ARE CENTRES OF INFLUENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17837, 4 May 1926, Page 8

ARE CENTRES OF INFLUENCE.

UNIVERSITIES MUST TACKLE PROBLEMS.

Addressing a meeting at Canterbury College last night. Dr John R. Mott emphasised that universities were great centre's of influence and he urged students to study the social problems of the day. Dr C. Chilton presided. Dr Mott, who was warmly applauded on rising to speak, said that the universities, colleges and higher schools had ever been centres of influence, though probably never to such an extent as to-day. He had found in his travels that there was a greater demand than ever on the universities and colleges for a larger and truer leader-1 ship in all departments of life. In all countries there was need for outstanding leaders. Present-day problems were very pressing, but probably none were so important as those dealing with social improvement, ethical progress and religious life and activity. He urged the students to study these problems. They should investigate them thoroughly and scientifically. There was no greater danger to a nation than apathy and indifference to ethical and religious problems. He w’ould prefer on going into a country to find antagonism to religion rather than neglect and indifference. One result of neglect to exercise and use ethical or spiritual faculties was that in the hour of strain . these faculties failed a person. Another result was that a person fell more easily to temptation and the voice of conscience gradually became less insistent. The principal causes of the current scepticism was the failure to give thoroughgoing attention to the ethical and spiritual side of life. Cynical scepticism was like the creeping on of the fingers of death, for it cut a man off from life and vitality. The fact that a man did not feel he was losing the most important side of life was no proof at all that he was not losing it. If he felt he was losing it there would be hope for him, for it showed he was not apathetic. As far as he had been able to discover in a full and busy life, Jesus Christ alone could give spiritual -vitality and arrest the current of death.

A vote of thanks was carried to Dr Mott for his able and inspiring address.