TIMELY TOPICS

Northern Advocate, 15 June 1935, Page 8

TIMELY TOPICS

CHURCH UNION. ’ The Governor of New South Wales, Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven, speaking at the 79th annual meeting of the Church of England Home Mission Society, referred, “as a layman look-er-on,” to the benefits which, he said, would follow a union of the Churches. “I believe that the time has come when we have to overlook minor differences of form in our religious observances in order to obtain greater substance in the influence of Christianity as a whole,” he said. “If the Churches wish to extend their influence, if they wish to denounce practices which they consider are contrary to the teachings of the Bible they will effect more if their action is combined and unanimous than by efforts of individual denominations, however sincere and unremitting they may be. “These,” the Governor added, “arc only the passing thoughts of a layman, but we know that lookers-on see most of the game.” “I know,” the speaker continued, “to what 'a great extent the Christian Church can influence the public life of this country, and the opportunities which exist for this work. I say that in the gi’eatest sincerity, because I realise the blessings that flow from the work of the Church. This work is being done by encouragement and help, but there should not be lack of judging and criticism if the Church appears to fall short of its Christian ideals. Provided the Church confines itself to questions of right and wrong, to moral and spiritual issues, as distinct from purely political issues, its influence must be far-reach-

ing. If the Church is convinced that j the causes of the country’s troubles j are not merely economic and material, but moral and spiritual, it should not hesitate to sgy so in plain terms. “I am afraid,” he said, “that we must admit that we arq living in a materialistic age. There is a tendency to neglect our religion for material things. We are all anxious to check that trend of materialism, and I cannot help feeling that the co-operation of all denominations is essential to bring that about.” ! <S> <•> <S> <S> <*> JEWS’ EQUALITY. Rabbi E. M. Levy l , who has been newly appointed to the Great Synagogue, Sydney, speaking at a recep ■ tion tendered to him by the Lord Mayor, claimed equality for Jews in the civil and political life of the community in whatever country they resided. “I don’t want to be better than anyone else,” he said, “because I am a Jew. I don’t want the Jews to be supreme. All I want, and all that the Jews want, is to be regarded as being on an equality, as citizens, with all other sections of the community in whatever country they reside. It is satisfying and encouraging to leai’n that in Australia there are jews like Sir Daniel Levy and Mr George Judah Cohen, and men of the calibre of the late Sir John Monash, but in the army they wanted plain ‘Tommies’ as well as generals and col onels. I should like to think that the plain Jewish ‘Tommies’ are doing their part to honour the Empire. I want to feel that we Jews are sometimes very undistinguished, and that, if Jews succumb to the ordinary weaknesses of the human, their frailty be attributed to their humanity rather than to their religion.” <£ <s> & Words That Tell a Story. PONTIUS PILATE’S BODYGUARD. —This is the name by which the First Foot Guards Regiment of the British Army was known. When called le Regiment de Douglas, and serving in the French Army, they had a dispute with the Picardy Regiment about the antiquity of their respective troops. The Picardy officers declared that they were on duty on the night of the Crucifixion. To this the colonel of the' First Foot replied; “If we had been on guard we would not have slept at our posts.” <s> <S> <*> • ❖ <s> Words of Wisdom. Whatever man may outwardly say, as he thinks, so is he. —Owen. <s> <S> *> Tale of the ■ Day. Mother: “No, Tommy, I’ve told you a dozen times, I won’t give you a penny for sweets.” ■ Tommy (in aggrieved tones): “1 don’t see where dad gets the idea that you are always changing your mind 1” '