To "God Bless Ohakune"

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 485, 11 May 1993, Page 2

To "God Bless Ohakune"

• I too pray that God

would bless Ohakune, especially our market garden produce, since I'm a small market gardener. However, I did not like the attitude of your letter, ('Miracale', Ruapehu Bulletin 4 May) how you ridiculed and misquoted Pastor John Mason. It seems to me that you have some grudge against him. Now I know that Pastor John Mason has stood against two things publicly. I can only surmise that you have been offended by one of these issues. Against the burglaries in our community which 1 also stand with Pastor John Mason and pray that the thieves stop stealing or else get caught by the police. Against the alcohol in the college grounds. I also stand with Pastor John Mason against this. Statistics show: alcohol is the principal cause of as many as 50 percent of road accidents in New Zealand; problem drinking and alcoholism is costing New Zealand industry more than $30 million per year; alcoholism is the third greatest health problem in New Zealand; alcohol is the greatest single factor contributing to divorce, child neglect and marital problems and unhappiness in New Zealand. In view of these statistics I'm sure that there will be no blessing from God on our young people by promoting alcohol on our college grounds. In fact the Bible says there is a curse on those who give their neighbours alcohol (Habakuk 2 verse 15).

May God really bless Ohakune. By the way, the speaker on the Radio wasn't Pastor John Mason but Bill Snowdon, a visiting speaker from New Plymouth.

Lance S

Bishop