RELIGION AND POLITICS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 17016, 13 December 1920, Page 7

RELIGION AND POLITICS.

♦ ADDEESS BY-MR L. M. ISITT, M.Pi The third of the "Advent Addresses" was delivered at St. Michael's yesterday afternoon by Mr L- M. Isitt, M.P., on "Tho relation between Religion and Politics." Mr Isitt said that that man was a weakling and an egoist who was only eager to hear tho expression of his preconceived opinions, and that oven if his hearers did not' agree with him they need not resent anything that ho said. Approaching tho subject systematically, he affirmed that the relation between politics and religion was determined by the view which a man took of tho duty of the Church. Some there were who taught that the Chr-'t-ian should have nothing to do \wch politics, and should not even vote, basing their position on some sort of interpretation of tho words "My Kingdom is not of this world." Others did not go as far as this, but they said/ all the same that "Spiritual passion and political absorption could never go together." They would have no reference to in tho pulpit, they believed in tho "silent leaven" theory which was that the principles of tho gospel were to be enunciated and then left to work out their own application. Mr Isitt, while believing that the pulpit should never become a political platform, but the instrument for the dissemination of tho Gospel of Christ, yet held that the "silent leaven" theory was based on ignorance of human nature, which needs guidance. Quoting with very fine effect from memory a largo passage from the first chapter of Isaiah, the speaker declared that tho prophets brought the law of God _to apply to the details of national life. Thev did not believe in the "silent leaven" theory. He gave a number of historical instances of tho failure of this theory in modern times. When Whitfield wrote in his diary, "I have a good plantation and a number of healthy negroes," and proposed to sell them for tho maintenance of a college, was the "silent leaven" of much value? Mr Isitt said on the Sunday before he had a conversation with a man who, at tho age of six worked in the potteries, at the ago of 9 laboured in the mines with his flesh chafed by his constant work, and with no opportunity of seeing the sun except on Sundays. Christian men such as John Bright opposed the reform of such conditions of life. _ Was the silent leaven theory sufficient? Did the principles of the Gospel apply themselves? Was it not necossary that Christian teachers should show how they should be applied? When tho British forces were hard-pressed by the Maoris many years ago, tho Government of New Zealand offered to restore some of their land to them if they would submit. The promise was made, but the majority never got back their lnnd. Commission after commission was not enough to give them justice, but all the time there was no protest from j the Christians. The silent leaven fail- ' ed. So with tho question of the racing permits, tho industrial unrest of the present time x tho housing question. Certainly the clergy needed to use tact, and it -was not for them to take sides in tho pulpit, but they could go to the employer remembering all the injustices of the past which labourers had suffered, ana go to the employee, and point out thavtho right way of remedying wrongs is by the franchise and tho constitution, and not by violence and anarchy. The Church should impress on its "members the duties of citizenship. It was sometimes said that the present Parliament of New Zealand is an assembly of mediocrities. If that were so, it was because abler Christian men did not come forward to give their service. Tliey were specially heeded at the present time. He was convinced that the war which wiped off the veneer of civilisation, and magically revived primitive man, had taught them that if thero was no hope for tho race in Christ, there was no hope at all. The i passions which set Europe aflame were in everv one of them, and if Christ wore only a self-deluded visionary, there was i no "other to whom mankind could go for 1 lieb>.