SPORTS ACTIVITY ON SUNDAYS

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27992, 12 June 1956, Page 10

SPORTS ACTIVITY ON SUNDAYS

VIEWS OF BAPTIST UNION RESOLUTIONS PASSED AT ‘ ANNUAL MEETING I . Concern at the “increasing tencency ’ of sports bodies calling toI* gether training squads for Sunday . practice was expressed in a resolution t nassed by the Canterbury and West- ; land Auxiliary of the Baptist Union • of ™?’, Zealand at its annual meeting. ; While appreciating the stand of th£ ; New Zealand Rugby Union and the ; New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association taken against official games and c 9 m P p titions on a Sunday, many church attenders who are keen supporters of sport are forced to choose between loyalty to their faith and k.. unday plav, and thus jeopardise their places in their teams. In particular, officials of representative teams are urged to set an example in this matter by arranging practices on davs other than Sundays. Players of all churches are asked to join with Pantists in making a stand on this matter.’’ said the resolution. 4 State Aid for Schools “We consider that in New Zealand we have an excellent system of secular education, which is progressive, non-partisan and free for all. We hold most strongly that no system of education is complete that does not afford instruction in the Christian faith as set forth in the Bible,” said a resolution on the question of State aid

i to schools. “Moreover, this teaching is 1 the function of lhe churches and not of the State. We are grateful to the school committees and the authorities who give all ministers of religion and accredited lav-folk the right of entry into State schools and impart Biblical knowledge on a non-sectarian basis. As a denomination ‘complete religious freedom for all’ has been the historic watch-cry of Baptists and we stress the right of any religious group to nropagate its own tenets, but it must be at its .own charges. In the opinion of this auxiliary, it is not the function of the State in New Zealand to give

monetarv aid to church schools, and in this democracy the taxpayer has the undeniable right to say that taxmoneys should not be used for the purpose of the sectarian propagation of views’not held by the vast majority of loyal citizens.” said the resolution. Illegal Gambling The union also passed a resolution commending the action taken by the police and judicial authorities to suppress illegal gaming activities. “In these days when the social evil of gambling is spreading, it is encouraging to see action being taken to check illegal methods of gambling. As Baptists we regard gambling in all forms as an evil in the community,” said the resolution. “The State had le"alised certain forms of gamblin". While we do not regard such legislation as making gambling any less vicious in its social effects, we realise that the police are not in a position to take action against such activities. We do appreciate every action to limit gambling strictly within the confines of the law,” it said.