NO MIDDLE GROUND

Patea Mail, 5 January 1940, Page 4

NO MIDDLE GROUND

“A Christian cannot bo neutral between right and wrong. Ministers cannot remain silent in the face of supreme moral and spiritual issues,” declared Bishop Manning, preaching in New Voik Cathedral. “We all want peace, bat right is more important than peace. Peace can only come as the fruit of righteousness. The Christian religion stands not for peace at any price, but tor righteousness at any cost. First, it is useless to pretend that wo as a nation have nothing to do with tile conflict. The issues in the war affect vitally Cue future of practically all peoples throughout the world and they directly affect our life and future us a nation. Secondly, in the light of the known, unquestioned facts, we cannot hold that all nations engaged in this war are equally responsible for it. Thirdly, this is not merely a war between nations. It is a world crisis. The issue is as to whether totalitarianism, with its barbarous and inhuman despotism, its anti-God philosophy, and its declared war on Christianity, is now to dominate the world and shape the lives of men. I will not attempt to say now what our ultimate duty as a nation may be if ti e conflict is prolonged.’ ’