CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIALISM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22917, 21 December 1937, Page 17

CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIALISM

Sir, —Mr. Simmons must be) brought to face the conclusion that, as he does not contest the Queensland Worker's frank avowal, he is bound to admit the correctness of ni.v statements that (a) there is no effective bar to the admittance of Communists into Labour and Socialist organisations, and (b) that Communists do hold key positions in them. Finally, as Mr. Simmons commenced by claiming Socialism and Christianity as of identical morale, he must now either admit the superficiality of his initial affirmation or else reject the Christian fealty. Failure to take either step could only be interpreted as an indication of a willingness to hoodwink the uninformed. Hugh McHaigh.

Sir,—Mr. R. C. Simmonds comes up to scratch again, dragging a number of red herrings to draw us off the trail, but refusing to face the issue, namely, whether the forcible transfer of wealth from one section of the community to another is congruent to the ethical code of Christ. Until he has proved that it is, he has failed to face the issue. It was against the ethical code or pagan Greece; for either Plato or Aristotle —I forget which —said that it was as wrong for the many to rob the few as for the few to rob the many. The Christian Socialism advocated by Mr. Simmonds regards the first of these as a virtue, not a sjn. As for Communism and Socialism, they are pups of the same litter, even if they do fight each other; both are equally fatal to human liberty, and to the dignity and value of the individual. Mr. Simmonds, very wisely makes 110 reference to the Government's recent apology to a handful of Communists. He misrepresents me whei he says that I accused the Socialistic policy of the present Government of being "anti-Christian." I proved that it was "un-Christian." quite a different thing. A. Wahbubton*.