Letters to the Editor
THE CHALLENGE TO RELIGIOUS ORTHODOXY
[To the Editor of the SeEcraron.] Sin,—As a constant reader of the Spectator for very many years, and as one who greatly values the high standard set by it on religious matters as well as on political, I must venture to enter my very earnest protest against the series of articles attacking the Christian faith, the first one of which appears in to-day's issue, and which, in my opinion, must do an se deal of harm to uninstructed or insufficiently instructed people.
I know that we are promised replies giving the Christian point of view, and from such trusted and competent leaders of religious thought as Dr. N. P. Williams and Father Martin- dale. To these we shall look forward ; but this does by no means remove the objection to the publication of the attack. A great many people, the majority I think, are much more ready to read destructive criticism than matter which is edifying and constructive, and which bears the appearance of being old-fashioned and biassed. In any case, the attack has had the initiative with a week's start, and the poison has had plenty of time to do its mischievous work. We all know how a sentence or even a single word will stick in the mind, causing often great distress to persons who would most gladly shake off the remembrance of it if they could.
I feel this so strongly that, in passing on the Spectator this week according to my usual custom, I have felt obliged to cut out what are to me the objectionable pages, lest I should be a party to the diabolical work of unsettling the faith of others.—I am, Sir, &e.,
(REV.) BERNARD MOULTRIE (Catholic Priest).
[We are sorry that Father Moultrie disapproves of our series of articles on The Challenge to Religious Orthodoxy. We fear, however, that we must differ from him on this occasion, but we would ask him to believe that we did not enter upon this series lightheartedly. After much deliberation and consultation with leaders of religious thought we decided that we could render no greater service to the cause of Faith than by opening the colunms of the Spectator to a frank discussion of the causes responsible for the present-day hostility to traditional Christianity, especially among the young.
If the Christian Church is to fulfil her mission in the modern world she must do as the Fathers of the third and fourth centuries did, who met the cultivated pagan on his own ground. —En. Spectator.]
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