CHURCH AND GAMBLING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20990, 29 September 1931, Page 6

CH URCH AND GAMBLING

* . ;sjß ' " GAMES OF-.CHANCE. i ANGLICAN CONDEMNATION. DANCE PARTIES DEPRECATED. v'Clil Games of chance in all forms for any purpose whatever were condemned recently by the New South Wales Anglican Synod, which, in a resolution, criticised the State lottery as a means of helping the hospitals, and strongly deprecated "the organisation of dances and card parties for the support of God's work." The resolution followed a keen *vdiscussion on a comprehensive motion, moved the previous day by the Rev J. Bidwell, condemning card parties, raffles and*" dances, and protesting against the State lottery. _ , The Rev. H. G. J. Howe said gambling was hurtful to the individual and hurtful to the Church. Before the Church spoke to the Government and the community it should be right in its own attitude. When he was a young man, he said, he was very fond of dancing, and it fell to his lot to act as master of ceremonies at most of the dances. " At that time," Mr. Howe continued, "I was only a nominal churchman. I had yet to pass through the stage known as conversion. For three years I was an agnostic. I am not ashamed to say it, I used to put money on the "tote." ] used to play cards for money. So I know what lam talking about. But immediately I was converted, these things dropped from me. For 29 years I have never had in any church with which I have been connected a single thing with which to raise money except by direct gifts." Amendment ta Motion. Canon Begbie said the raising of funds for the House of God by the methods mentioned in the motion appeared to him as an absolute dishonour to God. "We are not leading our people as we shonld," he said. "We are failing tham. I was not ordained to organise dances or card I was ordained to preach the blessed word of God." It was unwise, said Dean Talbot, to group dancing with gambling. He moved the following amendment to the original motion:— "That this synod, convinced that all forms of gambling are fraught with moral dangers, condemns the raising of money, whether for Church or charitable or any other purposes whatever, by methods which involve this evil. This synod would strongly protest against the State lottery, which organises the evil" of gambling upon a wide scale and invests it with the authority of the Government, whose action in this matter does violence to the conscience of a great part of the people. The synod considers there are other means, free from the grounds of its objection to a State lottery, by which voluntary con- ' tributions made for the great humanitarian work of the hospitals can be, so far required, supplemented." The amendment was seconded by the , Rev. W. J. Hilliard. He said many people saw nothing wrong in dancing. Life in Gambling Parish. The Rev. A. E. Rook caused laughter when he said that for 23 years he had lived in a gambling parish—Kensington. One had only to see the looks on the faces of people going to and coming from the races to realise what gambling meant. Bookmakers had told him it was a shame to tako the money from the people. The amendment was carried unanimously. Considerable discussion took place on the first part of the original motion, which condemned card parties, raffles and dances. Dean Talbot moved that the first portion of the motion be amended as follows : "That this synod, recognising that the self-sacrificing spirit of the Cross is the divine ideal of giving to God's work, strongly recommends to all churcbpeople the method of direct giving for Church objects, condemns all games of chance for any purpose, and also strongly deprecates the organisation of dances and card parties for the support of God's work." This was carried, with tfro dissentients.