WORSHIPPING MAMMON

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 443, 27 August 1928, Page 14

WORSHIPPING MAMMON

CHURCHES MUST CLEAN OWN YARDS SIN OF MONEY-LOVE “Before we commence to talk of the sins of the people we must clean up our own backdo'ors. The churches are boasting of their financial success, but do not emphasise their spiritual progress.” These views were expressed by the Rev. J. F. Jones, of the United Evangelical Church, in an address at the Tivoli Theatre last evening- upon “Some Sins of the Auckland Churches.” He accorded careful tribute to the churches for their work, but was sweeping in his condemnation of their outlook. “In many cases the churches are worshipping mammon, and if you have £IO,OOO a year you can have any church offiqe you like so long as your life has not been startlingly unchristian,” he said. “The one great sin of the churches is the inordinate love of money. In some churches we find a minister re- - ceiving £BOO or £I,OOO a year, while another man in the same denomination gets £l5O or £2OO, with which to keep a family and help those about him." The churches often boasted of the financial success of the year, and laid no stress on the spiritual progress, DISCIPLINE LACKING “If a man had £IO,OOO behind him and he joined practically any church in the world and attended regularly he would be approached and asked to become a deacon or an elder. It is a disgrace that we should, when there is money, forget to consider character.” Another church sin was the lack of discipline, Mr. Jones added. “If a man is a member of a church he cannot do as he pleases,” he declared. “There are churches which refuse to teach the doctrine of the second coming. If we are not loyal we might as well close our doors, throw the Bible Into the sea, and say we shall eat, drink and be merry, and to-morrow die.”