MESSAGE TO DENOMINATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25940, 5 September 1945, Page 6

MESSAGE TO DENOMINATIONS

REFERRED BACK TO BE REDRAFTED (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 4. Divergent opinions as to what the final message of the conference should be to the constituent denominations were expressed at the concluding session of the Dominion Conference on Christian Order in Christchurch tonight. The adoption of a prepared statement as the message of the conference was moved by the Primate of New Zealand (Archbishop WestWatson). He. read a statement which emphasised the basic unity of the delegates. “ Our New Zealand standard of living is high in contrast with most of the world,” the statement continued. "We would remind ourselves that poverty anywhere endangers prosperity everywhere. Hunger and want are breeding grounds for violence. We ought not to delude ourselves into forgetting that ultimately we are in the same danger as is the rest of the world. We in New Zealand, as have people in many other places in the world, have a further peril to face, unavoidable and universal. The necessity for national planning here as elsewhere threatens to crush individuality in man. Many Perplexities "The rapidly-changing conditions of thinking and living have resulted in widespread bewilderment as to the purpose of life, and also in despair of reaching security and peace. The consequence of this bewilderment is to be seen in the confusion as to purpose of education, leading on to instability and shallowness of life. Our lack of balance shows itself in the spirit of prejudice and in the exaltation of party and class above the interests of the community as a whole. We in New Zealand have our special problems to face in considering the place in our common life of the Maoiff people with their growing nationhood.

“These are some of the aspects of the predicament which we have sought to face in our conference, and the conviction has grown upon us that all these things are but different expressions of a loss of faith in a living God. Our experience together has persuaded us that our predicament can be met and that it can only be met by the realisation and proclamation of the reign of God over every phase of our country’s life. We must challenge the prevalent secular approach to education, to the land, to industry and commerce, to our community life, and to our international life. “We affirm that the responsibility for bringing the truth of God’s rule home to our people lies with His Church. We therefore appeal to the Christian Church in New Zealand to carry further the work of this conference towards relating the message of Christ to every aspect of our national life.” Defeatist in Tone Various speakers suggested amendments to the statement, and it was contended that its tone was defeatist rather than hopeful. Exception was also taken to the framing of the reference to the Maori people. Captain William W. Edel, United States Navy, said the conference had made implicit in the message as drafted defeatism and a lack of courage. He submitted that such was not the spirit of the conference. The message which ought to be taken to the Christian Church in New Zealand was a positive message, not a negative statement about predicaments and bewilderment. Mr E. H. Langford suggested that the solution for the problems as determined by the conference should be summarised in the final message. Eventually, it was decided on an amendment moved by the Rev. L. A. North to refer the message back to the members of the National Council of Churches who had attended the conference and a.sk them to redraft it.