PEACE CELEBRATIONS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15657, 8 November 1918, Page 3

PEACE CELEBRATIONS.

To The Editor

Sir, —As a citizen of W anganui and as one who has laboured amongst its people for over twenty years, I beg to move a protest against one phase of the peace celebrations as outlined in the "Herald." I refer, Sir, to the religions portion, of the ceremony, and I contend, Sir, that that portion should be deleteed altogether Bach sect should perform this portion in their own way, and in their own buildings. A ceremony such as this should be attended by everyone able to be there. Now, Sir, there are people of many creeds, and people of none, and this is a public function, and there should be nothing introduced into it which will he a bar to the presence of anyone, no matter what their opinions may he. If the ceremony is carried out as outlined in this evening’s “Herald,” I, for one, will not attend it, and I know of many more who will not do so. Another point. Why, might I ask, have two ministers of the Church of England been selected to deliver prayers or sermons at this function? There is no Established (or State) Church in this Dominion; but I have observed a tendency in this body, during the last few years, to assume this position. Another query: Why have these two ministers been given precedence of the Mayor? Surely in these days this is an absurdity. Was the executive responsible for this arrangement, composed almost entirely of Anglicans, of which church the Bishop of Oxford recently denied the reality of the resurrection of Christ.—l am, etc., BRITISHER,

Sir,—l have been ashed whether my proposal that two clergymen of the Anglican Church should take part in the next public function is a suggestion of anv introduction of a State Church into New Zealand. Certainly not, I was the representative of the Ministers’ Association at the meeting, and there' fore proposed the Rev. W. G. Williams, not as an Anglican, but as onr president; and I proposed the name of Archdeacon Reeve because he had agreed to onr proposal to hold the recent united day -of prayer in the Anglican Curch. Such unity among the churches can only lead to cooes result. At any subsequent celebration the names of other ministers will probably be proposed.— I am, etc., H. L. BLAMIRES. Trinity Church, November 6, 1918.