CHURCH AND POLITICS

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 March 1943, Page 4

CHURCH AND POLITICS

BISHOP HOLLAND’S VIEWS

WELLINGTON, March 8. The Bishop of Wellington (Rt. Rev. H. St. Barbe Holland), in an article in the diocesan paper, the ‘ Churcn and the People,” attacks the motive of self-interest in the minds ol voters, and defines the Church’s attitude to political parties. “In the minds oi many of oui people,” he says, “there is, so lar as 1 can gather, a complete misconception of the place the Church has m the life of the community. Here in New Zealand we seem to be divided into two camps, not so much by political principles as by the material desiies of those who dwell within the borders of each camp. I must confess that 1 was much disturbed during the last General Election by the fact that 1 hardly came across one voter who was bent on discovering which oi the political programmes. presented to him would be in the interests of the nation and the community as a whole. Rather, every man was asking wmen party would give him personally the biggest dividend of protection and prosperity. This attitude comes perilously near the class war, and is the bastard child of democracy. Bishop Holland adds: “So strong is the motive of self-interest even in the minds of church people that they tend to regard the Church as a bulwark of that order of society which ensures stability or security for themselves. . If they are on the right, they regard it as the Church’s duty to defend their status quo. If they are on the left, they demand that the Church shall undermine the present order and create one according to their liking. From their different viewpoints the Church must be the bulwark of vested interests, either on the right or on the left. “It is their failure to see that the Church must first and last be the bulwark ol truth as God reveals it to each generation that tends to create a division and misunderstanding botn outside and within the Church itself. If in this year we are to move forward as a great fellowship entrusted with the grave responsibility of leading the nation to know things which belong unto its peace, the Church must be neither National Party at prayer nor Labour Party at prayer. It must stand at the heart of the nation’s life, directing its citizens away from selfregarding aims. It must be fearless, revealing what is inconsistent with God’s will and purpose in our political, social, and economic life. It must indicate the nature of the positive demands which it must make if it is to be faithful to its Divine mission.”