SOCIAL ILLS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 51, 1 March 1934, Page 22

SOCIAL ILLS

VALUE OF GOOD WILL

UNITARIAN IDEALS

Replying to the addresses of welcome made at a reception to Mm at the Pioneer Club last evening,, thel Rev. Cyprus R. Mitchell, M.A., 8.D., Ph. D., the new pastor of the "Wellington Unitarian Free Church, said that the speakers had given him a fine spirit and ideal with which to enter upon his work. He had been given both inspiration and direction. " , "I am but expressing a truism —or what should .be a truism —in pointing out, 3' saia Dr. Mitchell, "that there is enough good will, enough social good intention, in this and any modern community to make for a satisfactory solution of' all our social and moral ills — and even of all our spiritual ills!—if we could but get it organised; if we could get ' together, principally in terms of social good1 will and social intention. " And I trust that so -far as we hero present are concerned, this meeting can be taken as an earnest of a rich future co-operation. - "Speaking for. myself, and the Board of Management of the Unitarian Free Church, let me remark that we are agreed and clear in just what wo plan to aspire after. Our church wishes to be regarded as an all souls' church, to have it understood that we are in organised affiliation with the Unitarian and Free Christian Churches of Great Britain; we desire to co-operate with any church of like aims; that the ;All ■ Sbuls' Unitarian .Free Church" df Wellington, realising that life is a process rather than a state, a direction rather than a position, and being deeply convinced that religion in its various forms aspires to relate men and women to God (the creative and sustaining principle of the life-process), seeks:— (1) To worship God in spirit and truth; (2) to teach the Christian way of living in the light of man's best understanding of his growing needs and.life's unfolding meaning-" (3) to make .the principles of good will and kindness operative in the daily conduct of every person; and (4) to foster faith and hope in the ultimate purpose of life in aecoi dance with a Reasonable interpretation of love (kindness) as we know it at its experimental best. This. plan of action has been heartily endorsed by the Board of Management, and I believe that every member of our All Souls' Church is in accord with the spirit of it; "In conclusion^ I should add, perhaps, tliat tho Unitarians on account of their history and conduct are in ' a happy position in regard to those who are intensely exercised by the advances of the sciences and the influence ' of critical thought on religious belief and spiritual aspiration. "We not only aspire to be abreast of the times in terms of the advances made t>y tho sciences and by critical thought', but we seek (according to our ability) to apply the verified findings of such intellectual discoveries to the theory and technique of spiritual work and worship. We feel that it is far from being enough to be thought liberal and erudite. We are profoundly convinced that spiritual aspiration and accomplishment are the permanent foundations of any institution worthy of the name 'church.' We aspire' to be—indeed we are, according to our light—a Christian church.'' •