“FREEDOM OF SPEECH”

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20738, 23 February 1939, Page 6

“FREEDOM OF SPEECH”

PULPIT LAST BATTLEGROUND METHODIST PRESIDENT’S REMARKS “““ (By Telegraph—Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday “The pulpit is one of the few places to-day where we have freedom of speech,” said the Rev. P. R. Paris, past president of the Methodist Church of New Zealand in his address to the newly ordained ministers of the church at the annual conference. Mr Paris said that the radio, press and cinema were all censored. "The pulpit may be the last battleground on which wall he fought out the coming struggle for liberty of speech, liberty of worship, liberty of life; the struggle between totalitarian man and totalitarian state, between Christ and Caesar,” continued Mr .Paris. He urged the ministers to speak out on great issues and the evils of the dav. Teachings of Jesus “Do not. he a smoke screen,” said the speaker, "in speaking the truth in Christ you must do il with simplicity, clarity and urgency; you may thus become very unpopular in seeking to apply the teaching of Jesus to every department of life; you may offend some people and they may leave the church because you bring the standards and spirit of Jesus to bear upon the worlds of business and politics; you may be told that you are exceeding the terms of your cornhave always been stoned. You are not chosen and ordained to please the people or to fill the churches or to I raise money but to preach the gospel of Jesus 1 ' 1r 1 -:.