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Otago Daily Times, Issue 19472, 6 May 1925, Page 5

THE CHURCH AND CHURCH-GOING* TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— Referring to your leading article on Church and Church attendance, a word of criticism destructive and perhaps constructive from a modern young man might; be' worth the stating. Assuming so, may I state my failure to now attend Church is due to following reasons: — The 1914-1918 war, the struggle with the liquor traffic, and many other modern occurrences have thrown an unusually clear light on the power of wealth as a widespread, far-reaching, and organised power i» modern human society and life generally. That man who would give the law of God to-day, therefore, to be reasonably independent of this power, must be apparently either a martyr straight out or a man with financial means rendering him independent of popularity or unpopularity, and mast, of all things, not be a man with a station and position in society to keep up, and slender financial means on which t<* keep it up. The modern religious leader ia surely exactly what I say he should no® be. Hence, I refuse his leadership absolute! v. Then, again, take your average community outside of the four large cities of New Zealand. There the average young man ia left for the six days of the week to drift) to the hotel or billiard saloons or other places for congenial society or company* The churches are open only occasionally and their main work is that of the weekly service—what appears to the young man to be largely useless talk. Such service* have an appeal, no doubt, to a young man of a certain type of mind, but to that typo only. To’ the average young man they appear not “worth while.” To cater for' his activities during the week would probably result in better results than to talk to him once a week—if ho will come to he talked to! These appear to me to be the two pomtg the churches will have to face if they wish to retain the respect- and confidence of the modern young man. I write as an active church worker before the war, and 4 non-atteuder at church since the war.—l am* etc., Sincerity.