CHURCH AND SPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15499, 5 January 1914, Page 8

CHURCH AND SPORT.

RACE-GOiNG CLERGYMAN, "CLEAN SPORT" DJEFENDE® ' THE ETHICS OF BATTING. The relations between sport and tliM' Church were dealt with in an interest!* lip manner by the Rev. Jasper Calder at tif§p Anglican service which was held last eveiiJ§s ing in the St. Columba Kali .a Grelsiii Lynn. Them was a large congiegatios'iS.! including many people interested in horta! ;§ : breeding and racing, and the preacher'jfl ' remarks were followed with close attentiof Mr. Calder mado it clear in his opening' remarks that his discourse was hoi tended as a sermon, and lie further craph4?ffi]V sised the (wt, in view of tha soisewlij|ip unorthodox character of the address, tjjifSn tho building in which the congregation ttjg assembled was not a consecrated churf\Jf but a public hull which vaa used for i lar as well as religious purposes. No tsxt was chosen, but tho speaker, in a very!' direct manner, dealt with the subject, sport, horse-racing and its relation taJffj Christianity being particularly dealt with.The point of the discourse was that; clean wholesome sport was quite corapit- W( iblo with true Christianity. Mr. Ciidci i said that lie spoke as one who regu"jj]j!'.iJ/ attended race meetings and ore who toot M?; a great interest in this great sport.. "| j want," ho said, "to impress upon ail,,;'' men who go to races and the public gener-: . / all} 1 that there is no reason whatever fcr j|. concluding that because a man patronises ! racecourse he is eternally lost! There ij | no Biblical authority for that at all." |&|- In dealing with the question of betting; Mr. Calder said that whilst h? war, just as - keen and enthusiastic in regard to racing as any member of his congregation, he dij-'fl not bet. "I do not bet," lie said, "firstly : . because if I did it would offend sbiM/jJ: members of my congregation. secondly be-,:'; ctiise I do no» think that i ; if. desirable ®"- snac'. thirdly because I thin- thai ii vrplife; be wrong for me with ntj me&gta stipend to bet. I simply could not, afford i: lip' r Mr. Calder proceeded to discuss the-|f r V ethics of betting, and pointed out thatHjfi circumstances alter cases. "Take the case "Jl;,:' ho said, "of a man with £1000 a year vlio invests on the totalizator. Is he doit:| right? I certainly have no right to forbid him to do so as. his money is his own, .|| ' and fie can do what he likes with it. More- • over,' he can afford it. ' Take, however, tfo case of it young man earning 30s or £2 : ir||; week who invests in two or more £l-»' totalisatw tickets. Is that wrong? :Cjif||p tainly - it is, as ho cannot afford it, and I. in the event of loss it may tempt him toll take money'front Siis employer's till. J "; have many friends, good, devout : Chrittians, who bets : They ?.ro able to afford it and I have no !;i(.'ht to say that they ;f shall not do so. Tbae is nothing .in tba Bible ; v or the Pray; Book which says;; 'Thou shalt not J bet, ' It is .wrong, how|S|; ever, that a mar. who owes money to his grocev should co to the races and put £sjf? ; on the totalisator without asking hii;grojjsf;ii bet's, permission. That would not be honest''or straightforward." ,

Tho - preacher appealed 'to , "all sporfo", : p -'Vi not to allow their sport to drive them awaySg from religion. If they could rice and beV| ; , A with a clean conscience, he did not think ! that God would be offended. There ww nothing J wrong wi&'cUan -port any iaoK]||p than with stock exchange speculations, andiijj';*: yet many people who got up and denounced':, the evils of gambling ' never said a wordabout the gambling en the stock exchange. He 'was glad to be able to say that horseracing ivas improving and ho believed that it would continue to improve. •i'liPwl .';i havo. much in common with «portisjr."|.' meii," Mr ' Odder' wont 'on to "say; _" I .'am . always pleased - to' see faces in W|%ft|| church which I have seen at the races. I; • will be a sorry day for God and for th&|j£* Church when the feeling that religion hegins and ; ends 'within the fonr "walls-of » church is allowed to have yfay. Bueausj. yon love sport you need •• not get any, forther away from God. There is no rcat^ : jf®| at all becaiiflo a man loves horses that fcv ; should not say his prayers." ,«•« '