THE CHURCH AND THE DEPRESSION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21612, 6 April 1932, Page 5

THE CHURCH AND THE DEPRESSION

TO TUB EDITOR. SIR,— -There is no way in which the progress of Christ’s teachings has been more hindered than by those who write on selected sayings of Scripture and evade the obvious implications of the harder sayings. It is, of course, open to Mi Wahnsley, and the clergy he defends, to continue to extract religious gems as tc how the poor should assist the poor; but that way futility lies. It would be profitable for the Church and for the people were the preachers to devote their attention to the system that is the cause of the suffering poor. I see no harm in urging a holy war against the “capitalist. la not that how the Church should function? Mr Walmsley asks, “ What is capitalism ? ” and then proceeds to answer, ‘ A blanket phrase that covers a multitude of sins—every phase of life that displeases us.” Having delivered himself thus, he then tells us “no minister or synod can rid us of it.” Perhaps not. They can, however, assist those of us who are anxious to have it removed, by preaching against it. Here is a text to go on with: What mean ye that ye crush my people and grind the face of the poor? ” Mr Walmsley is correct in saying the purpose in life is to gain experience and build character. Experience we have gained, and it has taught us we cannot “ build character ” true to the concepts of Christianty under the present system. The experience we have gained has also taught us that the quotation —“The rich man in castle, the poor man at his gate, God made them high and lowly, and ordered their estate ’’ —is a point of view disgraceful to the spirit of Christianty. We no longer believe God made the rich man rich because of some special virtue, or that the poor man is poor because God is displeased with him. No, the experience we have gained tells ns that the rich are unjustly rich. Likewise, the poor are unjustly poor, and kept poor by the failure of the Church to preach the equitable distribution of social wealth. —I am, etc., Caurnie.