FUTURE OF CHURCH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 149, 26 June 1934, Page 9

FUTURE OF CHURCH.

ATTITUDE TOWARDS WAR. DR. NORWOOD'S ADDRESS. Once again the eminent preacher, Dr. F, W. Norwood, denounced war, when he spoke at a luncheon yesterday tendered him by the ministers of Auckland. The function, arranged by the Auckland Ministers' Association, was held in tho reception hall of Messrs. Milne and Choyce, and was presided over by the Rev. Lawson Marsh, president of the association. Dr. Norwood summarised the international position, emphasising the trend towards intense nationalism, out of which had sprung with ease a s°rie3 of dictatorships. He wondered about the future of the Church, which preached peace in the midst of the possible danger of war. "The military technique which failed so signally in the Great War has nevertheless passed on as a heritage," ho said, "for it extracted from men that passionate love of personal freedom, which I believe t obe one of the greatest things in the history of our nation." The world seemed to be slipping into a condition where dictators emerged with suddenness and ease. Ha did not think that any of them was a3 great as his position would seem to indicate. One or two forceful wills, it seemed, could dominate a nation and subject it to the brutal disciplining of the war years.

Empire and Church. Dr. Norwood said he wondered whether the old British Empire would be able to weather the storm and to maintain the proud boast of personal freedom. For that reason he was profoundly anxious concerning the future attitude of the Church. He was aware that from every pulpit war was denounced; but what was going to happen if nations persisted in becoming isolated entities, sometimes with intense racial obsessions?

"Our own nation may be forced to reconsider its position in view of possible danger. If the State really went to war, would it allow the Churches to continue to preach for peace? Hating war as I do, I nevertheless am compelled to Bay that there may be crises in which to continue to preach pacifism might creat3 a division in a nation in the very hour of its peril, and I think we would al! hesitate to do that."

"We Must Be Leaders." "Yet, knowing , all this, we must still plod on in the footprints of Christ," he added. "Wo must take risks; we cannot suppress our destiny. We must be leaders of thought. I believe that if thn Pope, with all his vast and undeniable authority, would speak out to his peoplo in such a way that Governments had to take notice, and if the leaders of all the other Christian churches followed suit, a halt could be called in Europe for ever to this mass-murder, which is sucking the life-blood of the nations, and I believe that the peoples would welcome such a step as the supreme vindication of Christianity. It is not for us to let our moral attitudes be swayed by what we think will be the future, but rather go on our way, giving witness to the truth, not doubting that in the hour of crisis we shall not be deserted by the spirit of God."