Personal And Practical Christianity Is Answer To Psychology Of Fear

Wanganui Chronicle, 3 November 1949, Page 2

Personal And Practical Christianity Is Answer To Psychology Of Fear

With the election in the air a psychology of fear was being started I by both sides, said the Rev. H. Prowse, j when speaking at. the Marton Methodist Church on Sunday evening. There i was a fear of what would happen should either party become the next government. I One paper told us, said the speaker, ' that the basic foundation of one 1 party’s belief was ••belief in the prin- ' ciples of Christianity.’’ but there was !no mention of the "practice of the j principles of Christianty.” It was the I application of those principles which ' t he world needed today, not party be- ■ liefs, or Royal Commissions, or cab- ' inets, said Mr. Prowse. I "Fear has walked unashamed j throughout the world for generations. | Great powers have feared each other I and have spent millions on armaments, which, if spent on the well-be-ing of the people would have resulted in an earthly paradise,” said the speaker. "Internationally we have the fear of the atomic bomb. Individually we hays the fear of accidents, failures and death. Fear is a paralyser. It seizes on men’s nerves, muscles and brains and puts them out of gear. Fear has been the evil genius of governments, societies and religions. The despotisms that have crushed the people, filled prisons with noble captives, and burnt martyrs at the stake, have all been built on fear. It is the deadly foe of freedom. Men must not inquire, they must not search for truth, because something might happen to them. But surely,” said the speaker, "we have grown old enough to diagnose this most potent emotion and its causes and put them in their proper place. The greatest fear in the world has been inspired by reli1 gion, and its views on death and the future life. "Religion, as manipulated by ec- ' clesiasticism has been guilty of many I monstrous perversions. The church's I exploitation of human fear, in the interests of its authority and for profit, I is one of the worst chapters in human I history. We find in the Old Testaj ment that fear dominated the lives of : many characters. Jacob feared his I brother Esau. The children of Isreal feared when the High Priest entered J the holy of holies. Isreal was to be a I name of joy, a praise and an honour i before all nations, but like the people of today, they went their own way. I They failed to take notice of the I scriptures, of God’s commandments 1 and it often took death and destruci tion to bring them back to their right I path. j "Yet,” said Mr. Prowse, "there was a fear of death which was a godly fear. It proceeded, not from ignorance, but from a knowledge of the universe as they offered themselves to us. It came from a recognition of the laws God had set down for our physical and spiritual guidance. We know we cannot break His laws without suffering penalties, but we can well fear, and with fear avoid the penalties which wrong doing brings, with pain and suffering in its train,” said Mr. Prowse.

"Pain is not vengance,” continued the speaker. "It is God’s warning signal. Moral pain, with its sense of guilt and the anguish of remorse, is the precise analogue in the spiritual world of physical pain. Pain and suffering is not a destroyer, but a healer. They are often God’s way to draw us upwards towards development. StJohn gives the secret away when he says: ‘There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out all fear. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love Him, because He first loved us.’ "It is in such words we find the remedy for the psychology of fear,” said Mr. Prowse. ‘Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. This is the love of God, that we keep His commandents.’ What are His commandments? First, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and thy neighbour as thyself I and second, to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. | "We may study pyschology and ' every other ology, but if we have not ;got the love of God in our hearts we have gone astray somewhere,” said the preacher. "We have got to get back to the beginning. Conversion produces not a change, but a revolution in character; it creates a new personality. The greatest miracle in the world is for a bad man to be changed into a good man. Personal, practical Christianity is the answer to a psychology of fear. It is what we need in politics, in education, in public administration, in our daily lives. Christ is the only hope for the world. He not only struggled for victory, but he won it. nearly 2000 years ago,’’ concluded Mr. Prowse. SPEEDING MOTORISTS FINED IN MARTON COURT Two cases of speeding came before the magistrate, Mr A. Coleman, at a sitting of the Mar’on Court yesterday morning. In both cases the traffic Inspector. Mr W. C. Shaw, prosecuted. Exceeding the maximum speed limit of 30 m.p.h. in the vicinity ot Lake Alice, for a heavy motor vehicle last July cost James Elston £1 (costs 10s). The inspector said he checked defendant’s spted for one-third of a mile at 36 m.p.h. The tare weight of the truck was six tons and it was empty at the time. When stopped the driver had no reasonable excuse to offer, said the inspector. Defendant's speed was checked at between 45 and 50 miles an hour, said the inspector when prosecuting John Duffy for exceeding the speed limit of 30 m.p.h. through the declared locality of Turakina last August. Defendant had no satisfactory excuse to offer for his speed, added Mr Shaw. The magistrate imposed a fine of £3 (costs 10s). LABOUR PARTY ADDRESS About 40 were present at the Labour Party address given in the Marton Junction School cn Tuesday night by Mr Ritchie McDonald, M.P. for Ponsonby, in support of Mr E. dt Malmanche, Labour candidate fof Rangitikei. Mr L. J Tank and a vote of thank? to the speakers and confidence in the Labour Party was passed. CATCHING A COLD ? You are? Well, get after the trouble that’s causing so much of your misery—get "Baxters” and get better. Baxters Lung Preserver speedily tackles annoying throat tickles, eases chest congestion, and restores normal breathing. ‘‘Baxters’* is perfectly pure and safe for young and old keep a bottle handy always. Don’t take that cold home take "Baxters." All chemists and stores sell Baxters ask for it. Baxters Ltd., 602 Colombo St., Chch.