WAR AND PREDESTINATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 155, 3 July 1922, Page 11

WAR AND PREDESTINATION.

(To tbe Editor.! Sir,—l am thankful to Miss Cato for pointing out that the inevitability of war is the result of man's actions as a free agent and not of God's predestination. Allow nic to 3ay, however, that I had no need personally to be reminded of this truth, as from boyhood I was thoroughly indoctrinated in the Arminia,n view of freewill as opposed to Calvinistic teachings regarding "the decrees of God' , and His predestina.tii|p of "whatsoever comes to pass." I forgot that all ere not so intelligent as Miae Cato, and am to blame, perhaps, for so -writing as to convey the impression thai, because God has foreseen the coming great war and has warned us of Hβ imminence, He has therefore predestined it. The thought is monstrous. Every good and perfect thing comes from God; but as for evil, "an enemy hath done it." It is the Divine foreknowledge of all the wiles of Satan, and of all the motives that determine huma.ii action, that enables God to foretell events; aleo to fore-ordain (or set in order) these event?, so that, He may over-rule for good in so far as is possible; and to predestinate the outcome of the strife between good and evil. The key is to be found in a proper understanding of St. Paul's abstruse argument in the Epistle to the Romans, especially in the words, "Whom He did foreknow, them He did predestinate," etc. I am sorry that I,cannot agree with the contention that it is 'Wrong to arm for defensive purprisee. "Se]f-preserv*tion is the first law of Nature," and we disobey that law at our peril. Aβ for the view of Dr. Kidd and other idealists, I firmjy believe tbfct ine Anglo-Saxon people could, if they turned their attention to it, educate their young so that in a generation or two they would be ready ito hail the Eeign of Peace and Righteousness. Bat how long would it take to educate the Germans, the Russians and Slavonic races generally up to that standard! And behind these there are the ignorant masses of China and India. All we have taught the latter so far by mission effort is the essential equality of all races of men, and have thus made them determined to fight for their righto. At this rate of progress it will tike Uβ thousands of years to educate them up to peaceful ideals. In the meantime, for the advanced races of earth to render themselves defenceless is to invite calamity.—l am, etc., J. LIDDELL KELLY. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Thoughtful people must read with pleasure Eva Cato's letter in Wednesday's "Star," for surely war does not come upon us at the will of a Heavenly Father, but is the result of our continued wrong thinking. Christ said, "As a man thinks, so is he." Sooner or later wrong thoughts, if persisted in, end in wfoijg actions; thoughts of love in actions of tove; therefore let us start right thinking, not along lines of expectant warfare. If the mothers.of New Zealand would all unite in making the following affirmation daily, at the same time sending out thoughts of love and goodwill to mothers in all lands, I believe it would greatly help to keep war banished: — "I am * mother, and do not 'believe our boys are intended by God to be the slain or slayers of other mother's boys." —I am, etc., MOTREK.