SOCIALISM AND CHRISTIANITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17257, 5 September 1919, Page 9

SOCIALISM AND CHRISTIANITY

S' r > —Re the article b\ Mr. Wrsiov Richards, it is true that manv pi• >u;ii:otif socialists hi all parts or the" world laythrown over the Christian religion, but nowhere has it been laid down that to be a, Socialist one must also become agnostic, atheist, or infidel. S„ciaii.-m is purelv an economic subject. Theology is quite apart and stands by i-«•!f. "The belief in immortality is something outside the .'Socialist movement, and is to do f'rtirflv with the individual. It would be nuit'e as reasonable for one to say. because Lord JNlortey used to boast years a-.;, thaiv lie always wrote the name of God wi*h a small "g," or because Mr. A. ,J. Balfour in -l 3 book, "Philosophic Doubt," is doubtful of the immortality of the soul and the existence of a Supreme ' Being, that Liberalism and Toryism are antichrist I could give ' the names of many Christian clergymen who are members of a Socialist" party in England, there is the Christian Social Union a body which has for its object the overthrow of the present system and installing in its place a Socialist Commonwealth A few years ago this partv had a membership of over 1000 clertrvmen of nearlv all denominations. I heard the Rev. Conrad Noel say, many years ago, that lie was a Socialist because he wished to see the Kingdom of God on earth. Geo. \v.KN\