"CHILDISH CAST."

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17523, 5 July 1917, Page 8

"CHILDISH CAST."

IDLE SUNDAYS CONDEMNED^

Professor Mackenzie made some caus* tic remarks about churches and Sunday observance in the.course of a;lecture delivered by him at the Unitarian Church, Wellington:'on Sunday night. He outlined the origin of the development of tho Sabbath day, which ho traced to a Babylonian source. In modern times the spirit underlying babatarianism seemed to be ihe desire.to make man for the Sunday rather than the Sunday for the man. The shadow was taken for the substance.; ;, " Let men have dono with the childish cant about the sanctity of partifilardays," said the lecturer. The Christian whoso life and work would not as close a scrutiny on any day rof the week as a Sunday was a oounterteit Christian. , , The highest forms, of human worship and prayer .wero work and s service, not words. The real Christian could not divide Sunday from-tb£yrest of tho week. Honest work, vice and honest business were the' best that sound religion and true worship could produce. At a time of national emergency reason and religion, demanded that the community shoiUd make the Sundav joint labourer with the rest of the week. There was. no Sunday or holiday for the soldier. How could people say they were keeping the Suuday holv and honouring God <-$j spending their time in glorified idleness in church when they might be up and doing for God and their fellow-mefa ? Tho churches should organise themselves for social and national service. \ Professor Mackenzie advocated ,;.the spending of Sunday in the raising of food supplies. It was high time that the clergy and the churches gave some practical proof of the faith that was hi iTiom by volunteering for national fcexvice. So far they had mbstly v con« fined their service to sitting-in judgment on the irest: of the community. In Britain to-day agricultural laboui was in full swing on Sundays. The same service was required in the Do* minion. ..: