THE CHURCH AND LABOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18448, 9 January 1922, Page 3

THE CHURCH AND LABOUR

Concluding an article entitled “Spiritual Bankruptcy of the English Church,” published in the Review of Reviews, Mr Charles Dawburn says: “There must be a grip of things that matters .and a relinquishing of the things that are doubtful. Far better to save the material body, to, minister to little children in the name of charitv, than co flounder in a doctrinal sea wherein the guide is as greatly in need of light as the mo|t perplexed of his followers. When in doubt, servo God by serving your neighbour. That is the best advice anyone could give. Let, the churches take an interest in social questions and destroy the hurtful legend that they care nothing for the working man. The Catholic Church leads the way 'by establishing a Social League, wherein the subjects of the day ore frankly examined and discussed. Questions • f wages, of profits, of production, of exchanges, are the life blood of these debates conducted under the friendly eye of the chuich. : Cardinal Manning showed interest in the dockers and Cardinal Amette in night workers in Paris. French Catholics are actively concerned in welfare work in drapers’ shops. The Episcopal Bbnch in Britain addressed the Premier on a living wage for miners. Thus there are stirrings in the right direction. Here, obviously, is the way we must go if the church is to be anything but an ancient ruin lacking in the breath of life And, after all, these things are more important and interesting to humanity than critical inquiry into the story of Jonah and the whale, or of Joshua and the standing still of the Sun.”