Sickness and cause

Press, 19 April 1982, Page 20

Sickness and cause

Sir,—lf my generalisation is unacceptable to M. T. Moore (April 15), a specific example in Matthew xix, 16, Mark x. 17, and Luke xiii, 18, depicting a rich young man, lovable, yet' unacceptable to Jesus, may prove helpful This man kept some of the Ten Commandments. One is conspicuous by its absence, namely. "Thou shall not covet " This was the young mans problem: not his wealth, but his covetousness and failure to aid the needy. Covetousness is rife in NewZealand today, manifesting itself in materialism and a disregard for the needs of others. If even this one commandment were kept by all New Zealanders and Jesus' remedy applied. our crime rate would fall. Eight more of the Ten Commandments are endorsed by Jesus. Each, if adopted, would reduce our crime rate further. Christianity has not failed to solve New Zealand's problems; it simply has not been nationally tried. — Yours, etc., B. CRAWLEY. April 16. 1982. Sir,-To slur the credibility of Christianity M. T. Moore says. "In Japan, where only 3 per cent of the population accept Christ, the rate of crime per capita is the world's lowest." (Actually the quota is less than 2 per cent.) It is nowrevealed that the Japanese Imperial Government approved the country's vile plans for biological warfare (article in "The Press" today). The attraction was a devastating method of warfare cheap to produce. Tests were made using human guinea-pigs. Bubonic plague victims died agohising deaths in a germ factory in Japan. Surely this is the highest form of inhumanity inflicted on mankind. Apparently “Unit 731” could have changed the course of the war. if it had’not been brought to an abrupt ending at. Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Positive Christianity has a staying influence on all nations arid is much needed in America today.-Yours, etc., A. DELHANTY. April 15. 1982.