MR ROSS'S WATERLOO.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 2778, 20 October 1923, Page 2

MR ROSS'S WATERLOO.

(To the Sdittrr). Sir,—Might I again suggest to you that your adOptiflh of poi-Tiouse phraseology, such as "chasing Mr Ross from hole to hole like a rabbit in a sandhill," contributes nothing of an intellectual nature to our discussion, whilst you, not I, suffer a. Joss of dignity by such inane assertions. At" last I have gat you to coafess your belief in the judicial and legal method; of investigation. Now, my point is, that the alleged cures you believe to be facts have not been subjected to that judicial and legal method of investigation, hence if you really believe that a Judicial and legal method of investigation is necessary in. order to arrive at the truth, your mental attitude in believing to be facts things which have not been so treated, iB obviously and logically unreasonable. The other matters in your note I will' defer referring to till a future occasion as I promised in my last letter to review • the "How I was Healed" pamphlet, which you were good enough to send me.

For the benefit of those of your readers who have not seen this pamphlet, I might state that it contains 51 pages, almost every line of which could be a matter of criticism, therefore the exigency of space alone .prevents me touching on all the matters contained therein. The title of this pamphlet reads as follow: "How I Was Healed," or "A New Zealand Miracle—an autobiographical sketch of Miss Fannie ■ Lammas, Nelson, New Zealand; by the Rev. Joseph Kemp." Thus at the start the very title page shows an intention to deceive. The dictionary meaning of "autobiography" is the biography of life of a person written by him or herself. The title page of this pamphlet, whilst stating that it is an autobiography, declares, at the same time, that it is "by the Rev. Joseph ! Kemp." Therefore it is not what it claims to be. In the preface is the following statement, signed by the Rev, Kemp: "The Church of God should be warned of the many healing movements whioh, in our day, claim to be of God. There are the miraculous pretensions of Roman Catholicism. We have also Christian science which has become a menace to Scriptural Christianity, and a deep mortification to all rational and sensible Christians. There k also the devil's world-wide revival of Spiritism, which flings its claims to healing far and wide. The movement known as Emmanuclism, which, in essence, would seem to be n selfish turning to God for temporary help, and then going on as before. From all such fallacious fads, farces, and fanaticisms may the Church be delivered" In this extract is contained a confession of the most rabid secta.r_ ianism. When the Roman Catholic Church, Christian Scientists, Spiritualism, or Emmanuelism effect alleged cures and produce evidence of such, just as reliable as the Hickson Mission, we are urged not to believe them. According to this reverend gentleman, these alleged cures are "fallacious tads and fanaticisms." Before they can be considered genuine, these alleged cures must have been effected by "out" Church, and not by any other religious sect. How these religious sects and trust each other. The Roman Catholic Chnrch and the other seots Mr Kemp refers to have just as much right and reason to apply the. same epithets to the alleged cures of Mr Kemp's religious sect as he has to. apply those epithets to the alleged cures of the Roman Catholic Church. This will be auite obvious to everyone not blinded by narrow sectarian bigotry.

The pamphlet states that Miss Lammas, during her lifp of sickness, was continuously •praying to God for help. Her words are: "I prayed and prayed until I agonised in prayer." She declares that she had vißitations from Christ, "Who put Hi* arms round me." Indeed, she says, "Those arms were always there, although I did not feel them." Assuming that these illusions were true —which, or course, no thinking man believes —they were simply' illußlans are of the mind. Yet the outstanding fact is that all this praying for help to God, all these visitations from Christ, Miss Lammas confesses, did -not cure her. She says: "Early In February I heard of Ratana, a Maori they called the Miracle Man." She doesn't say that she got to hear of Ratexia through any spiritual agency —she .iust heard about Mm in the ordinary humam way. In spite of all 3ier prayers, in spite of her frequent visitation from Christ, no fcrnt even was given to her that <sod's Palth-healr mg agent in Ttfew Zealand -was Rafcana. Surely all her faith' and prayers were deserving of a better reward than what ahe confesses. She just heard about Ratana in the «Bme way that all ordinary sceptics heard of him. Ratana's alleged successes amongst the Maoris is, of course, attributable to the fact that the Maoris have scarcely y©f reached, as a race, the intellectual level or the white race, therefore the larget proportion of credulity amongst them ean logically be expected. In the whole of this' pamphlet there are muck the same assertions s« are made in relation to ] other alleged cures of organic disease. | Hiss Lammas'* evidence *»&« not been j subjected to that critical investigation which you, Mr Editor, have admitted is necessary In order to 'arrive at facts.* Further, if .Miss Lammas'* case been treated by a "Roman Catholic instead of by gataua—end the Roman Catho. lie Church can produce sncKi cases—then the reverend gentleman, who-ap-parency edits the booklet, would ;have denounced it—to use his own language—ag a fallacious fad, a laxce. etc. According to tile reverend gentleman, cur church nlone has the monopoly of faith-healing—similar alleged cures by Oliver churches arc -to be treated as fanaticism. —I am, etc., R. ROSS.

{Poor Mr Rossi What & pitiful

evasion of -a great opportunity. Just look again at <34s precious effusion. Like a. drowning man act a straw "Mr Ross dutches at a chance to Jiuibble over £he title, and then wastes snort than two-thirds of h% letter ovet the very brief introduction written by the Rev Joseph Kemp. He dare not face squarely Miss liammas'« fine story. He

has deliberately shirked the issue. Once 'again he falls back on his miserable evasion of a judicial investigation. Whv, the little book is full of evidence that no one in New Zealand— except Mr Robs—has dared to question. And to crown all, after two and a-half years, Miss Lammas testifies that she is better in health to-day than eVer before. If Mr Row will peruse this week's "Weekly Press".he will see further evidence that would be accepted by any Court of Law in a picture of Miss Lammas and a testimony that rings true as the permanency of her cure But why pursue this discussion any 'further. Nothing will pierce Mr Ross's "mental armour." Hu does not iutend that it shbuld be pierced. Surely he must be the original Scot who-said: "I am open to conviction, but I'd like to meet the man who could convince me'" This correspondence is now Closed.—Ed. M.D.T.] j