MODERN YOUTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 26, 1 February 1932, Page 2

MODERN YOUTH.

THE SPIRIT OF UNREST,

WORLD IN TENSION.

ADDRESS BY DR. SALMOND.

"In our day the world has become a groat community, a neighbourhood in a state of trembling tension —in an 'equilibrium of foars,'" said Dr.- J, D Salmond, youth director of the Presbyi terian Church, in an address on "Youth in the Modern World" at the conference of youth workers at Lyttelton. Dr. Salmond outlined the stupendous issues involved to-day in the contact between Ea-st and West, the colour problem, the challenge of Russia, thx unemployment problem, the political tension, the lowering of moral standards and tlio confusion in the realms of education an.l religion. Young people' to-day were growing up in an atmosphere of questioning and unrest. "In America youth is on trek" going no man knows where. Right from early adolescence American young people are taught to take nothing for granted. They are expei-imenting with life; everything must be submitted to the test "of scientific analysis. This experimenting has taken place during a period of unparalleled prosperity. I came away from America," said Dr. Salmond, "asking how much material prosperity can a nation stand without the slackening of the moral fibre of the people. Schemes and organisations can never take the place of spiritual power. Self-reliance and Independence. "In Great Britain young people have had a trying time since the war. Thousands are forced to-day to. spend their lives in soul-destroying inactivity. In spite of this the school of adversity has tended to develop in thousands a spirit of self-reliance and independence. Science has largely changed its attitude towards religion, while modern psychology also proving a hand-maiden to'the Church in lier work of soul surgery. "The German Youth Movement, which began so well after the war as a reaction against militarism and materialism, has now become broken up into numerous political and confessional groups which' are more or less mutually antagonistic. The young Germans with whom I associated appeared to bear no ill-will against the British, whose sporting spirit they admire, and contrast with the attitude of the French, to the detriment of the latter," said Dr. Salmond. "The young people of Germany arc loud in their demands for a revision of the peace treaties. They can see 110 reason why they should carry any longer the whole responsibility of war guilt and the burden of reparations. Treaty revisioii and the cancellation' of war debts will alone prevent the youth of Germany from again embarking on the road that leads to militarism and war. '. . "Perils and Pitfalls." "In Russia the Soviet authorities are out to capture the minds of the young people. They want them not to think. individually, but collectively as units in a Communist State. There are 6.000,000 young people in Communist youth moveinents, where there is no smoking, drinking and swearing allowed. They have an ideal that has captured their imaginations, but they are all outside the Russian Church,'which is now passing through the fire of persecution. '. : "The most serious challenge- to Christianity to-day comes from what is called secularism, which is atheism in practice. In many quarters it completely dominates human life. We are calied to lead young people into a world which lias turned its back on God. "In this modern situation, with all its perils and pitfalls, what message have we for our young people? Christianity to-day must be alive, compelling and convincing. It is not just a way of living or right-thinking about God. It is <1 sensitiveness to eternal values—to the Father God whose whole personality can be summed up in one word—love. To-dfxy Christians need more of thß spirit of co-operation and more depth of conviction. The present offers a great opportunity to us all."