WILL OPPOSE WAR

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 915, 7 March 1930, Page 1

WILL OPPOSE WAR

DECISION OF CHURCH CONFERENCE CONGREGATIONAL UNION That war is un-Christian and destructive of moral standards, being the antithesis and negation of the teachings of Christ were the views advanced by the Rev. ID. Gardner Miller at the annual conference of the Congregational Unidfi of XeAV Zealand in the Beiesford Street Church yesterday in moving a motion that the church ally itself against Avar. It was only a united Christian front that could prevent such a happening, said the speaker. CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY The full text of the resolution he proposed Avas as follows:—“This Assembly records its conviction that war is a crime against humanity, and therefore contrary to the mind of Christ. While rejoicing in all present movements toward the outlawry and abolition of \\ r ar, it believes that the Church of Jesus Christ, as a redemptive community in the world, should not temporise regarding war, hut should, with bold meekness, declare its determination to take the high stand that all wars are un-Christian, and therefore it dare not support Avar in any way.” The Government in no country must be allowed to coerce the conscience of any citizen, said Mr. Miller. The ethics of Christ are higher than those of any group, and an individual must be allowed to interpret these in the mariner in Avhich his conscience dictates. He made it clear that he was not deprecating the actions of those millions who had died in the Great War. Men had thought it would be a means to end strife, but had been disillusioned and .were agreed that such a mistake must not be made again. While supporting the motion in the main, the Lionel B. Fletcher said he could not support the clause that the church “dare not support war.” He believed that under certain circumstances every man should be ready to shoulder arms. CLAUSE AMENDED

The clause was amended in a new motion and passed as follows: —“That the Assembly pledges itself to support every reasonable movement and organisation whose aims and objects is to rid the world of the scourge of war.”

Mr. Fletcher criticised the compulsory trainixig system as a “violation of conscience,” and others spoke of the evil effects of cadet and territorial camps. A motion urging the cultivation of a spirit of peace and efforts to bring about a repeal of the compulsory military training system was carried with only one dissentient. At the public meeting of the conference in the evening the Rev. Lionel Fletcher spoke on “Modern Substitutes for God.” There had been many substitutes in the past, he said, and there are records of these having destroyed nations 3,000 years ago. They were invented by men who were unwilling to pay the price of purity, humility and an implicit belief in God, and their pernicious influences could be seen today on the screen, in books and in eA'eryday life.