, EVANGELICAL CHURCH WORK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25503, 5 April 1944, Page 6

, EVANGELICAL CHURCH WORK

Sir,—Congratulations to the Rev. H. ,J. Ryburn upon his courageous inaugural address last week.' There are far too few church dignitaries to-day with sufficient courage to support their convictions by public utterance and far too many laymen willing to crucify those who have the courage to expound their views. At no time in history has crucifixion been able completely to stifle progressive thought, and Mr Ryburn’s remarks are an excellent augury for future thought on religious matters. Most ministers to-day are too ready to preach in parables, instead of coming do/wn to present-day realities as Mr Ryburn has done. The surprising thing to me is that his remarks have been so adversely criticised and not supported—which only goes to prove why the Church receives so little support to-day. Presbyterian ministers have probably been the most hidebound of all clerics in their utterances, and it is not difficult to see why their sermons fall on deaf ears. Ministers who beat the drum loud or are excellent orators may keep their congregations interested, but it is not religion. Tins comes from the soul. I think Mr Ryburn is dead right when he advocates a twentieth-century outlook in religion in this year of grace. Criticism Is the essence of construction, and he should be congratulated upon his constructive criticism on present-day religious outlook. If his remarks do nothing other than awaken people to the necessity for a changed outlook, they will have been well worth while. How utterly stupid is the suggestion of some of your correspondents that Mr Ryburn lost an opportunity of kindling the flame of devotion in young students! Do your correspondents wish the minis-ters-to-be to bury their heads in the sand and be out of step with modern thought? This is a changing world, and as soon as some of your correspondents realise it and help the ministers to lay a foundation for real faith in our modern community the better it will be for the churches and the people outside the churches as well.—l am, etc., Dunedin, April 4. Looking Glass.

Sir—The Rev. H. J. Ryburn’s address at Knox College has caused much adverse criticism. He was certainly not optimistic about present conditions, but he is a man who has, since his appearance in public, called black black and white white. I have followed his career in the daily papers, and have always admired his courage in giving his honest opinion on any subject that was being discussed. He certainly does not invite favour or praise by being plausible. It has been impressed on me that he feels so strongly on a subject that is being discussed that he completely forgets his own personal interests, thinking of nothing but imparting the truth so far as he knows it. For some years I have felt that, with one exception, all churches in Dunedin are practically dead. I have often wondered why, just now, when all young people, male and female, are exposed to so many serious dangers, all our churches do not combine in making week day meetings, especially during the evenings, so pleasant and so sociable that our young folk would go to them, instead of parading the streets and going to cocktail parties. The danger to these young ones is so very serious that all churches should use money and the best brains procurable to out-rival inducements to evil.—l am, etc., Save the Young.