Bishop’s plea to avoid witch hunt

Press, 5 December 1979, Page 3

Bishop’s plea to avoid witch hunt

New Zealanders should refrain from any w’itch hunt into what caused the recent Antarctic aircraft crash, believes the Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt Rev. W. A. Pyatt). Bishop Pyatt was preaching a sermon at a memorial service in Christchurch Cathedral yesterday for those who died in the Air [New Zealand DCIO crash on November 28. “There will be. because human beings are made like that, a temptation to say he did it, or the Government or jthe airline is at fault, and so on.” Bishop Pyatt said. “When we are hurt, we ; are a bit like animals and !we scratch.

[ “God protect us at this ! time from any desire to pursue a witch hunt, from any more than an objective search for the causes. God ■ save us from that kind of vicious delight in putting down victims which is so [often the aftermath of [tragedy.” He believed that when ■ people spoke of tragedy they i often said: Tt was meant to! [be. it was God’s will. ‘[ He thought this was “the I ikind of glib statement which [rolled off the tongue as an easy solution,” but he did 'not accept it. : This would imply that God intended tragedy, Bis-1 :hop Pyatt said. It would: [mean that He knew about,! ■ intended, planned, and even! I permitted an Air New Zealand DC 10 to crash at full! ■ power into an Antarctic ridge. That was not the God he tworshipped. he said.