DIVERSITY OF RELIGIONS

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11659, 25 October 1923, Page 7

DIVERSITY OF RELIGIONS

“A FIELD FOR CHRISTIAN

KINDNESS.”

“The next point to consider is whether it was contrary to public policy,” remarked the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), when delivering judgment in a will case yesterday. The question of a change of religion was an important issue. But in this case His Honour failed to see how any question of publio policy came into the matter. “It was said that if this was permitted it would tend to make a difference in the family—to make a separation between the son and his mother; but all the cases in whioh the father determined that a son shall he brought up in a certain religion, or belong to a certain religion whioh may not he the religion of the mother, would not have been held invalid on that ground.” “It was said by one of the great writers of the eighteenth century that diversity of religious opinions should not be disoouraged,” continued the Chief Justice, who gave the following extract:

_ “For myself I fully and conscientiously believe that it is the will of the Almighty that there should be a diversity of religious opinions among us. It affords us field for our Christian kindness. YVere we all of one way of thinking, our religious dispositions would want matter for probatiorf, and on this liberal principle I look on the various denominations amongst us to be like children of the same family differing only in what is called their Christian names.”