CONFUSION OF YOUTH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19698, 2 August 1938, Page 8

CONFUSION OF YOUTH

ATTITUDE TO RELIGION REVISION OF BIBLE URGED Confusion and uncertainty on moral questions, particularly sex morality and gambling, exist among the youth of New Zealand, according to a report presented to the Wellington diocesan synod dealing with a questionnaire circularised among the young people of the Wellington Diocese a year ago by the Bishop of Wellington.' the Rt. Rev. H. St. Barbe Holland. Archdeacon J. R. Young, who presented the report, said that the great majority of the 200 replies received were definitely critical to organised religion. Sharp differences of opinion on the question whether the 200 replies received were a reliable indication of

the state of youth generally were expressed during a long debate on the report. "Two things which have surprised me have been the genuine interest in and respect for the Bible and the almost universal and often very forceful condemnation of drunken'H'ss." states the report. "A very widespread ignorance of the real truths of faith and life for which Christianity stands was disclosed. For instance, there is very little understanding of the Church as 'the body of Christ' —that which serves Him with an opportunity of expressing Himself in human society, and there seems to be practically no understanding of Christ as one who makes God known to us, nor His work as a redeemer. "The church <needs to face honestly and fearlessly the question of placing the Bible and Prayer Book before the community in the language of the day. It seems definitely wrong to place additional and needless obscurities in the way of those who are seeking to understand the truth."