A DAY OF PRAYER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27518, 12 October 1950, Page 8

A DAY OF PRAYER

Sir,—" Rationalist ” claims there is no God and that prayer accomplishes nothing because scientists and others have proved that the universe and all life just evolved from something, but he fails to tell us from whence came the something from which the universe and all life evolved.

May I suggest that “ Rationalist ” is making the commonest and most tragic mistake in human experience, that of confusing human, knowledge with Divine wisdom? I have yet to learn of Christ’! teachings and prophecies being proved incorrect, in fact, we are now unbalanced socially and economically through having acquired material know-how at the expense of spiritual enlightenment; in other words, we have yet to neutralise greed, eliminate unnecessary poverty and balance that which we render unto Caesar and that which we render unto God.—l am, etc., "A. Caldwell.

Sir, —“ Rationalist’s ” letter was delightfully stimulating, but monstrously inadequate. Why he should couple science with superstition and truth with tradition I really do not know. Perhaps for the alliteration! As for reason and prophecy, these are not as anthithetical as he imagines; nor need they be mutually exclusive. Apparently he wants us to live by reason. And if he is really a rationalist then he will want reason to be our guide. If so, will he tell us whose reason? And since when has reason been a reliable and infallible guide for human affairs? How could reason alone instruct us how to go about the writing of “ Hamlet ” or the carving of the Parthenon? I should dread dealing with someone whose relations with others were based solely on reason.

Let us try science, then, here, surely we have something exact and positive, and ascertained beyond doubt. Here at last we have left dubiety behind. But will “Rationalist" tell me: Does he mean last century’s science or this century’s? His other arguments remind me of the man who, on a charge of murder, replied in the face of the evidence put by one witness; “Oh! But I can get 200 people who could prove they did not see me do it.” Neither " Rationalist ” nor his authorities have really disproved God.— I am, etc.. L. J. Reid-

- Sir, —Would it be considered unreasonable if one were to suggest that ” Rationalist ” exercise his own intelligent with a view to finding his own conclusions, rather than simply (perchance blindly) accepting decadent ones? " Rationalist ” has quoted quite a deal of matter in support of the spirit of negation apparently possessed by him, but he has yet to instance one logical, or purely scientific reason why he should be at all concerned for the future of a people whose ultimate he avers to be a purely materialistic or atheistic one. Nor does he appear to have so much as pondered the question; Why perpetuate the species if only to point humanity to such a goal as that? If " Rationalist ” ever become! possessed of a positive attitude toward some Divine purpose in humanity’s existence, he will quite possibly find that what prayer is occasioned him will be for a sufficiency of faith to survive “ diro misfortunes ” ■ rather than for his own particular preclusion from them. “ Rationalist ” is not alone in his rationalism. Even a man in his nineties quite recently averred similar conclusions to me, and I think justly, quoted his “ defence ” in Shelley’s (Voltaire?) “ Unbelief is not fairly punishable by Hell, as one cannot be forced to believe any statement. .. .” But, as this correspondence has, in the main, become irrelevant to the original specific suggestion that we have a national day of prayer, one migh; conclude with at least this degree of relevancy by submitting, or reiterating. the question: "Is it logical to assume that attention to but one day of the year is a sufficient expediency in so far as the whole 365 days of the year are concerned? Upon the basis of my own reasoning, I conclude the answer to that question to be a negative one.—l am, etc. Not Learned. [Abridged.—Ed. ODT.]