TEACHING AND TRUTH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23331, 25 October 1937, Page 9

TEACHING AND TRUTH

!> TO THE EDITOR Sir,—May I throw a little light on the vexed questions that disturb “Maran-atha” and Mr G. Steel? If your correspondents will read the Acts of the Apostles, chapter iii, verse 20, and then ponder over that passage of verse 21 which refers to the second coming of Christ, “ Whom /Heaven, indeed, must receive until the times of the restitution of all things,” they will find it is a pre-rhillenium fact that precedes the return of Christ to earth. What must be obviously restored is. then, the gifts that God gave to men. That passage, “ the restitution of all things,” is clear. It means restoring to all mankind the gifts God gave them as stated in Genesis, chapter i, verse 26:. “And He (God) said. Let us make man to our image and likeness, and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea and the fowls of the ay:, and the beasts and the whole earth . . etc.” That passage was clear, that man was given dominion over the earth, and proves the working class movement’s claim that the earth should be used for the benefit of all. Nowhere in the story of creation was man given dominion over man; as claimed in capitalistic-governed States. That all who claim to be Christians should regard man in the International Labour Movement’s sense hat all mankind are brothers, one can quote the authority of the Apostle Paul, who, in his address on Mars Hill before the Athenian Areopagus, said: “He (God) hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth.” Strange to say, those Communists who try to carry out God s obvious plan of regarding all mankind as brothers and who claim the world for all the world’s workers are regarded as being anti-Godites. For centuries now. in the name of Christ, sections of the people have at times been denied religious freedom. Jews, Catholics, Covenanters, all in turn have been persecuted by different Governments. But as the bald fact remains that, after their lands had been confiscated and the poor wretches had none left, they were again allowed religious freedom when they had no more lands to steal; it suggests the story of the wolf and the lamb, that religious differences were an excuse and that the real reason was theft of land. Thus, <Jne finds as an illustration that Christianity first existed in Ireland when the clans held the land in common. But during the stages of British conquest the Catholics were suppressed until landlordism was established. Thus, when and so long as they agreeably paid rent to a British landlord they were again allowed to be Catholics. Of course, the landlord wanted the rent. That phase of landlordism had evolved in Great Britain centuries before. Soviet Russia hag taught us that the International Labour Movement must claim the earth for the use and benefit of all mankind. This year Soviet Russia reaped 100,000,000 acres of wheat which had been sown there. She was able to relieve Britain’s shortage. It, therefore, seems to me that “ ecclessia referred to by Mr Steel is the “ eclectic organisation known as the International Labour Movement, which carries out God’s plan, while the creeds carry o’-t ca .t in the interest of those who stole the earth.—l am, etc,, _ J. £. MacManiu. Chain Hills, Mosgiel.