CIVILISATION AND RELIGION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 1 May 1943, Page 2

CIVILISATION AND RELIGION

LECTURE BY ARCHBISHOP WEST-WATSON . A Workers’ Educational Association course in religion was opened in Christchurch when a lecture was given by Archbishop West-Watson on the subject, “Does the civilised world need religion?” • The Archbishop said that at the end of last century it was believed that modem civilisation owed its splendid beginning to human courage, resource, and initiative, and that what religion had given to the few humanity had given to the many. Herbert Spencer, wrote: “The ultimate development of the ideal man is logically certain.” That belief, however, had gijten way to an underlying cynicism and despair which were sapping human strength. Modern civilisation had achieved great things, of which they were justly proud, but it had failed to provide men with any adequate reason for all the trouble of living. It had distracted their attention from inward, spiritual problems and, unless the balance were restored, he thought modern civilisation as they knew it could not survive. Modern civilisation had buried religion, but had decided to make use of some of its clothing which it called Christian values. But he could not see that they would wear very well, and some of the younger people found them old-fashioned. There must be ?ome power to give validity to the values for which they were fighting, or else they could not argue with a Nazi that those values were worth more than his.

Quoting Professor Arnold Toynbee that “the successive rises and falls of civilisations may be subsidiary to the gtowth of religion,” Archbishop WestWat son said the true measure of man’s life on earth was to be found in his •■Rrastery over himself rather than in “Sis mastery over nature. The suggestion of Professor Toynbee was that “if oiir secular western civilisation perishes . Christianity may be expected not only to endure but to grow in wisdom and stature as the result of a fresh experience of secular catastrophe.” Indeed the breakdown of modern civilisation might lead to such a world order as -might be the handmaid of Christianity. -K that were true, religion was the £ cement and not the solvent of civilisation. and refusal to treat man as first x>f all a spiritual being was the solvent.