CHURCH AND POLITICS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 202, 27 August 1943, Page 4

CHURCH AND POLITICS

“DISCUSSION EVENING” AT CHRIST CHURCH His intention to guide a discussion on “Christianity and Politics” at. the evening service at Christ Church on Sunday next was indicated by the Ven. Archdeacon J. R. Young, Anglican Vicar, in an interview yesterday. “This will be the topic for our monthly ‘discussion evening* at Christ Church,” he said. Following a brief service of worship, the topic will be introduced in ten-minute addresses by two speakers, and at the conclusion of the addresses those present will be invited to adjourn to the Church schoolroom. Here, divided into groups, they will discuss three leading questions, and at the conclusion the finding arrived at by each group will be pooled. The first speaker, a farmer, will., said the Archdeacon, deal with Christianity as essentially a social religion, in which the saving by the individual of his soul is by no means of the first importance, and is only a by-product of his losing himself in the attempt to promote the ideal way for people to live together in love, honesty and service—Christ’s ideal of the Kingdom of God. The second speaker will suggest some of the burning questions which arise at the present moment in the various spheres of human life—domestic, educational, industrial and international —and towards the solution of which candidates for parliamentary election should be encouraged to direct their endeavours. Attention will be drawn to the “manifesto” 'ssued by the National Committee of the Campaign for Christian Order, 1 which is to be distributed throughout ' New Zealand next week, and which 1 has already caused considerable heat in discussion and has given rise to sharp divergence of opinion. The questions which will be discussed by the various groups are as follow: (1) Has the Christian any right to be concerned with politics and to make his voice heard on political issues? Give reasons. ( 2) “To neglect to vote is an offence against Christian citizenship; to cast an ill-informed or prejudiced vote is worse.” Is this true? On what grounds? (3) If you admit that political apathy is the curse of democracy, what steps do you suggest for overcoming it? “The issues are certainly live ones at the present time, and some interesting oninions should be voiced,” said the Archdeacon, who added that an open invitation was extended to the public to join in the discussion of the questions.