THE DUTY OF THE CHURCH.

Shannon News, 22 March 1929, Page 1

THE DUTY OF THE CHURCH.

RELATION TO EDUCATION. ! Aiding good'* citizenship. - : Various aspects of the duty of the tChureh were discussed at . a public meeting held in the Pitt Street,*Auckland, Church under the auspices of the -Methodist Conference, i “It is fitting we should 'question ourselves as to what kind of training vvc should give our young men,” said the chairman. “Who is. the-ideal minister we should seek to produce to fill the needs of -to-day?” There had been a time when* the. Church was*venerated as an ancient institution and. when a minister was held in j respeet simply because he was its representative. That time had gone forever.- The Church had to prove it was a valuable element in the community, and the minister must justify himself. There was to-day a widespread disparagement of the Church, not only by and sinners,” but by men of excellent character and keen mind. This disparagement had risen in two ways —because the professedly Christian character did not conspicuously exceed nil" virtue that of the world unaided by religion, and . because Christian service so'largely spent itself pa second-rate things and trivialities. These points of criticism, even if fundamentally wrong, had produced a deep effect. ' h&Goprageous Men Wanted.

we only*.knew it,-these are times '■§£ threat opportunity for ‘us, •’ 5 continued E>x.\ Laws, -‘=f* This -ds ap age of gre&hinthll'ectual«freedom.a ! ndgreat intellectual vt independence. say,' why ettnnot - our.young people accept what they, are’; told without question?* The inlpnrthnt Tachla that they ;do not. There aartr men.; why* 7 say that an-’ age with ttes jhiind-vis ‘going to the devil? Ido n^teli r ke ia : .sanan'.whoi,disagreeehvith the temper tof> thwtimes. ylsuvouM,' far rather thavef'a; spifcgiven io\ think and questiaanfiandi Axanjinepsan’d so work the waytto tho’ti’Uthihiihsdlf? than have him swsllowtHinthinkingly-p-w hat Irtold. him/ ibeliq-ying-* himself ito I 'have “faith. i-f iWa tiust .have in the 1 pulpit men of candour; rimeiHwhO' will mod who go qbout with religion as a close secret,,..hut men-- who*, .will .■-take courageously amleading? place in-.- the large, f ree'-thiuking world. Nor is this ‘alls Administer Thiust’ have an: evai£ geMstic passion- at heart or he. had befe* ter be breaking stones or adding up a column of figures. I " covet the'blend of' scholar and eyangelist for ourGimrch in New Zealand.' ’ ’ rourMaiiTProblems.

The function of the Church to educate' for good citizenship was dealt with by Professor H. Belshaw, of Auckland University College. ""This is the great problem of modern civilisation, and I cannot do more than touch on one or two outstanding points,’ 7 he said. “At the outsot I would remind you that a person’s education begins when he is born and continues until ho dies, and that education is not confined to schools. Society is alive with cduentivev institutions, of which the Chureh’is among the greatest.’’ -Dividing the problems of education into four, Professor Belshaw said the . It was rather curious that Dick Matlie might, achieve the; maximum economic efficiency, related to which wa', habits of mind of the citizen so that the.- -'question of placing him ,in the most suitable occupation. The second was to develop his powers so that he might use his leisure to his own great est° happiness and the enjoyment of others. A third problem related to personal morality—the way a man behaved to himself and other persons, the extent to w r liich he played his part is community responsibilities and political life. The fourth prdblem was to select and educate for leadership those who •were endowed with the necessary capacities-for it. ~ Great Potential Power. ! .By virtue of its central spiritual purpose the Church was an educative factor of peculiar importance■■■>and tre-' u-iendous actual jorUpotential power;: ;Iu consequence a - serious - * 'rosp6nsibilitj' fi was thrown, on lenders of religious thought. Tm modern communities the influence of was limited as to Ihe economic efficiency of the individual, but it could greatly affect the;'-manner in which he utilised his leisure; It also provided a social een- ; tre round which might be grouped culj tural-activities .of great importance. - As\ a belief in to world to eome was a" common belief among Christian Churches it became difficult for preachI ers ter avpid > concen tratiUg -iunduly op j this, to the neglect of the social'implications of Christianity. With their eves on the world to come there- weTe too many who were satisfied with passive" piety when what was-needed was a