CHURCH AND POLITICS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 28, 12 November 1949, Page 3

CHURCH AND POLITICS

PRESBYTERIAN VIEWS

BOTH PARTIES CRITICISED

(P.A.) TIMARU, Nov. 11. While recognising the high material standards of life existing in the Dominion, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand regrets that all candidates of political parties contesting the General Election are laying emphasis upon material promises and advantages without making any call to sacrifice, and without any reference to spiritual necessities.

This was the text of a resolution approved at a meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand at Timaru to-night, when speakers criticised the attitude of politicians who promised more benefits in goods and facilities, for less money, and made no suggestion that the public should look beyond material advantages to the spiritual foundations of our way of life. “The Church is not concerned with party politics, but thinks it is a matter of real concern that in the present political campaign, when the standard of life in New Zealand is high materially, with a high condition of living, that no suggestion has been made on a public platform that the public ought to take stock spiritually,” said the Rev. J. S. Somerville, of Wellington.

Politicians’ Promises

“We know perfectly well that politicians are promising to fill the baskets of all electors Avith more goods for less money, but it is thought that there should have been more understanding of the present problems,” said Mr Somerville. Mr Somerville criticised the action of the \lovernment in increasing the butter ration at a time when it could be used to feed the hungry people of the world. No warning note had been sounded by politicians of what would happen if Great Britain was not able to pay New Zealand the present prices for the Dominion’s goods, and undoubtedly the Dominion’s prosperity was linked with Great Britain.

The people were encouraged to think that they Avould always get more for their goods. “Perhaps we are trespassing on politics,” he added, “but there are, some things that need to be done and said to politicians and people of this country. It is time to come out of this fools’ paradise we live in,” said Mr Somerville.

Fundamental Issues

The censure of the Church was not only directed against politicians, but also those elders and laymen who should be in politics as candidates, said Dr. J.' D. Salmond, of Dunedin. He suspected that New Zealand would soon be shaken out of her “beautifully secure equilibrium” in the not too' distant future, if Christian men_ in politics did not face up to the fundamental issues of the spiritual foundations of the country’s life. If Christian faith was alloAyed to be crushed out by materialism, then New Zealand was on the road to disaster. It was not an issue between Socialism and private enterprise, for it had to be remembered that the country had to preserve the balance between social control and individual liberty in a balanced society. “We hear so much'about the menace of Communism,” he continued. “But an economist offered profound truth when he said that the best antidote to Communism is a healthy democratic society paying due regard to the spiritual foundations of its national life. He must remember the advice of Pastor Martin Niemoller that the church is more .. important thqn politics.”