PACIFISM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 November 1941, Page 8

PACIFISM

CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE VIEWS OF SALVATION ARMY COMMISSIONER. PRESENT DAY EVILS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The declaration that, with the furies of evil holding so much sway in the world today, he could not see how any Christian could logically take up the position of a pacifist was made by Commissioner J. Evan Smith, head of the Salvation Army in New Zealand, at a luncheon held in Wellington yesterday, after Dr O. C. Mazengarb had spoken on the danger of Ministerial interference with the jurisdiction of the Courts and had said clerics who opposed the civil law regarding conscientious objection and pacifism were placing their churches in jeopardy. “I support all that Dr Mazengarb has said, particularly the necessity for guarding the authority of justice in the British Empire,” said Commis-. sioner Smith. He trembled to think what would have happened had Graham lived (referring to the South Island murders), when there had been a reversion of justice regarding the imposition of penalties, so that it seemed an appalling state of affairs. “I have my own special views, and I am not speaking for the Salvation Army, which, as an organisation, has given no pronouncement similar to that of other churches,” he added. ‘‘l cannot see, however, how any Christian man or woman can logically lake up the position of a pacifist. We take on ourselves a code of principles definitely in opposition to all evil and wrong-doing and that means to fight Hitler and his unruly gang. There is no question whatever that Hitler and his gang are the vilest and most wicked men the world has ever known, and every man and woman is fully justified in carrying out his or her own principles and endeavouring to destroy the evil which is paramount in the world today.” Continuing, the Commissioner said there appeared to be a poor application of the laws governing the drink and gambling evils, and immorality and vice in the present crisis. There was considerable legislation against them, but he was afraid that it was weakly administered. He considered that more drastic action should ne taken against this profligacy, to protect Christian life and principles and decent living. There could be no worse Fifth Column. He favoured strong application of the legislation which did exist to deal with these terrible evils of today.