OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 June 1940, Page 6

OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

GOD & MAN (To the Editor.) Sir. —I have read with a great deal of regret the sentiments expressed by some of your correspondents on the subject of "God and Man.” It is true that these correspondents have a perfect right to give expression to their beliefs (a privilege I hope we shall always cherish), but though there may be "more faith in honest doubt than in half the creeds.” I think not only no good can be done by undermining the faith of many folk at a time like this, but very much harm is possible. If we are to believe that there is no Being interested in mankind. there is no good and evil, no right and wrong and no consequences, then we may as well admit that Hitler is right and give in. Far be this from us all. Many of us still believe that the Almighty looks upon us as a father looks upon his family, regretting our waywardness, but readily pardoning us when we are repentant, though expecting us to be wayward again.

When I read one of the letters that you published I immediately thought of a poem written by Rudyard Kipling and entitled "Natural Theology” and I believe that you would please many of your readers if you would publish it in full. I attach it below. — I am, etc., E.G.C. Masterton. June 24. NATURAL THEOLOGY Primitive. I ate my fill of a whale that died And stranded after a month at sea . . . There is a pain in my inside Why have the Gods afflicted me? Owl I am purged till I am wraith! Wow! I am sick till I cannot see! What is the sense of Religion and Faith? Look how the Gods have afflicted me. Pagan. How can the skin of rat or mouse hold Anything more than a harmless

flea? . . . The burning plague has taken my

household Why have the Gods afflicted me? All my kith and kin are deceased Though they were as good as good could be! I will out and batter the family priest Because my Gods have afflicted me. Mediaeval. My privy and well drain into each other After the custom of Christendie . . . Fevers and fluxes are wasting my mother Why has the Lord afflicted me? The saints are helpless for all I offer So are the clergy I used to fee. Henceforth I keep my cash in my coffer Because the Lord has afflicted me. Material. I run eight hundred hens to the acre They die by dozens mysteriously . . . I am more than doubtful concerning my Maker, Why has the Lord afflicted me? What a return for all my endeavour— Not to mention the L.S.D. I am an atheist now and for ever Because this God has afflicted me. Progressive. Money spent on an Army or Air fleet Is homicidal lunacy . . . My son has been killed in the Mons retreat Why is the Lord afflicting me? Why are murder, pillage and arson And rape allowed by the Deity? I will write to the “Times” deriding our parson, Because my God has afflicted me. Chorus. We had a kettle: we let it leak: Our not repairing it made it worse. We haven’t had any tea for a week . . . The bottom is out of the Universe . . . Conclusion. This was none of the Lord’s good pleasure, For the Spirit He breathed, in Man is free; But what comes after is measure for measure. And not a God that afflicteth thee. —Rudyard Kipling.

EVIL & RETRIBUTION (To the Editor.) Sir, —Your correspondent, “More Logic,” asks in a recent issue of your paper, "If there is an Almighty God of infinite love and compassion, why does He allow such a deluge of suffering and misery to be visited upon His children?” Would it be a kind government that refused to punish murderers, thieves and swindlers? How long could a nation prosper under such a government? And if our Father in Heaven allowed men to murder each other and consign weaker nations to the greed and rapacity of the stronger ones, without punishing the evildoers, what sort of Father would He be if he let all sorts of crimes go unpunished? Moreover, what inducement would there be to do what is right, when the doers of wrong can be more prosperous than those who do right?

"More Logic” compares the ways of Providence to a steam-roller, crushing the ants that come in its way. May I ask, has "More Logic” evef seen a steam-roller in motion without a driver? And if he has, how far did that roller go before it crushed something more than a few ants in the road? Well, and if man is not held morally responsible for the way he exercises the powers committed to him by his Creator, how long would the world of humanity exist under no law, or, worse still, without the slightest regard for the moral laws that the Creator has given for the conduct of men? Who would till the soil if he knew that what he had grown was to be taken from him? Who would keep a dairy only to have all profits taken from him by the men who handle his produce? Would not all commerce, all trade and all production come to an ■ end? Ultimately the whole world would die of starvation if there were no limits to what the strong could exact from the weak and if they could be just as prosperous in spite of their rascality. So we see that severe as the retribution for the abuse of the powers entrusted to man is. it is nevertheless God’s love and mercy that he has made it impossible for man to break his laws with impunity. But are not | the victims of this war sinners more than others? Our Lord settled that when he told His disciples that it was a mistake to suppose that the men who were killed by the fall of a certain tower were more sinful than other men, but. He added: "If you do not repent then you shall all likewise

perish.” What can be fairer, more kind, and more just than for God to give us the choice between a full forgiveness if we repent and punishment if we continue to do wrong? When “More Logic” can find anything haphazard in the operation of the physical laws in nature, then I will listen to him if lie professes to point out anything random or haphazard in the moral government of the world. Yours, etc., HANS C. THOMSEN. Carterton, June 23. THE WORD OF GOD (To the Editor.) Sir,' —-I notice in “Logic’s” . reply to “More Logic,”. June 22, that he says, “God is not a God of vengeance. Does this mean then, that “Logic,” although writing’ like an orthodox Christian does not believe the Bible to be the Word of God? If I may follow in the footsteps of another of your correspondents, quit writing a letter, and just quote from the above-mentioned Bible people may judge for themselves. Exodus, c 33, v 5: “For the Lord had said unto Moses. Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiff-necked people. I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee.” I. Chron., c 21 v 7: “And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.” Deut., c 5, v 9: “ . . . for I, the Lord Thy God, am a jealous God.’’ I. Chron.. c 21, v 14: “So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel." Admittedly, this is all from the Old Testament, but then, so are the Ten Commandments. —I am, etc, “ENLIGHTENED.” Masterton, June 23.

SIN & PUNISHMENT

(To the Editor.) Sir. —In your issue of June 18, a letter appeared written by a correspondent signing himself “Logic and it seemed to me to be the soundest logic I had seen written on that or any similar subject. When reading in today s paper a writer under the nom-de-plume “More Logic ’ one sees him endeavouring to discredit the previous writer’s reasoning, but through his powers of observation being too narrow. he is unable to do so and quite misses the point. "More Logic evidently has not noticed that "God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform" or that “If we say we have no sin we deceived ourselves and the truth is not in us.” or that "When the wicked man turneth away from the wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right he shall save his soul alive." In my opinion God’s punishment of us for our sins is done, for the same reason that our Law Courts punish those who are convicted, in the hope that they will reform, and as a deterrent to’ others, and not because He on the one hand and our magistrates on the othei are "vindictive and jealous personalities." In conclusion I would ask your correspondent "More Logic to watch what really does happen through life and I feel sure he will change his mind. —Yours, etc. G. H. DELLER. Carterton. June 21.