amons'st the gas companies when electric light h'rsi came in. The wonderful X rays discovery was another recent benefit. Just a few years, before it was discovered the doctors decided that a patient 'in a southern town of New Zealand was suffering from cancer, and they look oil' one of his feet. Then they found that the trouble was caused by a bullet embedded in the foot. By the use of the X rays such ■ a discovery could be made without interfering with the foot. To-day the improved bicycle, the motor car, and the aviator's machine were altering the life and the pursuits of man. Improvements in

THE MICROSCOPE and other instruments had made astounding changes in the possibilities of surgical operations, and doctors used the knife with aetonishing freedom and accuracy. knowing the extraordinary r'eouperativeness of the human body - but until very recent years they could not have attempted, even, what they did now with an astonishing degree of success. Diphtheria, yellow fever, and cholera were diseases that had ceased to lie the terrible source of dread that they used to be; they existed still, but they could be conquered. After rpferonc.es to the uplifting influences of Carlyle and Ihiskin and Moiris as writers, and Burne•Tones, Dante Gabriel Rosctti, and TTolmnn Hunt as painters, the lecturer said thai their works on behalf of art had effected little in regard to dress. If the Indies ho was addressing would excuse him for saying so, he would (ell them that in-regard to colour and dress fashions the ladies to-day, he thought, had reached "the limit," i even in comparison with such bygone fashions as the crinoline. Elaborating his references to colours, Mr Thomson said that today probably there were about one thousand shades known. These and other changes had caused a great change'in the employment avenues and the callings of the people. Everything was changing There had been n general awakening in the minds of pooplo- and.it dated back to 1859,

when Darwin brought out his great work on "The Origin of Species." It was not till sonic twenty years afterwards, when the influence of -

DARWIN'S VIEWS, ■ ami his spirit, of simple inquiry into organic, life had spread, when it ceased to he regarded as anath ema to be a believer in evolution. To-day the clergyman who was not an evolutionist probably was behind the times. We were not much nearer ascertainment of tlie facts to-day than wo were thirty or forty years ago; but we had learnt that the world the univcrsG —hnd reached its present stage by slow processes and not by instantaneous development. Dogma, in short, had lost ii s binding force. The great Church of "Rome and the High Chureb Party of Ihe Church of Encrlnml had felt impelled to hind themselves to the DOCTRINES OF INFALLIBILITY;

oiio in itsjiead, (lie other in its ritual. Tin's was done to cope with the growlli of (he hix spirit amongst people generally. *»e believed that in the, hearts of people there still was a belief in religion, but so far as it influenced the lives of people he was afraid its influence had waned. Yet the freedom from religious dogma had made possible the Salvation Arniv

that vast social power for good

- and also tho Young Men's Christian Association. ft was tied to no church, though its members, to have votes, must belong to some chinch or other.

In concluding his address, Mr Thmson spoke of (lie advantages available to people who were desirous of educating iheinselves: so long as they were firmly resolved upon it, and prepared to work hard for if. In regard to religious belief, wo were thrown back to-day upon ilie very fundamentals of our religion. Dogma was likely to be departed from more, and more:.he believed ihai the whole trend of thought would be to jnduoo people to live up to the prineiple of Christian life laid down BY ITS CHIEF. Tliu pursuit of Buddhism, Thoosopby, and other wills-o'-tlie-wisp after which people ran would be of small oi , no avail; the Great Guide would be and would have to bo Jesus of Nazareth. On the motioiKof Mi- T. G. Vincent, seconded by 31 r .James Prouse, a very hearty vote til! (hanks was aecmled to Mr Thomson for his address.