VOTERS’ MINDS

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 21981, 9 March 1943, Page 4

VOTERS’ MINDS

CHURCH AND POLITICS (By Telegraph—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Monday The Bishop of Wellington, the Rt. Rev. H. St. Barbe Holland, in an article in the diocesan paper entitled “Church and People,” attacks | the motive of self-interest in the l minds of voters and defines the atj titude of the Church to political j parties. “In the minds of many of our ! people,” he says, “there is, as far as I can gather, a complete misconcep- ! tion of the place of the Church in the life of the community. Here in ; New Zealand we seem to be divided i into two camps, divided not so much by political principles as by the mat- . erial desires of those who dwell i within the borders of each camp. I “I must confess I was much disturbed during the last general election by the fact that I hardly came | across one voter who was bent on discovering which of the political programmes to presented him would be in the interests of the nation or the community as a whole. Rather every man was asking which party would give him personally the biggest dividend of protection and prosperity. This attitude comes perilously near the class war and is the bastard child of democracy.” Asked to Take Sides Bishop Holland adds .that so strong is the motive of self-interest even in the minds of church people that they tend to regard the Church as j the bulwark of that order of society ! which ensures stability or security | for themselves. If they are on the ! Right they regard it as the Church’s duiy to defend the status quo. If they are on the Left they demand that the Church shall undermine the present order and create one according to their liking. From their different viewpoints the Church must be the bulwark of interests on either l the Right or the Left. It is failure to see that the Church must first and last be the bulwark j of truth as God reveals it to each 1 generation that tends to create divij sion and misunderstanding both outside and within the Church itself, {he continues. If in this year we are to move forward as a great fellowship entrusted with the grave responsibility of leading the nation to know the things which belong unto its peace, the Church must be neither the National Party at prayer j nor the Labour Party at prayer. It I must stand at the heart of the i nation’s life directing its citizens away from self-regarding aims. It ■ must be fearless, revealing what is inconsistent with God’s will and purpose in our political, social and economic life. It must indicate the nature of the positive demands which ! it must make if it is to be faithful j to its divine mission.