THE INCONSISTENCIES OF CHRISTIANS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 13815, 31 July 1905, Page 10

THE INCONSISTENCIES OF CHRISTIANS.

The series of meetings for men inaugurated by the Rev R. S. Gray was continued at the Oxford Terraco Baptist schoolroom last evening, when the discussion of the inconsistencies of Christians was resumed. Mr Gray presided over a very largo attendance. The first speaker was Air C. Maokie, who said that in bringing charges _or inconsistency speakers must discriminate between real and professing Christians. .It was not necessary to hunt round the churches only for inconsistencies, for they were to bo found outside just as well as in tho churches. - Mr Joyce said that he agreed with Air Mackie’s statement in that ho believed that the churches had no monopoly of in consistency, nor had they tho monopoly of ideals. Many people who did not go to church came within the best definition of Christians. The sectarian atmosphere of the churches bred inconsistencies and led to narrowness, which resulted in the refusal to accept as church members those who would not subscribe to certain doctrines.

Air Curtis said that it was not right to condemn the whole church because some of the members were not true Christians, The opponents of churchgoing were'On tho "'wrong tack, for they •should go into the churches and help to clean them.. , He went to church in order that he might be taught to study God’s Word., /

Mr Fisher said that the history of tho church prevented him'.,from going;. It was a struggle for power and a scheme of crime right from the.' beginning. Moreover,’ lie could not harmonise tho practices of the church dignitary who received something like £SOOO a year anti asked the people who were earning six or seven shillings a day to subscribe to his salary. The, church, was not humanitarian.

Mr Griffiths said that tho churches preached love, but under tho present conditions of life it was impossible for a man to love his follows and tho churches could not practice what they preached. Tho chairman said that the moral law of Christ was binding not only on Christians. A man was not perfect because he was a Christian, and the Christian did not cease to be a man. Charges of inconsistency could not fairly be made against men who were sincere in their desire to ho Christians and admitted that they wore only in a growing stage. Ho agreed that it was a scandal that the man who earned'six or seven shillings a day should he asked to help a man who had perhaps £I2OO a year as a minister. No man should take more than that which fairly allowed him to make docent provision for himself and his i.unily, but no man should have ininecessary anxiety about the necessaries of life. "Those men who said that they were Christians but could not go to church might start other churches and keep the pure faith, or they should do something to clear the churches of inconsistency. They should at least justify their attitude by putting forward something constructive. It was decided that the subject for discussion at next Sunday’s meeting should be “The Personality of God,” and that a committee should be formed at that meeting to assist Mr Gray in arranging tho programme for future discussions.