THE CLASHING CREEDS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20150, 19 May 1928, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE CLASHING CREEDS

A RELIGIOUS MEDLEY CHURCHES, AND CHURCHES, AND* CHURCHES As a Presbyterian Scot, brought up on the Shorter Catechism and oatmeal, I, in common with many others bred on a less strenuous fare, nave been very much interested in the discussion recently conducted in the “Chronicle” on the question of Sabbath observance. It is not to give a belated contribution to that discussion that this is written, but permit me to say in passing, I have completely broken away from tae Scottish tradition which would reverse or pervert Christ’s saying that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. I look back on the Sundays of my youth as I might look on debauches of melancholy religiosity —these weekly purgatories of unrelieved gloom make me shudder even yet as I look upon them in retrospect. Surely it would be well for people to get back again to the unequivocal teaching of Christ upon this point. Let us adapt our Sundays to the purposes of a happy Christian life, rather than make our life conform to the arbitrary dogmas of funeral Calvanistlc Sabbaths. I am not one who now bows the knee to a particular conception of the Protestant faith. Indeed, I would go further and say that if I were in a district where there was only a Roman Catholic Church, I would go thither and worship God as sincerely as in any other tabernacle. Let us get over the blasphemus fallacy that any single church can make a monopoly of God —1 say that in all reverance. God is everywhere ail the time and the sincere Christian makes every day and every minute of every day, a day of worship. The Warring Sects. A week ago, on a fine Sunday morning, 1 suddenly decided that 1 would go by motor-car to Wellington. I did so and the above thoughts are some of those 1 ponuered on the road to the cap.tai. 1 arrived there in the evening and after a meal 1 took a walk abroad and with a friend strolled in the Cambridge Terrace district, which incidentally, is no more infested by churches tuan any other district in the rhe bells were calling forth, worshippers were hastening to their own particular Bethels, and then it occurred to us to observe the multiplicity of religious sects and churches which could be found within the compass of half a mde. Their name is Legion. The Salvation Army with band and banner and loud exhortations cannot be ignored. It always draws a crowd, but whether the crowd go for the music or for ,eligion is a quest.on which must be left to the di.-cussion of the individual. There are aiso within the half-mile radius of our ob_eivations, three or four other “missions’’ which conduct streetcorner services, but they do not have brass bands and it is noticeable that they are ignored by the passers-by and their eloquence is largely wasted on the air. There is one English church mission conducted in a theatre. We continue our stroll and observe the places of worship. Here are Wesleyan, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational, Pentecostal, Church of Christ, Church of England tabernacles. There are various Christian missions besides, which can only be described by the word Protestant, though d< übtle&s each of them differs in some minute particular from all the others. Thea there are other religious bodies without the Christian pale, such as the Unitarian, the Theosophical, and the Spiritual. I do not think I exaggerate when I state that there are at least twenty distinct and separate places of worsh p with n this half-mile area. Is there not a scandalous waste of energy and money in this overlapping of extravagance? Economy and Common Sense, The points of difference between the different sects on lumiamental matters are su trivial as to be quite negligible. 1 wuuid almost defy any person vvuu was led blindfolded into any of these services to detect by the sermon or prayers whether he was in a Presbyterian or Methodist or Congregational church. Wiiy should these trivial differences over non-essentials, be so magnified as to create insuperable barriers between bodies oi goou Christians? All the w-jc-shippers in these twenty p.aces of wor«h.p cou.d be comfortably accommodated in ten. Ten churches and their cost of upkeep, sa.ary, etc., could be dispensed wi u h, and the ten larger churches could ‘io the work of Christianity far more effectively. It is a deplorable w’aste which should be corrected so that each body would concern itself with the work of Christ rather than with the work of the church. And the two are not by any means synonymous. Is it not an edi tying sight to look upon the churches and the professional Christians to-day bidding fur the favour of the public like a politician playing for votes'? Bur that is what we see—the Reverend Mr Codlin, of Bethel Chapel, trying to beat the Reverend Mr Short, of Ebenczer Chapel, by declaring that “Codlin’s the friend, not Short.” This virus of sectarianism is the chief enemy of Christianity to-day. It matters not a whit if the sectaries <f to-day are as scrupulous in the observance of th** law as were the Pharisees *>f old. Their condemnation must L<that which Christ directed against the Pharisees- We have too many churches to day. too many creeds, too many preachers, overlapping each other and doing it all in the name of the Prince of Peace. What a blasphemous travesty it is and how sick, thoughtful people are to see Christians. “Fighting like devils for conciliation and hating each other fur the love of God.” I may be but a voice crying in the wilderness, yet I raise my protest. Is not such a protest called for. RICHARD WEDDERSPOON.