CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIALISM.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 289, 6 December 1928, Page 6

CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIALISM.

As one who listened with great interest and admiration to the addresses given by Mr. O. E. Burton, Christian Socialist candidate for Eden, I should like to say how surprised I was that he polled only two hundred votes. Does that mean that there are only two hundred Christians in Eden? If not, where are all the votes of the churchgoers and so-called Christians in the electorate? Mr. Burton is a well-known speaker on prohibition, strongly upholds religious teachings in schools and is a convincing writer on "no more war" and peace propaganda, yet he could not have got the votes of the supporters of these movements. Iβ it his Socialism that they do not like? They say, "Well, you know, he is years ahead of his time." . But is he? Christ, whom they profess to follow so closely, was not years ahead of His time when He preached Christianity. If some of these people would only give us a little more practical Christianity, which is really another form of Socialism, we would have men like O. E. Burton recognised ani hailed as the leading thinkers of our day, and the time mast come when they will be. PUZZLED.