CHURCH AND RAFFLING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16033, 27 September 1915, Page 7

CHURCH AND RAFFLING

THE RECENT DEPUTATION

REV. W. BEATTY'S VIEW.

" NOT REPRESENTATIVE."

It seems, pitiful that we ministers of religion display such unanimity in condemning the laults, real or supposed, of other men, and such a want of unanimity in co-operating for good purposes." This sentence is an extract from a letter written by the Rev. W. Beatty, of St. Mark's Church, Remuera, to Mr. George Elliot, chairman of the executive of the Patriotic and War Relief Association. .The letter forms an . interesting contribution to the public discussion on the question of the attitude of the churches towards art unions or raffles promoted to raise funds for soldiers and their dependants. --•'May I respectfully point out that some words ■ of yours may convey a wrong impression, wrote Mr. Beatty. You say 'the various . churches have plainly . intimated to us, through their representatives, that they cannot support or adopt a scheme for raising money in which 'raffles are employed.' This does not seem fto me an exact account »of the position,' which is simply that a certain number of ministers of religion have put forth a declaration of their views and intentions..- So far as the Anglican Church is concerned, neither bishop nor clergy can claim to represent the people in this matter. They were not deputed by the laity to attend a conference and decide on a policy. Their utterances are simply expressions of their personal opinions, and have no representative character or authority. I dare not arro- . gate to myself the right to speak for my parishioners unless they had commissioned me formally to do so. "It would be a very great pity if ■the impression got abroad that the * churches ' were on one side ' and the general public on the. other, in a' matter affecting national duty. It is important to have it clearly understood that what has been sain 1 is, whether right or wrong, merely the opinion of a number of clergy, and does not emanate from and cannot bind the conscience or determine the action of the members ,of the churches. The .clergy are.not the Church, though they often appear to think so. Personally, I am not in love with carnivals, though I think they are less likely to do moral and spiritual injury than ' missions' and ' revivals.' At the same time, 1 recognise that people may be serious, earnest, determined, sympathetic, without being gloomy. Men who enlist cannot be said to be blind to the gravity of the situation, and yet we find that they go to dances and other forms of amusement.

"As to raffles, I am sure that it is a misuse of language and misleading to the public conscience to describe them as gambles. The essence of gambling is taking a risk which for the man taking it is an excessive one. To call me a gambler because I may put a shilling or a half-crown into a raffle or a sweepstake displays either hopeless ignorance or invincible prejudice. The bad effect that betting may and does have in various kinds of sport is quite a different thing. That is simply the pot-hunting spirit in its worst form. And it robs our protests and denunciations of most, if not all, of their force, when we mix up in things that are essentially different, and brand as actually evil everything that is capable of abuse and has been abused.

"Lastly, it seems pitiful that we ministers of religion display such unanimity in condemning the faults, real or supposed, of other men, and such a want of unanimity in co-operating for good purposes."

PROTEST AGAINST PROPOSALS. SERMONS IN- THE CHURCHES. Sermons bearing upon the Queen Carnival were preached at a number of Auckland city and suburban churches yesterday. In the morning the preachers urged their congregations to give to the patriotic funds, and in the evening the evils of gambling were referred to. A resolution was passed by the congregation of the Edendale Presbyterian Church at the close of the evening service. It recorded a protest against any relaxation of the law against lotteries whidh would~~permit lotteries to be held in connection with the Auckland carnival, believing that such lotteries would be detrimental to the best interests of the community. Copies of the resolution will be sent to the Prime Minister, the Minister for Internal Affairs, and the member for tjhe district.