RELIGIONS CRITICISED

Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 1929, Page 8

RELIGIONS CRITICISED

PARISHIONERS ENQUIRIES MET,

PREACHER’S VIEWS EXPLAINED,

Other religions arc being criticised from the pulpit of St. Mary’s, Hawera, Anglican Church by the vicar, the Rev. J. R. Young. The Seventh Day Adventists’ creed was discussed a week ago; last Sunday the Christian Science doctrine was criticised, ..while next Sunday, Mr. Young proposes to deal with theosophy. Rash statements have been attributed to Mr. Young by followers of the churches of which he has spoken already. A Daily News reporter was informed that in certain quarters the

preacher's criticism is deprecated because of the alleged fact that Mr. Young cannot presume to completely understand his subjects. The vicar borrowed a Christian Science text book from a church member, read the book and then, from the St. Mary’s pulpit on Sunday night, dissected the doctrine as he knew it /rom a Church of England point of view. One of the criticisms of Mr. Young was that Christian Scientists ■sometimes ■strained the meanings of Scriptural passages and invoked the aid of the Bible to assist their doctrine. The text upon which the vicar based his address was- “ The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof.” Members of the churches in question declare there was no justification for Mr. Young’s attacks. Further, the vicar has been alleged to have been “all at sea” in his discussions.

The motives of the vicar arc contained in the St. Mary’s Parish notes for July under the heading, “Incomplete Presentations of Christianity.” The vicar there states: “A good many people have been asking me about presentations of Christianity which are being put before them as substitutes for the Church’s teaching. They feel that, though they often hear why they should adopt such teaching, they never hear why it is that the Church regards the ideas -set forth as incomplete or erroneous. I have therefore undertaken to try and make clear on three Sunday nights this month why it is that our church is not satisfied with the teaching and position of; (1) Seventh Day Adventism; (2) Christian Science; and (3) Theosophy. “So, if you know anyone who would be interested to hear the presentation of the Church’s case, invite them to come with you on those evenings.” HAWERA OPERA HOUSE. ROMANCE OF SOUTH SEAS. Love under the tropic moon, grim shadows of the money-hungry, white man —bewitching scenery; far-flung, gorgeous—a thrilling drama of a dying race —and Raquel Torres, a wonderful new screen “find.” These factors all contribute to make “White Shadows in the South Seas,” which commences a three-night season at the Hawera Opera House to-night, a stupendous, spectacular screen production unprecedented in screen history. Photographed, entirely in the South Seas, this glorious saga of a picturesque but dying race can never be duplicated. The story opens with Monte Blue as Dr. Lloyd, a beachcomber physician, salvaging the lives of native pearl divers on a South Seas island. These natives, urged on by the white man’s cupidity, dive to great depths in search of glimmering pearls, and as a result the race is dying rapidly. Lloyd finds in his own maimed heart a great pity for them. This pity earns him the enmity of the renegade whites on the island, and he is shanghaied aboard a plague-stricken ship. All the others except himself have died and the ship is wrecked ou a lonely, uncharted island and Lloyd is cast ashore. After’ many hardships, he finds a native village where a white man’s foot has never trodden before, and the natives take him to their hearts. It is his love for Fayaway—played superbly by Raquel Torres —the daughter of the island chief, and bls determination to keep L r and her people away from the contaminating influence of his fellow whites, which make the picture a mighty epic of the hearts of men as well as of the beauties of tropical nature. The photography has deservedly been declared to embrace the most beautiful scenes of the South Seas ever filmed and due to Director W. S. Van Dyke, the story moves rapidly to a dramatic conclusion. The booking for the season is heavy, and intending patrons are well advised to reserve their seats at Miss Blake’s.