THE CHURCHES AND SOCIALISM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 511, 19 May 1909, Page 4

THE CHURCHES AND SOCIALISM.

~_ Sir,—Permit me to. answer,, the , letter signed' "Wake: Up" in your issue .of Saturday, 15th. Your correspondent, says that tho churches in Now. Zealiuid l! h : (ive so.' far. maintained, a stony silence on tho Labour 'question? :. This is. not true. .1 know many miii-. istors,' both of tho.'Anglican : . and ' ;Freo Churches, who -give. Socialism-a verypromin-' ent place in their sermons. It is true they do not giye.it first-place, but why should they? 1 The Gospel'.has to do primarily, with individual character.:, According to the New Testament, tho broad problem is, first'in order of tirao, but not first in order of im-. portariec* .Your correspondent also' says that if tho churches advocate Socialism,' th'ey wih be .supported, by ,tlio sturdy. band at "social roformors outside the.church.. But this has not so far proved' itself to bo true.,'.! I knojt one minister in particular who preached Socialism.in a place-where there-was a Socialist Society of . some,' twenty-five . mombers, but not more than"throe : out,of thosov.twcrity'five ever attended his services, or gave him one word of encouragement. : :jThe-parson who advocates' Socialism to-day lias to tread, tho ■wiue-press alone. ... Unfortunately,'-tlio majority or;-those'.who"advocate Socialism; (in' Now' Zealand j at: all events) do-so with selfish motives; and when, a man comes forward who advocates''. it with unselfish motives, ho -is suspected, or, at least,- not understood.—l am, etc., . ' : - ■ , ■'-"■■■' ':"■ : WIDE AWAKE. Otaki, May 17. - - -