Baptists oppose a Ministry of Sport

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33068, 8 November 1972, Page 18

Baptists oppose a Ministry of Sport

The Baptist Assembly in Christchurch yesterday decided that New Zealand did not need a Ministry of Sport and Recreation, after it almost voted against considering the matter at all.

Speaking in favour of the Ministry, the Rev. M. Bowden said that a Ministry which promoted sport would counter moral deterioration in society.

“It is better to invest in sport, and invest millions of dollars, than to spend it on taverns and T.A.8.5,” he said. The church has too often confronted the public with a negative morality. This is a positive step; it can do nothing but good for our way of life.” The Rev. G. Smith (Thames): “If we vote against this motion we are losing by default to the breweries and tobacco companies. They might have some interest in the welfare of bur young people but they are more concerned with promoting their product.” Mr J. Shaw (Christchurch): “No Ministry of Sport is going to make people play sport if they don’t want to. Young people won’t give you 6c for a sport they don’t want to play, but they’ll spend all night drinking if they want to. “There are many organisations for youth all over the country, but membership is fallin geveryhere. Yet facilities are the best we have ever had.

“People would not start to play sports even if the Ministry of Sport did provide subsidies. The Rev. T. Pittams (Whangarei): A Ministry of Sport could provide subsidies and financial help but what could it do beyond this. It can’t help anyone to be less aimless. This is a personal responsibility.” One speaker said that the discussion about the Ministry: was just another example of; the kind of trivia that had attracted the news media to the assembly. The Baptists were better at diagnosing .the causes of the sick society, he said. When the assembly considered letting the motion!

lapse Mr Bowden said that he was ashamed and amazed that the conference "didn’t ave the guts to decide on anything.” “Throw it out if you like,” he said. “But do something.”