Waiapu Church Gazette. Saturday, November 1st, 1924. RACIAL PROBLEMS.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XV, Issue 5, 1 November 1924, Page 456

Waiapu Church Gazette. Saturday, November Ist, 1924. RACIAL PROBLEMS.

The Bishop of Bendigo's recent remarks on the urgent need for Christianising the yellow and black races as a means to national safety, have occasioned some controversy. His words were rnisreported m the Melbourne "Argus." The Bishop, according to the "Church Standard," said:— "ln view of the race hatred and bitterness" (of colored peoples) "towards the white man, what can be done ? Surely there is only one possible answer — to Christianise them. In this case the path of duty, i.e., Christian duty, is the path to national safety." The General Secretary of the Australian Board of Missions, the Rev. J. Jones, says:— "l venture to say that we have no right to make an appeal for missionary work for fear the Asiatic or colored peoples will turn and rend us if we do not. That is an appeal to fear as a motive. We can say that only when the same moral sanctions bind every nation can international politics and policies be secure. The Christian religion is the driving force of the best Western morality. Therefore, the advance ;of the Christian faith should be hastened by every good citizen. "That it is not fair to assert the race hatred of colored races towards ,■ the white race unless we put first the ■■prejudice • of the white race towards colored peoples, of which there is so much evidence even m Australia, One would have .thought that m justice to the colored races this prejudice of the ;white man should be. dealt with, seeing "that we Jiave so. many instances of it,, for example — American legislation against Japan— the social and. civic itaitus .of Indians m the Empire. ,";"'The white. races claim a priority

and- therefore, an unchristian. attitude is all;, the more culpable; -It is : ,-npt possible for us to remove the : mote fTom pur brother 's eye, when the beam is •m pur own eye. ". : All the same tHe; fact remains that neglect on the part of Christia/n nations to ev ; angelise ; the world . will bring its own deserved punishments The reign of peace cannot be- brought about withput the- preaching of the Gospel of Peace. Whe.n -vfill pur semi"neathen • ppliticians .- realise, that all that is good m modern civilisation owes its origin to Christianity 1 ? That -more.and. and more real ChristianityrTChristianity not enforced by la\vf but encouraged and applied by- the.S.tate •is the only splutipn . of ; mor-al and social problems 1 ; Tha;t an education from Svhkh Christianity is banished is bound to result m the gTowih . -of class hatred, and class selfishness -and m the .end m .rey-olujtipn and chaps? For Christians the fear for national safety is an, utterly ; inadeciuate. and mean incentive :-. missipnary work, for them the command of Christ and the love of ..those for whom He died should be the., only thing to consider; but it is not purely ijaappjopriate to urge upon our legislators the consideration of national safety. The punishment of every State and Church that has neglected' to carry out .the Command of Christ has been extinction". Disobedience 1 to the Divine ; Command cames with it its own penalty. "Ye are the' salt, of the earthj " if we who profess to love and obey our Lord neglect the charge He has laid .upon us, we shall be' rejected by Hiih as useless. "Salt is good; • but if the salt havo lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned 1 ? It is, neither fit fdr the land nor yet fpr the dunghill ; but mcii cast it out. ' ' People are more or less willing to give for the support of outstanding charitable work, but fail to realise ' that the mainspring of charitable work is. Christianity itself. Ap" far as money goes the best nelp towards regenerating, educa-ting' and civilising men is given by Contributing to; such common-place objects as parochial funds/ Dioqesan funds,, Christ.mn education and Missions.