BELIEF IN GOD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17238, 19 April 1930, Page 10

BELIEF IN GOD

LOST BY YOUTHS

"FUTILE & DIFFICULT LIVES"

LONDON, Feb. 25.

Three classes at University College, London, were recently asked the two questions: "Do you believe in God?" and, "Do you feel any need to believe in God?"

The answer to the first question was ji unanimous negative, and to the second a practically unanimous negative. These statements were made last night by Mr. C. E. Joad, speaking at a meeting fit Oaxton Hall, Westminster, for the purpose of forming a society for the study of religions. "These young people," said Mr. Joad. "are well read in the literature of psycho-analysis. They are fond of drawing terrifying portraits of the awful things that happen to you if you repress your instinctive impulses. That has given me a clue to many of the phenomena in modern society. "Tins generation is suffering from »a thwarting of the instinctive need to believe. That is why so many of our younger people are living futile lives.

"They find life more difficult than past generations have done. "The decay of the orthodox creeds of their childhood has left a vacuum. It mav be said that traditional religion will fill that vacuum. I doubt it. Things have gone too far. The most striking characteristic of the modern generation is a wistful agnosticism."'