Methodist Views On Gaming, Army And Communism

Grey River Argus, 5 November 1949, Page 3

Methodist Views On Gaming, Army And Communism

NAPIER, November 4. No Christian believed that Communism could succeed, no matter what success it had achieved through its aggressiveness, said the Rev. H. J. Odell, of Christchurch, in his inaugural address as president of the Methodist Church of New Zealand at the opening session of the annual ;onference. Communism was an ideology that appeared to be threatening every civilised country of the world at a time when reports of apathy and decadence were being received from every Christian body.

The most characteristic feature of Communism was that it brought into the open causes of the failure of other civilisations. “We are compelled to admit that little progress seems to have been made in regard to better international relationships or the discovery of a basis of stable peace”, he said. “No programme of economic recovery for the broken nations of the world nor any solution of national domestic problems seems to have been attempted. What the future holds for us none would dare speculate, and to attempt to read ‘the signs of the times’ as we see and understand them is beyond the wit of the wisest man to-day”. He said: “The gaming proposals are disquieting, and we look to the implementation of the findings with some trepidation. The volume of gambling in New Zealand is already far too great, and the “proposed increase in facilities will not lead us W expect any diminution in that volume”, he said.

“On the liquor poll w e congratulate ourselves, and more particularly the Maori people, on their splendid stand over the King Counti'y question”. The country gave no uncertain reply on the matter of compulsory military training, said Mr Odell. While some might question the need, value, and wisdom of this training, few would object to the fact of training as such.

“Two things we need to watch are the possibility of wet canteens in camps, and the rights of Christian conscience”, said Mr Ordell. “Some tribunals set up during the last period of conscription failed in their function, which was to determine the sincerity of the belief held by an appellant. Instead of doing that they assumed the right to judge the validity of his belief and the result was that they established denominational discrimination. To-day th e church is to stand together on this important matter”.