RECONSTRUCTION

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 257, 10 November 1939, Page 4

RECONSTRUCTION

By, Ilev. O. -Gr. G. .Salt. This war is different from any other war that we have known, mainly because of its apparent inactivity. And whilst we wait for news,- it is only natural that, our thoughts turn to tho future, We wonder what will be the outcome, of the titapic struggle. There never was a war in which it was made so, plain to us that we are not fighting for any material-gain, but for spiritual values. Wo may well ask oursteives, What spiritual values and social principles are we going to try to establish when the war is over? '* This war is ostensibly one of tho Democracies against Dictatorships! But* lurking behind these two forces there is the black shufjpw of Soviet Ilussia, {ipparen.tly waiting to devour whatever .she can get from either side. And Soviet liussia, although she may appear to tis as a v Dictators}) ip, professes to hate dictatorship and to be Communistic. She would like to pose as tho middle course, as the fulcrum of the scales, hplding a balance between democracy and dictatorship. And yet we, who see many of the weaknesses of democracy, and hate' tlie tyranny of dictatorship, also regard Sovietism with an inward horror. For it is avowedly openly holstile to Christianity. We cannot view this war as a mere struggle between two opposites; nor can we regard is as a

triangular affair. We must see it as a “Square ill which democracy occupies the corner opposite dictatorship, and Russia, occupies the corner opposite Christianity. Sovietism is unthinkable to us, n/j matter what its .social ideals may be, because it is utterly and ruthlessly -nn-Oliristian. Both Democracy and Dictatorship are nearer to, us than. Sovietism. In our thoughts or reconstruction we must regard all three od: these ideologies, and! try to see what needs eliminating from e'ach t,oi make it Christian. Sovietism, one supposes, must have some good points; but so long as it is avowedly anti-Christian, we need not consider it for long. Its anti-Christ-ianity is enough to condemn it in so far as wo know it would be hopeless to reconstruct. Sovietism until its very foundations were utterly changed. Dictatorships are almost as readily disposed, of, especially any that exalts the state to the place of Cod'. For it seems to us that even given the wisest and most humane of Dictators, there is no hope for a world composed .of states each one with its own God, or regarding itself as superior toi others. There can only be hope in a world in which ~ peoples of all States regard the people of other States as being at least as human and res-pect-worthy as themselves. And besides this, dictatorship takes from individuals their freedom. Carried to its logical conclusion, dictatorship means that the people of the State become mere cogs in a wheel. If the Dictatorship dJoes succeed in gaining

absolute control, he can only do so by robbing the people of; all moral responsibility. They become mere cattle, to be shifted from one paddock to another as their master thinks fit. The alternative, the opposite corner -in our square, is Democracy. And speaking. 'candidßy, one can see little hope for democracy, as it is at present . Ip our own country democracy Inis been carried to the point of absurdity where Rill FI atf pot is allowed to believe that his opinion backed by a standard V education, is of ns much value as that of the best read! man of the day. We, have the even greater absurdity where the child, hardly in his teens, is given, permission to consider .that‘he knows better, and more about liis spiritual welfare, than does his vicar, or his minister. Under democracy as. it is to-day, those whowould govern must seek authority to do so by catering for the goodwill of the, thoughtless masses. Abortion, gambling, excessive drinking, utterly unreasonable wages demands, petty strikes, and the suchlike, must be allowed to Hourish in order that votes may he won. Freedom is a horribly dangerous tiling when given to those who lack a proper sense of moral responsibility. Then how shall w.e reconstruct our tortured world? If Christianity is of anv use at all, surely it must offer us some solution to these vital problems. ’We have no space here to give a detailed description of the Kingdom of God as the Christian visualises it, and its constitution. Rut we may point out its most salient features. It is based) on. complete hive, and understanding of human nature, it knows humanity is weak and ever prone to err. It knows humanity’s supreme need for Readership, it seeks to lead by a body of men known as priests. That is a body of men who feel called by i,ove to lead, and who are specially trained in the care of the human soul, and an understanding of its weaknesses and vagaries-. Hut can Christianity ever hope to rule this world? We have seen from its very introdtuetion into this world, that there is a. tendency in Die wprld, a real power.lor evil, that will lose no opportunity to kill the bounder oi Christianity’. It is true that death cannot hold Him. He rises again, and Mis work is carried on unceasingly by His disciples., by Tlis ‘‘priests . But they do not seek to rule, flic C liiireh does not desire for temporal power, (or 1 lie power of the sword, tor dictatorship. She would refuse it were "ft efferedi to her. What then ; how can she ever rule a world where thoughtlessness and .selfishness are ever prone to raise'their malignant heads? If the priest class amongst men will -jmt jgird <>n earthly army and defend themselves, what use is .the Church ? We may well ask. The only answer seems tn be- that ..those who think the power of the sword, or even the power to govern is necessary, should regard the Church as the Bride of the State, and defend her, seek her counsel, and her entirely intuitive and “inspired)’’ reasoning, as their guide, even as the devoted husband-deleuds, adores, and goes lor help and guidance to bis wife. The basis of social peace lies in a perfect understanding in domestic realms.