CHURCH SERVICE BROADCASTS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26264, 8 November 1950, Page 6

CHURCH SERVICE BROADCASTS

“ABUSE BY ROMAN CATHOLICS ”

BAPTISTS PROTEST An allegation that broadcasting facilities in New Zealand were being used by the Roman Catholic Church for sectarian propaganda was made yesterday by the Assembly of the Baptist Union of New Zealand. The assembly adopted the following resolution:—“This assembly records its profound regret at the continued abuse of ‘broadcasting facilities by the Roman Catholic Church. It pledges its wholehearted support to every effort put forward by the Central Religious Advisory Committee to remedy this position and requests its representative on the committee to keep the matter before the committee Until the use of the broadcasting facilities for sectarian propaganda is brought to an end.”

This matter had caused much feeling among Protestant churches, said the general secretary (the Rev. P. F. banyon). In the Central Religious Advisory Committee thev had made protest after protest, and the Roman Catholic representative had promised to go into the matter, but without any result. Mr Lanyon said those who had heard recent Roman Catholic broadcasts must have been astounded at their quality, including such preposterous doctrines as the Assumption of Mary, which was clearly contrary to the idea that particular sectarian doctrines apart from the main flow of Christian religion should not be put over the air.

The Rev. N. R, Wood, who presented the resolution for the public questions committee, said that public opinion could no doubt be a powerful factor in having this problem remedied, and he suggested that people who heard such broadcasts should sit down and write a letter of protest to the broad-, casting authorities.