MATTERS OF BELIEF.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3650, 7 September 1880, Page 2

MATTERS OF BELIEF.

.(To the Editor of the Evening Star.) Sir, —Would it not be as well if this "religious " (?) controversy were to stop.. Had you any young folk under your care, would you like them to peruse "free thought" literature, and yet in what way would the worst of the emanations from the pen of Mr Bradlaugh or any other atheist be more injurious than the sceptical letters lately appearing in our press ? Faith is a thing that requires fostering, more especially in the young; and however little I might myself possess, I would rather pluck my tongue out by the roots than deliberately and wickedly endeavor to destroy that of others, as " Sceptic " and one or two more seem busily endeavoring to do. laking" Sceptic "'as a sample of the others, I would like to ask him (through you), supposing he were able with fiendish malice to pull down what our fathers have taught us to reverence, can he give us anything better in exchange ? Granted for a moment thai the Bible and all it teaches is a liehas he improved our condition ? Or on the other hand, can he deny that the belief in the divine origin of the Scriptures has been the means of producing a vast amount of good to the human race. But to talk to a man like " Sceptic" is time wasted. I don't claim to be a religious man myself, but at any rate I am not villain enough to try and destroy that of others. Such a man, with his writings, ought to be avoided as the emanations from the deadly Upas Tree. But, sir, I am sure —nay I know~;there are many in this township who would thank you to put a wholesome check upon such persons, and prevent them from gratifying their animal instincts of doing as much moral evil as they can. There are many who have told me they never allow " Sceptics productions to be read in their families.—l am, &c, Middle Waed. Sept. 6th, 1880.

(To the Editor of ibe Evening Stab.)

SIE, —A great fuss has been made.over a supposed staud taken by W. J. Speight, Esq., M.H.R., for the purpose of stonewalling the Cambridge Railway Bill. If the statement made by the Thames Adrertiser is correct that preparations were being made to talk the Bill out of the House, then the telegram sent by Sir George Grey to J. R. Campbell of Cambridge saying he had no intention of stonewalling the Bill is not correct, and I am more inclined to beliere the latter statement than the former, as it is a wellknown fact that the Wellington correspondent' of the Thames Adrertiser is a citizen of the Thames, and therefore to some extent interested in blowing the trumpet which is to be used at the next general election. If W. J. Speight, Esq., M.H.K., and his chairman of to-night's meeting had not objected to the railway being started south of the Kauaeranga Creek there would have been no necessity of any stonewalling business, but the railway now would be in a more advanced state than it is likely to be for many years to come. But of course so long as certain gentlemen's property was benefited in and around the Borough they were satisfied to let the district as a whole suffer. I hope that some stand will be taken by the citizens as a whole to hare the railway pushed on, and the return promised by Mr Oliver on his last visit to the Thames put before to night's meeting, so that we will be able to see the actual amount spent on the Thames- Waikato Sail way. The mere fact of stopping the expenditure of the £16,000 on the Cambridge line will not cause it to be spent on the Thames line, as the present holders of office will want more than twelve hours' talk to get them to spend the balance of money due on this end of the line.—l am, &c, Citizen No. 2.