The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE SATURDAY, APRIL 26. A SECTARIAN BLUNDER

Taihape Daily Times, 26 April 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

SATURDAY, APRIL 26. A SECTARIAN BLUNDER

(With wtaeh is incorporated The : fai* hape Post E,ad New*).

It, would seem, from a l'oport of a Wellington South meeting, that religion is once more to be introduced into politics in such an organised and direct way that can 'only be construed as an effort of sectarianism to dominate civil Government. We have refrained from discussing any religious organisation, and, in fact, everything akin to religion, for we are convinced that so longas there are two people left on this earth there will be found differences of religious opinion and views. It is because of this undeniable difference of religions conviction that the subject is a distinctly dangerous one to •introduce into general politics. There can be no valid opposition to any particular religious sect, or combination of sects, seeking to have fair and absolutely just administration of all laws; to protest against privileges to one not given to others by governing institutions and by Government, trading departments, but there is going to be trouble if any religious sect, or combination of sects, make, any determined •effort to marshal force by stirring up religious fervour among the masses with a view to the establishment of either a Jew or Gentile; Catholic or Protestant,; Mormon or Christadelphian;'Buddhist, or Brahmin, or even a conscientious objector Government of this country. The days of religious strife aro passed, we live in an age today when the schoolmaster may be found in every country and in every class. People realise that religious wars of the past were largely huge religious blunders, and were only begat of such fanning of the emotions of the masses as are reported to be takingplace at the present time. The Mohammedan world has not declared open war against Christianity, but, because it. or some of the older religious cults, are not now seeking to exterminate Christianity, does that constitute any rational cause why Christian Sects should commence upon self-extermina-tion by declaring war against each other? It is probable some religious people did have occasion to complain of an unjust administration of regulations made under statute law, and those people had an undeniable right to take reasonable means to secure British fair play and no privilege for anyone. While their efforts were reasonable, British spirit was behind them, but they have seemingly become so intoxicated with that display of British spirit that they have determined to nurse it. fan it into religious fervour and use it for the attainment of that civil power which they so persistently deny to other religious sects. It is this expressed desire and determination to seize the governing reins of the Dominion that we take exception to, for if ever a perfect paradoxical situation did arise it Iras been this country's misfortune to encounter it, and it is the more regrettable because it is an allegedly religious paradox. What he so strenuously denies to other sects, the organiser of the Protestant,Political! Association is now endeavouring to obtain for the religious sects for which he is working. That Associaton set out to get justice, it enrolled its first, members with that expressed object in view; wo are not told whether that object

has ever been secured, or whether the, expressed end of association has been .-achieved, but \v© are now told through reports of meetings that the original purpose of the Association was nothing less than a ruse by some religious people to use whatever religious sects they could as a means of becoming the possessors of the Government. Benches in our House of Parliament. We say, unhesitatingly, that had the founder of the Protestant Political Association commenced its career by boldly stating its chief aim was to capture the Government of this country .and establish a sectarian administration, it would have met with very little success. Parsons are mostly honourable men, men who .are exceedingly useful in a community, as all history will prove; they represent •the only avowed system of moral culture we, in this advanced age, can boast of, and it is a matter of undis. puted and unquestioned history that in the dark ages they brought through that, long mental night the civilisation that has flourished so amazingly right up to the present moment. On the other hand, (lie bloodshed that has been caused by .efforts to control mankind, body and soul, lias .abundantly demonstrated that tho parson and the statesman are ■ only successful when each minds his own. particular business, and we earnestly hope that the Protestant Political Association will realise the full truth of this before another form of bitter strife finds scope for widespread operation amongst our already muchtroubled people. We do not pretend to say whether the creed of any religious sect is right or wrong; we believe that, on a broad basis, they arc all. right, therefore, we rigorously close our columns to sectarian controversy, and the pity of it all is that there should exist such religious bitterness as to engender the. well advanced sectarian strife that now appears obvious. The right to associate for the common good cannot be denied to any sect or number of sects, nor, even, can their right to combine to snatch the reins of civil government be denied, but we dlistinctly 'affirm r *ha't: ymy rdligious sect might as well try to reach heaven by building another Tower of Babel as to combine their forces with the openly expressed intention of establishing a government savouring of a theocratic nature in New Zealand. There need be no misapprehension about what the organiser of the Protestant Political Association means, for, if correctly reported, he stated, .?.* Wellington on Wednesdaj r evening. "We are going to drive a wedge between extreme Labour and sane Labour." The Association's influence was going to be overwhelming at the coming general elections, he ditl not think they could win every seat, but it was worth trying for. Of course, such expressions are born of an abnormal illimitable hope; in them there is an evident void in the practicable and possible, but what we contend is that it is a huge blunder for religion to step into the politcal arena with the expressed determination ■to drive wedges, into any political party, least of all those parties that stand most interestedly for the democracy of which this country is professedly so proud. Liaibour wiJl not appreciate the Protestant. Political Association's

intentions to split up its ranks; Labour rightly thinks that it is able to guide its own destinies without the aid of any fightablo religious organisation, and Labour has good cause for assuming that the leader of the Protestant Political Association is throwing its weight, and influence int'.o the camp in which lies Labour's greatest enemy. There need be (no mi-'' notion about the twenty thousand members of labour unions who are also on the roll of the Protestant Political Association, for over ninety pc.v cent of them will stand for Labour' first and for th 0 religious sect to which, they belong next. The solidarity 'ot the New Zealand democracy is invulnerable against any sectarian guns that may be trained against it. and no sectarian wedge will split it so as to render it an easy prey to the old capitalist order. The talk a.bout wedge-driving into Labour

was a silly blunder, for wo cannot believe that il w;is based upon serious thought.