RELIGIOUS ILLITERACY

Evening Star, Issue 23836, 17 March 1941, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ILLITERACY

nSLATiCNSHIP OF CBMI AND STATE FUTURE OF !!UMAH!TY AT STAK ll’km Unut.ii I’uuss Association.] WELLINGTON, Miu-cli 10. The relationship that should exist between iiio Cbmvb and the Stale "as discussed by the Bishop of Wellington, the Right llcv. H. St. Barhe Holland, in liis sermon at a service lield to-day in the Cathedral Church of St. Paid to mark the opening of Parliament. The service was attended by Lady Neivall. wire of the Goc ernor-Cenera 1 (Sir Cyril Xewall). the J’riine .liinisler C\!r Eraser) and Mrs Fiaser. Ministers of the Crown, members of both ,-louse* df Par! ament, representatives of the judiciary, diplomats, representatives of the armed forces, and civic dignitaries. The lessons were read by the Prime Minister. The Governor-General was to have done this, butt he was ill in bed and unable to attend the service.

“ Wo who have any knowledge of history,” Bishop Holland said, ” are aware that the political and economic liberties which we enjoy to-day are mainly the result of a struggle ior religions liberty in past centuries, and of the fact that out of the demand tor religious liberty grew an overt'helming demand for political liberty. We must remember that with the. onset of this vast world war wo art', at the same time, faced with growing gocllessness and with disillusion and decay, winch are fatal to freedom, fatal to social life, and fatal to personality, all because we were lotting God pass out of onr world. But events are bringing ns to onr senses. People are beginning to think realistically and objectively.

“ 1 sec nothing but shipwreck ahead for onr nation.” Bishop Holland concluded. “ I can see no prospect of our democratic people being able to offer to the world any alternative to the grim arbitrament of war ns a means of settling the manifold issues raised by international relationships unless somehow or other the religious illiteracy of our own people is cheeked. Nothing but close fellowship between the Church ami the State can effect this, for if the Church tries, as is the case now, to. do it alone, men will turn and say that as far as the practical problems of life, are concerned tiio State considers religion an irrelevant issue.”