OCCASIONAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3071, 22 March 1892, Page 3

OCCASIONAL NOTES.

"Wβ must iitbnixe the world!" This is tho startling and hemic remedy which, in the opinion of Josoph Symss-an arch-priest of infidelity, whosa habitat is Victoria, and whoso blasphemous writings are of the owest anrJ moat repugnant typo—is to bnniel) starvation fr.nn the world. The incongruity of the proposition is matched only by it* irrationality and impudence. Compared with what Christianity has done, and ia doing , , in alleviating distress, tho good Athoism has done (if, indeed, it, may be credited with having accomplished anything), has been as a clot—a mere drop in a bucket. Tlio profes-siiM of Atheism have never shown any remarkable alacrity or desire to alleviato the distress of their less fortunate fellows, nor id it likely that they ever will—that ie when such desire arises disinterestedly, and entails any self-sacrifice (the true tests of benevolence) on their part, On the other hand, Christianity has dono much. Springing from the love of one's neighbour, which its doctrines enjoin and which all true Christians, I believe, really feel, Christianity has succoured the needy and these in distress, and raised the morally diseased and tho outcasts of society from the lowest depths of degradation and misery into which it is possible for poor humanity to sink. This is a fact which cannot be contradicted. I wish it to DO understood that the Christianity referred to in this note is the real and not the nominal article. Much has been done in the name of Christianity through ignorance, for which its teachings cannot be held responsible; and the hypocrisy and sickening cant of many professing Christians has scandalised and brought much obloquy upon its name. This is regretable; but it is certainly unjustifiable to blame the principles of Christianity therefor. There are men, however —shallow and superficial thinkers they must be—who would seek to cast odium and contempt upon Christianity tor what ha? been done under its mantle and in its name by fallible men—l was going to write like themselves, but perhaps I had better not; they may deny their fallibility, and I should give offence. Were the precepts taught by Christianity universally adopted, and Christians became Christians in fact, not merely in name (as the great majority undoubtedly are), want and squalor would be unkown —Dives would succour Lazarus, and all the social ills humanity is afflicted with would speedily disappear. But how is Atheism, the foster-parent of Anarchy and Social Chaos, to remove want? This is a riddle that would puzzle the genius of an (Edipus to solve. One of the first steps Atheism would take to remove starvation and to elevate (!) humanity would be, we can quite believe, to remove the eighth commandment — that bated Conservative commandment which stands in the way of.so many of the proposed "reforms" of these latter days—from the moral code, and the expunging of all laws based thereon from the Statute Book. Chaos and disorder would then reign; might and brute strength take the place of right, andihs|Weakest would go to the wall. Each man., .and would be against his fellow-man—those who had would be seized by the throat by those who had not, and forced to deliver up whatsoever they possessed ; and — Joseph Symes is right— starvation would be banished from the land—that is, for a time. Supplies, however, would not last for ever, and security of property being done away with, there would be no further production. Those who sowed would have no certainty that they would reap, and without this assurance who would be industrious? The inevitable consequence would be that famine and starvation would be the common lot of all —the provident and the prufligate, the industrious and the indolent, would be involved in one common ruin. Truly in those days, so far as material wealth is concerned, would all men be equal ! But many Atheists are not immoral, it may be said, and have sound views on the laws of meum and tucun. This can be readily admitted; but eveu these moral Atheists can regard with feelings of unruffled serenity the occurrences that are almost daily taking place on the Continent of Europe, and which are calculated to fill most minds with apprehension as to what the social condition would be were Anarchy, aided by Atheism, tn have uncontrolled sway. These moral Atheists see in the dastardly work of the dynnmitard and the regicide merely an emphaticprotest made by their more advanced brethren against the existing state of affairs—sad enough in all conscience—regarding it as in some measure justifiable, and are inwardly rejoiced thareat. I hope I am doing them no wrong, but I am simply stating that which is the general opinion outside their own small camp. Were the restraining influences of the laws based on the teachings of Christianity removed, how speedily would the seething multitude, ranged under the red flag of Anarchy, trample under foot all the flimsy barriers which might be erected in their stead by the moral Atheists, and the protests and remonstrances of the latter would be drowned in the hideous roar of the pillagers. Their influence to sway the multitude would be unfelt, as was that of John Burns in the late London riots, when ; the mob broke from his control, and brute force —as applied to them by the military and police—was the only method of subcluing them and checking their depredations. Joseph Symea lias, however, not yet made much progress towards " atheising the world." He has been preaching infidelity now for many years, but has not made much headway—he has disgusted more with the coarseness of his writings than he has convinced with bis arguments. He, and those he includes with himself in the pronoun "we," in "atheising the world," have undertaken a very large contract, compared with which that of Tom McCarthy's to restrict a day's work to two hours is a mere nothing. The further humanity, as a whole, stands off from the principles taught by Christianity, the more distant is that time when want and famine will be unknown. A Mil Rae (member for Wagga in the New South Wales Parliament), who opposed the address of condolence to the Queen on the death of the Duke af Clarence, has been dragged very roughly over the coals by his constituents, and received a very proper and deserved wigging at their hands for the despicable callousness of his conduct. At a meeting, he was heard at considerable length in defence of the position he took up, after which the following resolution was proposed and seconded: — " That Mr Rae's action in Parliament on the motion for the appointment of a select committee to prepare an address of condolence to Her Majesty the Queen was an insult to Mr Kae's constituents and a degradation to the electorate he represented, and this constituency deeply regrets that one of its members should have so grossly misrepresented the feelings of his constituents, and hereby disclaims any sympathy with Mr Rae'e action in the matter." There were two hundred persons present, and the amendment to a vote of confidence was carried by five to one, whereupon Mr ■Rae called for a division. Then nearly one hmdred persons rushed into the room, when the voting was declared to be: For the amendment, 250; apainst, 20. There was great cheering at the result, and before dispersing the audience joined in singing the National Anthem, and we may be sure that on no occasion has it been sung with more genuine feelings of loyalty and enthusiasm than at this Wagga meeting. After this Rao should certainly seek a back seat. He had evidently mistaken the loud croukinffs of a few frogs—and wo all know how loud these croaker.s can civak, and how they drown the voices of less assertive creatures —for the general opinions of his constituents, and seeking to gain a little cheap popularity by his unsympathetic and boorish action in opposing the address in question he came out wrong side up, and it served him right. Mr J. W. Wrigley, of T.anuihftre, has o grazing farm of 015 acres at the Narrows to lease. Russia has seven Pasteur institutions, in which 1,052 patients were treated during the year, forty two of whom died of hydrophobia.