A RELIGIOUS WAR.

Evening Star, Issue 23564, 1 May 1940, Page 4

A RELIGIOUS WAR.

TO THE EDITOK. Sir, —You published a message for Anzac Day from the great men of the Dominion, but it lacked the one reference to make it a live document, although at the foot of the list of its many signatories there appeared the names of the very cream of the churches of New Zealand. Had some men been asked to affirm this manifesto they would have refused until a direction was inserted as to the course to follow that wo might “ witldiold nothing that can contribute to our strength and an acknowledgment of our only, yet certain, hop'- of victory. The Rev. H. J. Ryburu has discovered the crux of the crisis, for in his Anzao Day address he proclaimed this to be a religious war. He even used (either intentionally or no) Joel’s prophetic adjective to describe it—the terrible day of the Lord; and terrible it is, for we read tin’s past week of the 3,000 washed up on the beach around Oslo. Meanwhile our nation might be immune if united ; yet in this national message of Anzac we are, as a people, too stiif-uecked to acknowledge the Almighty’s care of our nation in the past, and still too selfreliant to publicly turn to Him to save

us from calamity and bring us to a speedy victory for flight against Might. No wonder the Prime Minister last week raised the question “ if Britain goes down,” if he believes the “ outcome (of the ivar) will depend upon the determination of the people^of all nations.” If that be true, Britain certainly is as good as lost already, and civilisation as well (as H. G. Wells moots); for the anti-Christian forces of might, when they have been finally all marshalled together, far exceed the forces for right. But it is not true; the outcome depends on God, not on man. Would that New Zealand and the Empire might learn it quickly.— I am, etc., G. Steel. April 28. ["The manifesto referred to stated.: “ HoAA r ever the war develops, one thing is certain: its outcome will depend upon the determination of the peoples of all nations, including our own, to unite in a common purpose to bring into being the spirit of love, honesty, and unselfishness which alone can provide the basis for a lasting peace.”— Ed. E.S.]