CAUSES OF WORLD UNREST

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, Issue LIV, 16 October 1920, Page 5

CAUSES OF WORLD UNREST

DISCUSSION BY BAPTISTS. “The Witness of the Church to Pre-sent-day Needs,” was the subject set down for dismission, at the meeting of the Baptist Conference at Auckland last Thursday evening. The Ilev. John Laird, of Nelson, presided. The chair man said the great characteristic of the world to-day was its inrest. He claimed that this was a good' thing, and ascribed'it to the influence of Jesus Christ, who inspired men to aim at better things in all departments of human life. :

The Rev. A. IT. Collins, of Now Plymouth, said the great, evils which the Church continually denounced—drink, gambling* social impurity— 7 were but symptomatic of a still deeper evil. The supreme sin of the present day was the worship of wealth, mammonism, paganism. It was godless cajntaiism that made war possible. The competitive system of commerce was h-Udily, evil. There must be not only a sharing in the profits of industry, but a control of industry as well. Yet the Church was silent regarding war, land gambling, and the soulless system of commerce. The Labour Party was more Christian in its attitude to these matters than was the Church itself. The first duty of the Church was to repent of her silence and failure. She must teacli her people how money should be acquired and how it should be used. Money could only 'be inherited, earned, or stolon. Property could only he rightly held if it was regarded as tnc material means by which men obtained comtnunivn with Cod. The Rev. J. K. Archer, of Christchurch, said he, was afraid the money influence was becoming, too strong in the conference, and that the denomination was in danger of losing its democratic character. The churches were giving their people, no clear guidance as to economic questions. It was tme the Church gave some definite instruction regarding industrial and social problems., 1 The Rev. R. S. Gray, secretary to

the Baptist Union, said he and other ministers had discussed every phase ef „ socialism, and denied that 'Baptist f churches dodged economic questions. A passion for evangelism should bt? combined with a passion for civic and. national righteousness.' The solution of the intricate perplexities of the soc&l world had not yet been discovered. We could 1 not judge the acquisition .of wealth by ideal conditions* which* hid not yet been reached. But Christian ; mere should be careful how they msde their money and how they used it; . Thfe Rev. J. J. North, of Christchurch, said }ve were all vexed by the economic questions which pressed around us. He claimed that the only real title to property was service v en-‘ derod Ho would loathe a, church which “played lickspittle” rich mom The solution of the land profolem hard not yet boon found, but should bo eagerly* sought. There was something wrong in humanity, and socialism could never get along until human nature was yenfewed. Some men had refund to make any money out of land values. The great*thing; was to encourage service to the community.