A NEW BRAND

NZ Truth, Issue 605, 20 January 1917, Page 7

A NEW BRAND

An Ashburton Appeal A Query from the Chairman • j ■ •. ' ■ ' ".. • . What He Would Do His Best For. (From "Truth's" Christchurch Rep.) ; Some years ago a man with a kink for statistics figured it out that there wero some 600 religions existing' m the "civilised" world. • Since then, howover, dozens of new brands have cropped up everywhere, and while If ■ was generally thought a week or two ago that the Brethren was the latest idea, m religion, another more recent article called "The Testimqny of Jesus" has been dug up by the Military Appeal Board m Ashburton, where beer is banned and wowsers have uninterrupted fling. The limb of the new Sect who held forth was a young fellow named Patton, who happened to draw a marble m the conscription ballot. HE APPEALED TO THE. BOARD for exemption Oh. the grounds of religious and conscientious belief that the bearing of arras • and performance of any combatant service was unlawful, by reason of being contrary to Divine revelation; He reckoned he pinned his objection to serve to tho teachings of the New Testament and 'the Testament of Jesus. The Chairman: Wihat religious body do you belong to? — The Testimony of Jesus. Is that a recognised religious body? I have not heard of it before?— lt is what I base my faith on. Will you give tine Board some idea of your constitution? — We 1 make our own body. Christ is at the head of all things. • ' Have you churches? — We have meetIngs. We want something more definite than that. What are your doctrines? • ; — That Christ Is at the head tof evorythlng. We hold that 'his teachings forbid us to carry arms TO DESTROY OUR FELLOW MEN. Is t)he Testimony of Jesus recognised by the State as a religious body? Have you the right to perform the marriage ceremony? Appellant admitted that the Testimony of Jesus had no legal standing to perform such a ceremonji ,Ther<p waa no governing body except Jesus Christ. Tho Chairman remarked on tho vagueness of the explanation, and ap"pellant brought Brother Holtham forward to -enlighten the Board. ' Brother Holuham was understood to say that tho denomination was formed by the preachers m it. He could not, however, say whore it originated, although he had been a member for seven years or so, and his first <*xj perlonce of It had been In Victoria, j Previously he was a Methodist. The Testimony of Jesus had no written creed, but It had been recognised by ) the War Office at Homo.. j After Tiro I her HoUfluun had spoken some more, the Chairman of tlit» : Board a.sked: Would your ilonominn- | lion sanction you founding, by whilst | women wero ; BEING RAPED BY THE HUNS? The witness replied that he would do his best to stop such a proceeding. but at tho same time, he would not sanction the killing of the offender. I Tho chairman united the appellant, I Patton, if he was prepared to underI take military service other than light - i Ing, to which Patton replied, that he j would do no service under the mlll- [ tary authorities at all. Tho appeal was dismissed.