PERSONALITY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19057, 20 July 1927, Page 10

PERSONALITY.

RELATION TO RELIGION. CHRISTIAN'S ATTITUDE TO LIFE. Personality was never really valued in life till the advent of Christianity. Where the value of personality was realised Christianity had been positive and progressive, but where it had been neglected its success had not been so marked.

These remarks were made by his Lordship Bishop West-Watson, in an address on "Personality and Christianity" before the Canterbury College Christian Union last evening. The speaker said that personality'laid emphasis on the individual in the sight of God. When Christianity came to a new country it brought with it a sense of the increasing importance of the individual and this sometimes led to an upheaval. Thus, in mission fields much of the trouble which was attributed to the missionaries was really the commotion consequent on the awakening of this sense.

Some people seemed to regard the great advances of knowledge in recent times as inroads into God's domain. In reality these discoveries were the manifestations of God to us. God wished to exercise our minds to the fullest and needed our minds .as well as our hearts. All branches of knowledge were the province of the Christian, but it must be remembered when time went on and we discovered new facts that a re-examination and revision of our old knowledge was necessary. A true Christian did not set out on life as a tourist on a trip with a guide-book in his hand. He tried to explore new paths and bring new light.. The conception of Christianity as a negative religion arose partly from the negative commands found in the Ten Commandments. But God had changed all this. Instead of "Thou shalt not," he said,«' Thou shalt.'' All things were not expedient for the Christian. Many people frittered away their lives on frivolous things. At no time could they be said to be doing wrong, but they were of no use and left no mark on the world. More than abstaining from things which were known to be evil true Christians should limit themselves in certain directions. s

All our work should find its purpose in God Himself. All honourable professions could be practised in the spirit of God. Too often this truth was lost sight of. Erring parents were fondly wondering, "Where can I place my boy so that he will be the best off financially," when they should be wondering whero he could do the most good. The true Christian was the freest •man alive, but in order to be free we must be masters of ourselves. It was necessary to take tip a definite attitude to life. People talked a lot aoout asceticism, often foolishly, but they had to choose whether they should be bound by habit and convention or to be free to do as they ought and enjoy doing it. To-day the new psychology talked much about self-development and selfexpression. Individuality was not complete in itself, but something fragmentary. To serve its purpose it must be combined and merged with other personalities. The self-contained personality was a wandering star destined to find its end in darkness. The vital part of us was not that which felt solitude, but that, part of us which went out and combined with others. Perhaps the part of ourself of which we were conscious was the truest part of us, and that which endured in a higher life. Perhaps this found itself in the richness of a harmony in a future existence.