PEACE AND WAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19773, 22 February 1927, Page 3

PEACE AND WAR

ADDRESS BY REV. F. F. COX

IS GOD ON THE SIDE OF THE BIG BATTALIONS?

In the course of his address at the Wanganui East Presbyterian Church on Sunday evening, the Rev. G. F. Cox, who spoke on “Peace and War,” with special reference to the Chinese situation, gave it as his opinion that the ever-recurring tragedy of war had come about through a fundamental error on the part of the leaders of nations as to the causes that really made for peace and the prevention of war. The rev. gentleman quoted the following passage from Frank Citme’s book, “Why Am I A Christian?”:— “The world has always persisted in believing in the effectiveness of material force. Jesus penetrated this error and saw that the only effective force is spiritual, that is, the force that is behind ideas. The world bias pinned its faith to the maximum; “God is behind the strongest battalions.” It has retained this faith with an insane fanaticism. History has proved over and over again that this is not true. As far back ’as the records go, we see nations indulging in “preparedness for war,’’ and depending upon that to save themselves. With nut one solitary exception they have all been lost. Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Greece, Rome, and till the other nations of the ancient world depended for their stability upon their armies and every one of them has been destroyed. That same programme has been married out to the present day. It is exemplified in the recent downfall of the empires of Germany and Russia Notwithstanding this, every nation still pins its faith to arms. Even in Christendom not one nation has vision enough to trust its destiny to the wisdom of Jesus. All are depending upon the wisdom of Macchitavelli. But five thousand years of recorded history prove that “they that take the sword shall perish by the sword.” The only nation that has lived through the centuries, the oldest nation in the world that has maintained a continuous civilisation, is China. And China never had a standing army until the other nations forced her to get one some sixty or seventy years ago. The curious part of tall this is that those who see this fact and state it are called theorists, snceringly referred to as pacifists, and considered impractical.” And those who have gone on making the same mistake that has been made , throughout the ages, a mistake that htis been demonstrated to be foolish over and over lagain are considered impractical. And those who have gone on making the same mistake that has been made throughout the lages, a mistake that hs deinonsrated to be foolish over and over again, are considered practical. It is as if all the cripples and diseased of the world were regarded as scnsibl, hard-haded fllows, and all the halthy citizns were denounced tus mollycoddles.”

In commenting on the above, Mr Cox said that the world had now to admit that the principles of Jesus Christ were right, but they doubted the wisdom of their application in practice. This was the argument of Dr Giles recently in the “New Zealand HeUald.” He admitted that Christian teachings regarding peace were ideally rirht., but 11,1 contended that we must allow for the slow movement of humanity on the e\t<lutionary path. Thiat is to say, that only very gradually will the mass of the people become wise enough to put these principles into practice. The speaker quite agreed that social evolution was a slow process, but it could only pjjpeeed by the right moral choices of all sorts and conditions of men; by men choosing the highest ideal lino of action they were capable of seeing. If non-violence, active brotherhood to all m°n, and the law of love were ideal principles, then, at whatever cost, we must individually embrace them. Wo must insist on their Application in our national policy. Wc must say to our rulers and representatives in Parliament: This mad race of armaments, this continual arming and preparing for v.ui has been proved the sheerest folly, and the same cause of all wars. It was time wo came to our senses and sought a now and a bettor way. Lot us Continued at foot of next column

realy trust God in our national policy and prepare for peace, not war, by an active policy of expressions of goodwill; by endeavouring to oc-operate with one another, land to do one another good! This would do more to promote the peace of the world than the strongest armies or the mightiest navies.