PATRIOTIC GAMBLING'

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8208, 4 August 1915, Page 7

PATRIOTIC GAMBLING'

A STRONG PROTEST.

I The Rev. Frank Oldrievc, on Sunday evening last, at the Baptist Church, preached a sermon from the words, " If any man provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel" (1 Timothy ,v., 8). _ • i Mr Oldrievo said that from time immemorial the duty of providing for ! dependents had been regarded by all as a most binding obligation. It was so in the State as well, as the family. That which was "love" in the home was "Patriotism" in the State, and the. definition of the latter word was "true love and service for the Fatherland." A real patriot was willing to sacrifice much for his country. Un- | ■ stinted admiration for the men and their friends was recorded by the ;' preacher, who pointed out that sacrii fice was demanded from all now, whether they went to the front or stayed at home. Provision must be made as to men and money and the many other things needed, and it ought not to be left to private individuals to initiate schemes for providing what was necessary, nor to private charity to contribute "as much as-'/it saw 'fit.:' The. ;Govern merit, should; introduce" taxation which would evenly distribute the burden, so that some should not give more than they really could afford to do, nor should the selfish, greedy, penurious escape, as now they might. But present conditions had to be faced, and money was needed. How was it to be raised? The patriot hoped that as soon as the need was known the people would respond,'arid at any rate if plans for raising money were needed they would be of the best, so that men should be better because they gave from a.right motive—that of snoriiine. But with what were we faced? ; A perfect orgie, a veritable furore, of gambling had seized most towns, and tickets for art unions and raffles and kindred devices were flooding every corner, and this was what we most strongly protest against. It ought not to be allowed. Those who protested were called "unpatriotic," and they were told in a daily paper that "the soldiers who have risked their lives would have a gloomy future to look forward to" if all did not agree with this great wave of gambling. This was an uncalled for slur a cheap sneer, and the Church gave it the lie direct. Ministers of all denominations, members of all Churches, had from the first worked as hard as, and given as liberally as, any others. The •charge was .false, ■ for church-goers honoured the wounded" men as truly as any others, and would, as Scripture directed, provide for them without resorting to immoral means. The churches know the ' evil results of gambling, and feared what would be the result of all these devices in the future, 'more especially on young people. ' ! '"■'■'■

Mr Oldrieve dealt at some length \yith the principles involved in gambling, .:proving., that it was anti-social, and quoting Sir Robert Stout, Sir Joshua .Williams, and Mr Justice I Cooper as to its evils. The latter had > said, "Gambling is anti-social, vicious, immoral, and against the best interests of the home, the family, and the State." This was being introduced everywhere as a means of raising money {'or ouk brave men, and the true patriot would- protest: "But those who do so are called in the Press impertinent!" Surely if ministers of religion were not to speak their minds on moral questions, who were? Were they to take the opinions of newspaper editors, who, without a blush, and with approval, quoted that "the people are convinced that the end justifies the means." But did it? The Kaiser said so, ■ and tore up the. treaties he had made, invaded a friendly country,, murdered those who opposed him, broke all the laws of civilised lands—"the end justifies the means." That might be newspaper morality, but it was not Christianity.

I TJio preacher urged his hearers to ■ think for themselves, as much ill was wrought from thoughtlessness. Cheap sneers at the moral, ridicule of high ■ principles,- vulgar use -of Scripture phrases, ill-bred contempt for the good, pandering to the lowest in ■human nature, and condoning wrong because it paid, might be popular with (i certain class, and might win approval fiom the section who were always glad to have a "go" at the Church,- but it u:is untimely at an hour, when the nation was being tried as never before. He urged: "Dare to be unpopular; but stand for the right. Face the .siJWM-,' but do your duty. Be a true patriot, and work for the highest and best. ■ Seek to elevate those around you, not drag them down. . The man who publicly, in these critical days, condoned _wrong, was no true patriot, fie was a traitor to tho cause, for he was breaking down the best and building up the worst in character, and there .was more than money and phs'sical courage needed to-day—moral .fibre and real character would tell in the long ran."

_ Mr Oldrieye warned his hearers that tickets for raffles, etc., were being sold in Ashburton now, and besought them to have nothing at all to do with such immoral ways of raising funds for such a splendid cause. "Have we fallen so low that we will not give unless' we have a chance of getting something for ourselves? I think not," he said. /'Let it then bo known openly that this is a Christian country, and that at least the Christian public docs not approve of what is being done. _ Lotus publicly challenge the rectitude, the morality, the good, taste, of what is,

even in ' a paper, so shamelessly upheld, jiiid use our influence to bring such a state of things..to an end."