THE CHURCH AND THE DEPRESSION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21601, 23 March 1932, Page 13

THE CHURCH AND THE DEPRESSION

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —Your correspondent. “Judge Not,” bas summed up my accusations against the Church of to-day with the following three points:—(a) That I am ignorant; (b) that 'I do not attend cnurch; (e) that my letter was inflammatory. I would suggest to your correspondent that he read my letter again. I said — and still maintain —that the , Church of to-day has failed in its duty towards the poor., I know all about the churches handing out a little assistance here and there, but a little is not enough. Christ promised life in abundance. The churches assist in the withholding of that abundance by steadfastly refusing to denounce the wealthy members who sing hymns and repeat prayers, yet by their selfishness and greed cause so much suffering among the poor. In a manner they show the poor the way to the Kingdom of Heaven on one day of the week and during the six succeeding days endeavour to give them a hell upon earth. “Judge Not” being unaware of this, the ignorance is on his side.

Your correspondent doubts whether I attend church. Why be such a “ doubting Thomas”? I do attend, and am a member of over 20 years’ standing. I have also discussed the points raised in my letters with brother members, and all are agreed that the clergy is afraid to launch a long overdue attack against the usurers.

With regard to the alleged inflammatory nature of my letter, I give “Judge Not" the following, with your permission, free, gratis and for uotbing:~

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye devour widows’ houses, and for pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. , Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of Hell? There is something inflammatory about that, and I hasten to assure your correspondent it is not a quotation from the utterance of a soap-box orator. It is to be found in the New Testament, chapter xxiii, of the Gospel according to' St. Matthew. There are 39 verses, and they support my ai^ument. The poor! God help them! Praised because they are in Christ’s class and cursed because they are too costly to maintain. Why not abolish them as an ever present nuisance?—l am, etc., March 21, Cahkneb.