THE CHURCH AND POLITICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, 22 June 1911, Page 20

THE CHURCH AND POLITICS.

LIQUOR AND LAND MONOPOLIES The Manawatu “Daily Times” reports that “after the Church of Christ service at the Orange Hall, Palmerston North,” on Sunday evening, “the congregation unanimously adopted the following resolution: —“This congregation regards the traffic in intoxicating liquors as the greatest obstacle to the moral and material progress of this young nation, and calls upon all Christians and patriotic men and women to unite in one mighty effort to rid the country of a traffic so devilish and destructive.” A further resolution was then moved, which failed to secure more than the one vote. It was as follows: “This congregation denounces the customs tariff and land monopoly as most iniquitous and oppressive, crippling the trade of the country, creating ■ unemployment, and depriving the landless workers of their natural freedom and about half their earnings. We therefore urge all Christians and all labour organisations to refuse their votes to parliamentary candidates who support these iniquities, and wherever necessary to put up the most powerful man they can find as the candidate of freedom and justice.” Perhaps the congregation were of the opinion that it would be better to dispose of the “devilish and destructive” issue first, before turning their attention to “the customs tariff and land monopoly,” for which (if it ’be the case) the Government and its supporters should be correspondingly grateful. By the way (we ask the question with all reverence), what is the Church of Christ, or perhaps we ought to say, in view of the exclusive title adopted by this congregation, holding its services in the Orange Hall, at Palmerston North, who gave this particular “church” the right to designate itself as “The Church of Christ?”