NON-CHURCH GOERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13533, 2 March 1908, Page 7

NON-CHURCH GOERS.

A VIGOROUS REVIEW. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, February 28. The address of the retiring president of the Methodist Conference (the Rev. W. Slade) to-night, included a vigorous and plain-spoken review of the problem of nonmous disparity lietween the number of people inside and outside the churches. "In dealing with this subject we need not go," he said, " beyond our own shores, because New Zealand presents on a reduced .scale u picture of what exists in Europe, in America, and in Australia. Where niav we look for the cause of this? It may be expressed in a sentence—the world has captured the chuich, and still for the most part holds it in bondage. The entire population of New Zealand is in round numbers 900,000; the numl>er of people for whom accommodation, is provided in all the churches and meeting houses is 375,908. Here we have a difference of considerably over half a million, which means that, if on any day the whole population wished to attend divine service, more than half a million could not get inside the places where service is held; but this does not express all the facts. When we ask what number of people the churches themselves .u-turned as attending their services, we find the. number is 220,263, which leaves a still greater disparity between our total population and church attendants. It) is an unwelcome truth that not- a quarter of the peojjle of the Dominion are ever found within the walls of the churches." Mr Slade referred to what lie termed the deep and awful cleavage that exists between the woiking classes and the Christian Church. Not only," he said, "do comparatively few of the great army of toiling men and women attend the churches. but there exi.-ts in their minds an intense Inutility to them, and through them to religion itself. To these persons churches are associated with uolitical disabiliiies, with social inequalities, with invidious class distinction, with economic injustice, with pride of purse and pride of place; to them religion has seemed to be always the privilege of the rich and the strong. We cannot wonder «t this. It is difiicult to think of an abuse of power in which State churches have not shared. The darkest pages of history have been embroidered with mitres and lawn sleeves. In recent times the churches have seemed to the working classes to be indifferent to their needs and suffering. They think of the churches as institutions which say ' Live in a nice house, wear nice clothes, have money in your pocket, and we will welcome you.' They think that the churches are not only out of sympathy with them, but are actually opposed to their efforts to secure fair wages for themselves, better homes and environment for their families, and to be able to live without the dread prewnee of the wolf always at the door. T'liey think the. churches have always been on the side of the big battalions of capitalists, of the land-owner, of the manufacturer, and of the monopolists. We who have lvad history know how mistaken all this is. We know that in spite of her many shortcomings and mistakes, the Christian church has done infinitely more than any other half dozen institutions put together for the amelioration of the suffering of mankind. If Christianity has not power to attract the multitude; if it has nothing to offer towards the solution of problems which though not- immediately religious have great- influence on religion. If when men witii the anguish born of hunger ask that the bread of the ealth be made easier to procure, teligion can onlv talk about the bread of the life to collie. If when shivering with cold they pray for warm clothing, for themselves and their families, religion

can olilv point- lo the white: raina-nt which tin- redeemed wear. If in Hie face of the extremes of wealth and destitution, which modern li ft? pr.scnt.s. the millionaire" squandering thousands of pounds on one. bacehaii.ilian riot, while tin- pauper lies dying of hunger on his sack of si raw: if, 1 say. in answer to this religion lias only tlit- niei-tiage about the crowns of gold which the saved shall wear before the throne in another sphere, it. should ltol surprise us t/iat men turn away from il as having no message for them."