LLOYD GEORGE AND THE CHURCHES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 21 October 1911, Page 6

LLOYD GEORGE AND THE CHURCHES

MODERN RESPONSIBILITY. The Chancellor of the Exchequer laid the foundation stone of a new Baptist Church, at Seven Sisters, recently, and made a speech, which the "Times" thus reports:— "Mr. Ltloy<f George said that in re'ferring to recent events a part of the English pres had alluded to Wales as an uncivilised nation. Similar events bad 'taken place in (Liverpool where they broke skulls in order to show their intensity of faith, in the Christian religion. Those events Svtre to be deplored, but instead of commenting w r ith prejudice on race relations, the press should face facts in a spirit of sobriety. A great wave of impatience with economic conditions prevailed, and it was imperative that the should undertake immediately the task of improving-the material conditions of the people. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHURCHES. "Mr. Lloyd Gt-orge should like to say a few words -with regard to the conditions of life to-day. 1 am not sure that the Churches have 'realised the responsibilities which rest "upon them for contending with these Symptoms"- and ' curing them. The first function of a Ghurch is a spiritual ione, •but it ihas another duty to the material "welfare of: its members. The multitudes may not ttelieve in the promise of the Unseen until they see a better realisation of the" promise. One of the tasks the ■Christian —Church undertook after its foundation was to improve the material 'conditions of its members and to set aside officers for that purpose. There are 'certain people to-day. who talk about 'Ananias. Ananias was a man who made a false return of the property he had sold In order t<s reduce his contribution to the 'community to which he belonged. There ire many'men of that tyjpe to-day. The first .responsibility of the Christian •Churches of this country is to set aright :the wrongs from which the masses of the country are suffering. There are multitudes of people in this country to-day who, in spite of grinding toil, do not earn enough, to keep body and soul together. T)n the other hand, there are others who toil not neither do they spin, yet-have a 'superabundance. As long as we have "these conditions, we will have these outbursts. v "It will ibe said that lam setting class against class. That is just a parrot screech, of every barren scribbler and tattler- who does not possess enough imagination even to invent a new phase of against society to call attention to the exists to-day and every "day inylife, then all I can say is that social conditions and organisation call "for immediate readjustment. "We have members "of Christian Churches, men who are -well off and never- missed a delicacy, yet- who are - angry" when -an effort is made by any class of the population to ameliorate its conditions. J say let them" examine the conditions under which hundreds of thousands—nay millions—of peqple seek to earn a living themsdves and their wives and children, and if they think that these tonditions are satisfactory I would advise them to.follow the <penance of the Catholic practice for six months and live on the wages of thi people of this country and try to keep their families on the pittance millions of our workers are compelled .to live upon. It would cure them of one of the worst sins—the sin of unoharitableness.; *> •-.'*. IF THE CHURCHES DO NOT ASSIST "He appealed to them to cease their reviling and consider the conditions under which people lived. They had just emerged from What might have been one of the most disastrous catastrophes,and 'they now had time to reflect. Let them, "honestly search out the cause and not recriminate. If they did not do so the next struggle would. Ibe infinitely worse. The community was becoming more intelligent, and they could* hot impose on their fellow-countrymen. If the Christian Churches did not assist in remedying the conditions they would x be left behind. Be appealed to them to realise their responsibilities and lift the pt.-ople up to a higher level of life."