"WAKE UP, PROTESTANTS."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18334, 26 February 1923, Page 5

"WAKE UP, PROTESTANTS."

Sir, —Will you allow me to • record van emphatic disapproval of Mr. Giles' news. Surely every right-thinking man and woman desires to see .the Tiumain races , progress in intelligence and ethical culture, and when we see the Christian Church, which should be leading 'inthe van of progress, indulging in the same sensuous mummery that characterised the worship of Baal and Jupiter, degrading ceremonies that brought forth denunciation both from the Prophets and Apostles, now put forward and called Christianity, ' can you wonder that single-minded, honest! Christians protest against this' flagrant"'' dishonesty. If these people wish -to; in- ; dulge in these pagan rites, why not be honest and give them their correct names. Truth, honesty, and a' sacred regard for .. justice are the foundation stones of civilisation and ;a ; Church; that flouts these .; principles and a considerable section of the ■■; Anglican Church, in doing so, is hastening a ■>■•■.: relapse ;;to barbarism.:';•;;.; Rationalist'; writers <: aver that X the Christian % Church;".' is the great stumbling block to the moral:, uplift of ; mankind, and this flagrant disregard to the plain precepts ■!; of Christ; gives . strong emphasis; to: rationalist ; con-... tentions. i., The harm , that being done - was; naively admitted by a recent • correspond- ■ ent who made the excuse that these ceremonies ■ and material objects had to be used because the intelligence of many? of the frequenters of these Churches; was so low that they could not grasp the principles of Christianity without them. And I can 'add to - that, : from •' personal observation, that the mentality; of many of these clergy is such that they are incapable of delivering a < coherent message to the people, incapable of appealing to' the intelligence and moral faculties, they fall back nothing more or less than sensuous mummery, My excuse for taking part in the controversy at all, is that we are; all involved.' The future historian will be : looking for evidence as to the; moral standard of our time,-and he will -find that the practice of religion had not ad-..":•: vanced since the days of ancient Babylon, % I and I' want to bo enrolled with the few ! who look upward and onward. • ;" J. Lennox McFaeian.