WORLD VOID.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 253, 26 October 1938, Page 9

WORLD VOID.

DECAY OF FAITH. CHURCH AND MANKIND NO REAL FELLOWSHIP. CHALLENGING ADDRESS. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) NAPIER, this day. A challenging address, in which he dealt frankly with the weaknesses and failures of the Church, but claimed that the Christian Church had done more for humanity than any other organisation, was delivered to the Waiapu Diocesan Synod by the President, the Very Reverend Dean J. B. Brocklehurst. The word "crisis," he pointed out, was one of the most common terms in the modern world. "It is being flung at us by our leaders, taken up by the Press, and is often heard 011 the lips of average folk," he naid. "We have Lord Cecil saying 'this is not a crisis in civilisation —it is the crisis and Mr. Anthony Eden saying, "It is utterly futile to believe that we are involved in an European crisis—we are involved in a crisis of humanity the world over.' Then there is the common phrase, 'The present crisis in religion. "As regards this last matter no one doubt* that a crisis does exist, but it is used as being a misfortune of our time. What we forget is that it is not something new or modern.' "Not a Penalty, But * Reward." The only ayes in the past when a crisis in religion did not exist. continued the president. were the spiritually dead age*. Whereve' the spirit of God had breathed upon the souls of men tlie

effect had been to awaken the sense of ; a great crisis. "That," he said, "is not the penalty, but the reward of having any religion that is worth the name. - ' He quoted Dr. Headlam as saying that "the most essential thing for the world to-day mi a real and sincere belief in God." The root of to-day's difficulties, said the president, was that the majority | of people did not believe really and I vitally in God. They might not deny His existence, but their belief was vainj and shadowy. Describing religion as man's relation with God, the president declared that religion nas not just church going. ("Some who go to church may have no more real religion than some who stay awa v," he said. "Religion is not morality—it is something more than leading a good life. Ihere are many moral people who from the neck up aie spiritually dead. Real religion is not just a social service, though let it l>e admitted that social service » in the air to-day. It has caught on as few other things have done." Filling the Void. "Attention is being given to social justice, a reasonable standard of living, and the comfort and prosperity of all men. The fact that secular philosophic* have pounced on this as a necessity of the age proves that men cannot get along without religion. Our humanitarianism, philanthropy and welfare work are efforts to fill the void left by | the decav of faith —drab substitutes fori an older faith." "The spirit of men craves for a> friendly (Jod. and we give him econo-| imics. He asks for immortality, and wej say, 'Be content. Here are beer and bacon.' So miracles, once the province of the Church, will now be performed by the State. Do not think I am decrying humanity, kindness and philanthropy. but it seems childish to think that "all the griefs of the world have their origin in economics. Our world planners have great designs for filling empty stomachs, but there is a more intricate problem etill —the filling of empty hearts." Where Chnrch Has Failed. After dealing with the practical challenge to religion. Dean Brocklehurst 'cited the faults of the Church. "The Church." lie said, "has failed to develop •i great sen-e of devotion in the clergy! land laity. It seems satisfied to produce]

a character and a morality that turn out decent citizens. It has failed to produce a real fellowship. No one will claim that a real fellowship is found in our churches. Probably our party divisions and our social snobbery are to blame for this. It has failed to keep abreast with the conscience of tiie age and the urgent social needs of the day. To a large extent it has ignored those things that deface life in the world, i Most social reformers to-day have drawn their inspiration from other sources than the Church. "I he Church has failed to get its central message across to what we call the man in the 9treet. Our scholars pour out their lectures and our preachers broadcast their services, but all this! effort has not harnessed a creed to con-j duct or to most of the problems whichi men meet in daily life. The Greatest Experiment. | "While admitting such faults, I think 1 it is only fair to say that there is another side to the picture. Firstly. Chi istians themselves are imperfect people, and have never claimed to be| anything else. The Christian Church is| engaged in the greatest experiment ever tried in human fellowship— the experiment of inviting all men to pursue the highest spiritual aims—and because of that its influence has done more for the world than any other organisation. ■ hough it has sometimes been cowardly and unwise, it has left its mark, t has been producing saints in common life, keeping the world in mind of Divine facts, and, by the ceaseless round of sacrament and prayer, it has kept the channel open between God and man. Secularism is throwing out its challenge. Let us accept it. Are our modems. with their new morality, making a success of l.fe? I s the |cture - f human welfare and happiness given to us in a modern novel an exhilarating and attractive picture? With all our so called progressive ideas, i s the nresentl condition of the world so good that it can afford to point the finger 0 f s CO rn at religion? No. e CO! " "™f be « disappointment to God, but it is Btm Hi 9 steward without which we cannot get real world betterment. To that uTt v understand, teach and practise this "reli ( „,o„ better, tacu-c- „f, the ; ° "* —-j