THE ANGLICAN SYNOD AND WAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23333, 27 October 1937, Page 12

THE ANGLICAN SYNOD AND WAR

TO THE EDITOR Sir,—"Adelphos," in complaining of the pronouncements of synod last week on the subject of war, labels himself at once as a teacher of the Testament who refuses to take Christ at His word when He said He came not to bring peace, but war (a sword). "Adelphos" also evidently treats the Scriptures solely as the ancient history of a decadent and disintegrated nation now of no special interest, which may be. wholly disregarded in the conduct of his studies and his message. He is indeed a "die-hard," and ignores the fact that the British nations have seen the error of their political and spiritual leaders in advising disarmament under present world conditions, and that they have almost unanimously demanded an insurance against national burglary, the cost of which is now running- into a thousand million. Had our leaders sought a quotation from the insurance office of good news, they could have submitted for our Commonwealth's approval an infallible insurance costing neither money nor price—only the adoption of the Rev. Allen Stevely's golden advice recently given to his congregation at their annual gathering. They missed the opportunity, however, and probably the people still might have demanded visible strength even had they done so. . A year ago, when the synod passed its resolution affirming* its opinion that all war was contrary to the Will of God, we entered a strong protest against this obviously unbiblical pronouncement, so that there is ho need to go over the ground again for the benefit of "Adelphos" alone. Our bishop and the Anglican Synod show themselves as true men in that they have been courageous enough to "turn their coats" this year into rightthinking oh this matter, and it is to be hoped, that when the next synod opens the pastoral message may be one of preparation for the great day of the Lord according to Zechariah. —I am, etc., G. Steel. October 26.