CHRISTIAN UNITY "Holier- Than-Thou Attitude” Deplored

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30768, 4 June 1965, Page 18

CHRISTIAN UNITY "Holier- Than-Thou Attitude” Deplored

The holier-than-thou attitude sometimes adopted by one Christian church towards another was something that could well be done without, the Rev. T. P. Cloher said in a sermon at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Manchester street, as part of the week of prayer for Christian unity. This attitude, still evident today, suggested, “we are all right, pity you are all wrong,” Father Cloher said. “At its worst, you might observe a church more concerned with the faults of another than its own, so fascinated by its own achievements that it cannot recognise what over Christians are accomplishing. “Few things were more alien to Christ the Lord than arrogance and self-centred-ness. In a single generation religious bigotry could be decently interred if all who claim the name of Christian would do two things—repent of their own faults and readily acknowledge the good achieved by Christian communities other than their own. Our country and our God, together with the cause of Christian reunion, would be well served thereby.” he said. Father Cloher said there was a seeming paradox in his theme. “Repentance and Reunion.” Reunion was a concept which should evoke feelings of joy and gladness, not sorrow. What had repentance to do with it? he asked. “In the context of Christian division it has a great deal to do with the progress we hope for. No Christian, whatever his persuasion, can deny that a great deal of sectarian strife has been as regrettable as it was ineffectual. But there’s no point in denying that it happened. That would only distort reality,” he said. “Probably most of the Christians involved were sorry for it themselves, even in their own lifetime. Doctrinal differences were one thing, uncharitable attitudes and unjust reprisals quite another. Nor is it our task today to apportion blame. Where blame there is, the Lord himself can apportion it well enough.”

Father Cloher said the sins of division could not be relegated to the past, however. “We cannot shirk our own share of the responsibility. If Christian division has been perpetuated so thoroughly most Christians have caused it to be so.” he said.

Christian discipleship in the 1960 s meant far more than being a faithful and loyal Presbyterian, said the Rev D. Glenny in St Stenhen’s Presbyterian Church, Bryndwr. “It

includes this, but goes far beyond it. We are members of the world church, and our service is to that world church,” he said. It is a part of our discipleship now to be impatient with every barrier that stands between men and to work for its removal. “There was a time when interest in the movement towards the unity of the church was an optional thing which some Christians went in for if they had the inclination and the interest. “This is no longer so,” Mr Glenny said. “To serve Christ in our time means to be heavily engaged in praying and working and longing for unity. This is no longer an optional extra, a special interest, but the daily work of Christ’s faithful people. “There are people who have no enthusiam for the work of Christian unity, and they ask us why we have. This is a serious question, and it must be answered and the answer has to be a good one. “We must tell them that we work and pray for Christian unity not because we think it is a good idea and ratheFenjoy it. We work and pray for unity We work and pray for unity because it is God’s idea and this is what God is doing with us. God is at work in the hearts and minds of Christians. We call this work the work of the Holy Spirit. We would never think up anything so marvellous, but God does, and He goes to work, in His people, to see that it comes to fulfilment,” said Mr Glenny.