GOLF ON SUNDAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18381, 23 April 1923, Page 9

GOLF ON SUNDAY.

CONDEMNED BY CLERGYMAN,

"NOT IN ITSELF A SIN."

DISLOYALTY TO THE CHURCH

The ethics of Sunday golf were dealt with by Canon Percival James in the course of a sermon on *' Sunday, the Weekly Day of Rest," delivered last evening in St. Mary's Cathedral.

The preacher said that the first and paramount Sunday duty was worship, especially public worship. In the second place Sunday was a day of rest, which had been provided by the Almighty Father for the physical and moral good of man. He laid emphasis on the grave effect on morale and health of continuous and unbroken labour, but added that the problem in New Zealand was that the day of rest was being sacrificed to the craving for amusement.

"It is a crime." said the preacher, "to deprive a fellow-creature of his one day's rest in seven to minister to our amusements." He quoted the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in forbidding certain Sunday sports and amusements. The grounds' of legislation were there stated: (1) "We are a Christian nation; the Government is bound to maintain the Lord's Day according to Christian standards"; and (2) "the Government is bound to protect all persons from moral debasement."

"If we are to win back the Sunday we have lost, it must be by creating a strong public opinion," said Canon James, "and that can only be done by the consistent example of Christian men and women. I am afraid that Church people often fail to realise the ' awful gravity of this Sunday question. They do not make it a matter of conscience. A young man will ask, 'Is it a sin to have a round of golf on Sunday? I am in the office all the week. It is healthy, innocent recreation.' No, it is not a sin; that is the mistake of the Pharisee and the Puritan. But the man who says this is generally a healthy athletic young man. He is not in the office all the week; he has a half-holiday which he devotes to playing games. And for the greater part of the year nearly every one in Auckland can find sufficient time every day for bodily recreation. It is ludricrous to say that Sunday golf is necessary to health it is a pure luxury. It need not be, therefore, a sin. It becomes a sin against himself if the only Sunday recreation he allows himself is physical and he forgets his real selfthe mind and spirit. It is a sin against Christ and His Church if he puts golf first and the primary Christian obligation of Sunday of worship— to be performed now and again on a few Sundays of the year when he is not overtired and if it does not look as if it might rain. It is a sin against God's people and especially the 'weaker brethren' if he sets a consistently pernicious example to others. Sunday golf is not in itself a sin; but I cannot, regard the majority of Sunday golfers as loyal to Christ and the Church."

"Another man," continued Canon James, "says: 'Is it a sin to have a run in my motor-car on Sunday afternoon V Certainly not;, it may be an excellent thing. But have you been to God's House on Sunday morning? Are you going in the evening ? Do you refuse to let your children come to Sunday-school because you want them with you in the motor run or tempt them to come, though throughout the day you have never given them any religious or moral lesson ? My dear , parent, can you doubt that in the eyes of God your motor run is a sin— a black sin ■:;■■] ■ ■'■

The two things, Canon James said in conclusion, which would determine whether or not the country should be kept Christian were the religious training of children and. the observance of Sunday. Christians had suffered a. bad defeat, over Sunday. If they could not rescue Sanday, then for generations to come Christianity would almost die out among us. It was the supreme question: , "Is the Christian Sunday to go?" It rested with those who "professed and called themselves Christians'.'''