MORAL LAXITY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1186, 8 December 1924, Page 10

MORAL LAXITY.

WORK FOR MOTHERS’ UNION. ADDRESS BY BISHOP AYERILL. AUCKLAND, Dec. 5. The attitude of Christian womenfolk to the spirit of indifference and moral laxity manifest in the world to-day was referred to by Bishop Averill in u striking address' at the annua) festival of the Auckland Diocesan Mothers’ Union. Followers of - Christ, said the Bishop, were not meant to be a censorious band of killjoys, frowning on innocent pleasures. The world was much more likely to be impressed by the silent witness of Christian lives than by any amount of censoriousness. The world was not going to be influenced by argument, but by the silent and true witness of those who call themselves Christians. To-day, in particular, the world was luce to face with plausible appeals of those who urged the young to regard the fundamental teachings of Christ in regard to purity as oldfashioned and out of date, and to doubt the sanctity of the marriage bond. There was u strong tendency to laxity and a deep-seated absence of moral responsibility in tho world to-day. The Mothers’ Union could do much in these respects. The Bishop said he would like to see in every parish a faithful band of women, loval to Christ and His teaching, who would throw oft’ the spirit of indifference and devote themselves to the service. 'J’iie women of New Zealand could revolutionise the moral standard of the Dominion if they would refuse to accept into society and refuse to elect into Parliament men whoso characters would not stand investigation.