SYNOD DEBATE ON ATOMIC BOMB

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25013, 23 October 1946, Page 2

SYNOD DEBATE ON ATOMIC BOMB

Sir, —Mr Efford desires a rule by conscience, but society has no conscience and is only conscious of law and convention. Illustrious, conscientious individuals, such as Bhudda. Christ and Socrates, and their more numerous unkndwn equivalents, have been usually feared as a threat to tribal solidarity, hated or scorned as cranks because they demanded ethical effort instead of the non-ethical ease enjoyed by the faithful to a herd. To every crowd, whether it is a synod or just sinners or unjust ones, the crowd is God and a very jealous God. mighty real though not Almighty reality.— Yours, etc., H. J. BUTTLE. Darfleld, October 20, 1946.

Sir, —After reading your report on the above I dreamed. I was in a great cathedral. The preacher was reading "Ye have heard it said of old, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy,’ but I say unto you ‘Love your enemy; do good to them that hate you.* ** Closing the Book, the preacher continued “I must warn you, brethren, against taking these words literally. They do not apply to-day. They were spoken on a Mount 2000 years ago by an idealist, a visionary. If He were here to-day He would realise how unpractical such words are I say unto you ‘Love your neighbour certainly, love your enemy if you will, but be wise, brethren; keep a stout bludgeon up your sleeve. Let your enemy know it is there. If he doeth not as you would he should do to you. do not hesitate to use it on his head.’ ” Yours, etc.,

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO 1946. October 22, 1946.