WAR DEPLORED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 51, 1 March 1935, Page 3

WAR DEPLORED.

METHODISTS' ATTITUDE. CONTROL OF ARMAMENTS. (By Telegraph.— Prima Association.) DUNEDIN, Thursday. The attitude of the Methodist Church toward war was keenly debated at the annual conference to-day. Many speakers representing two fairly distinct attitudes of mind were heard. The conference adopted the following declarations, submitted for consideration by the Auckland Synod:— "(1) War is contrary to the spirit and purposes of Jesus Christ as revealed in His teaching concerning the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, which is a Divine ideal for human society. God's kingdom can only be realised in a world embracing the brotherhood of mankind based on righteousness, love and peace-. "{'2) The Christian Church accepts as an integral part of her redemptivo mission the duty to promote peace and provent war."(3) We rejoice that the best elements in nations are moving toward the acceptance of this ideal. "(4) We believe that war is a crime against humanity and must bo utterly repudiated as a method of settling international disputes, and we pledge our support of every endeavour to make these pacts and pledges effective. "(5) We declare our resolve not to support any Government which refuses to submit the cause of a dispute with another Government to an appropriate international tribunal for peaceful settlement.

"(0) To this end wc urge as a necessity that every individual in our Church should consider his or her attitude to this all-important question of peace, especially as there is still the possibility of war. Should this come we realise the grave decision that will be demanded of us.

"(7) In the meanwhile we press for a world-wide reduction of armaments, limitation and control of their manufacture and sale. "(8) Finally, we declare that we will readily co-operate with other Christian communions in pursuit of those necessities, believing that unless the spirit of war is removed, that spirit will kill any civilisation. We recommend that communications he opened up with other Churches in order to secure common action."