IS THERE A CHRISTIAN CIVILISATION?

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 69, 22 March 1941, Page 2 (Supplement)

IS THERE A CHRISTIAN CIVILISATION?

Bishop henley henson has proffered an answer to : the oft repeated question as to 1 whether our civilisation is Christian or not. Through the courtesy of the editor of "The Outlook" f this article of the bishop's is being I made available to all church 1 magazines in the Dominion. In cold blood, and with a full know ' led ire of tfiv audacity in challenging a ] bishop. I entirely disagree with his con ! elusions. To disagree with a bishop who is 11.(Mill miles awnv is much safer than disagreeing with the same person on a l public platform in debate. I. for one, would shrink front that ordeal against I such a learned antagonist. There is safety in distance as well as in numbers.

By Rec. C. W. Chandler

Km plia I i<-n 11 y I -;iy tli.it t licro i* not Midi ii thiiii: us a ( hii-tian civilisation, any more than there is <n<h a thinj: aa I hii-tian jM-ii-m*. ! do not here relet t<» what i-; known as Christian Science, hut. rat her to science as represented I<\ mini's attempt to prolic the of nature, and to tabulate and to commitliicat® those secrets to mankind. Science is undoubtedly influenced bv Christianity, and sonic of our scieiitistrt 11a ve liecn and are C'liristians. hut that does not make science Chri--t ia n. Civilisation is ju<T our rnr>d<> of life. It r< •j.I ~i • 111 —• 1 } i«- >iitn total o] .ill ;! i. - iiit!!li• M.-.-s I hat ha ho. ~,■ mankind since lirst he ap|»eare<l upon 'ills pi.met. W'liy not t ;l 1U aU>ut a I'lit'ldlii-t ci\ i 1 it-at ion ? There arc more HuddhUts than Christians in the world, a 11 \ how. I'eli'jion. \\ 11ii 11 embraces every faith, lias ha.l a pioioiind intluciicc in -} lapir ilt our Ihillki tilt , but the economic factor hi- had lar more to do with d• -1 •■ i mill ill IT <>ur conduct. and our conduct far more than our thinking determines whether vvc ai c civilised not. Thenare more heathens in the world, and within e\ civ Slate. than there sue t hri-tiaiis. despite what the ceii>-u----icvcaU. so why not call it a heathen civilisation? That would he nearer the t i ttt h of the mat t er. "Ye arc the s :i |t of the earth." said • le-u-. and thai is all Ciivl-t ia it it y is to day; it is ju-t *alt. That is to' -ay

-J r it represents a relatively small ipiantitv <>f soiuot hir.jj which if sprinkled here and there for the u[>liftniciit of the race. "Hut if the salt lias It* -avoiir. wherewith -luii! it lit* -ailed? 1; i,I li«-m-«-1.11 tli jj-•• -i 1 fur ii"t iiiui: but to lie i i-a-t "in. ami trodden under f—.l «•!' , man." I his makes matter- w..r-e. for , not only is there not -n.• ii a thitiL' a- a . Chri-tian civilisation. hut cn u the ~.i 11 « 11 i«■ h Christianity does repro-ent has in larpe measure lost its ]»iii'iiev. Cod would never have ail.wed it i. > have I Keen "trodden nndei l" t»■ i ~f man" in IT u — i:i it it had heen worth p: cserv in::. Salt with -a\o;ir is mm 1 1" ill -piinkled there, ami if it retain- it- -a\our it \\ .11 . tloui i-h and aliound. Ihe l>loodie«t and warlike 1 nati..n- in the woi hi dining the pa-t llillll \,';,l- :1 ; least have ln'cll the _ called ( hri-tian nation-. | h.\ have i "oil their way to power Hot hv j.ra.-- . t i-iiit hri-tianity -o much a- l.v ini«:lil of arm-, int elh't t tla 1 prowess and I out a<•.pii-it i\ en I n call 4 nations, or any nation. Christian i- to do itnmea-iirahle haim to the cau-e ..I I hri-t. It make* Cliri-t ianit \ -tink in the no-tril- of tho-e who ini-lakcnl.v believe it is the bulwark ot our pre-enl mora Ily and spiritually bankrupt civi-li-atioii. Chri-tianity at its host i- just a haven. Its oi'e ; ini-e<l expression ha- to a very lai'L'e extent a post aei-.d. and unless' it ipii.-kly -tands upon it,- own leot and speaks with Piv ine authority it will lie "trodden tinder foot of man." Only last nijjht T was reading chapter 40 ot (Million's "Peeline and Fall of the Komau l.mpire.' and I came tipoi; tinniest pregnant sentence with regard "o I heodora. the wit,, nt the I'.mperor -lus tin inn ( A.l). .VJ7 i. Ihe p r ost i t lit e ( i hei ml. »ra ) who. in the presence ot' innumerable spectator-, had polluted the theatre of lon-ianti nople. war- ado) ed a s a ipieen in th--nine city l.\ 'jravc ma i-t rat es. M rlli.. do\ hisliops. victorious ireneral- and captive mnnarchs." I he damage had heen done 2"'l vear1a i licr than tlti-, when t on-t ant in.', throiijrh the I.diet of Milan. save lr-.-ai status vvithin the empire to the t hritian religion, vvliieh he did not person ally einhrace until he was baptised upon

" his <leathlvd. That ajflH K\er since then the severityrfpK tian opinion has heen tempnid i®|E expediency. ami in the - idiyioi: ..ml the State, Caesar ui bEe ( ii:■ i- * iia- won most of the j I'a ;iin w l<lline-s has influet«J , t hiiri h j:i- 1 as much as Die t r«l worldlipess. i proof «.i thU <l;irin;r contention , seen in the ]• resent condition i I'hc Hi-hop. whose article h»t 1 1 i-e to the foreyoin? most JOTnH 0 .mi- con. lusioii-. takes care to Myifcßn I ' ( hri-tian eivili-ation does not uip^ l j civilisation which accords foffl] 1 '* 1 ' i. with the principles of the fSniS* i i*• 1 * 'j:o11. but a civ iii-ation wWii | 1.e.-.line -o far C hristianised »' 1* * | ; di-tinctivc. and to he apparently/"; | ins tovvaul- a clo-er appro\imitira the ( hi :-1 ia n idea I.' _ | M..«: of uiui; 1 -ee of our riv;M' : | 1 i- <1 i— t ind ivelv had. so bad thrt ■ | ! coiiiil hai illv lie vvor-e. So don'! | ' .ail it lhi i-t ian tor fear of k®- | di-crcdit np..li our most Holy | 1 t hri-t : .init v i- -alt. leaven « V | ' It i- -low Iv' and ]>a in fully | ; l-tm.Mt in-.' and illnminatin? wr | 1 tti.il ilea.in.'— and darkness. Thf " _ " it i- ail..wed to >hine 'he diuif:|| present condition appears, and the 3"' | 1 liie hri-1 ia n our lma-ted I hristisi r ' -a • ion i- found to l«e.