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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 15, No. 14. July 24, 1952

Six Feet Of Earth

Six Feet Of Earth

Sir,—the E.U. letter recently published in "Salient" added to a suspicion of mine that many Christians cannot understand an Agnostic's point of view. In the letter the insinuation is that if one has thought about Christianity he will be a Christian, if he is not a Christian he just hasn't thought—he is Intellectually lazy.

David Stewarts talk on "Is It Scientific to Believe?" offers another instance. Mr. Stewart attempted to justify religion on the use of Unscientific method. The final test, he said, as to whether God exists or not must be as in science an experiment. The only way to experiment is to go to God in prayer "weakly and trustfully" and the other conclusions as to the existence of God (based on the universal occurrence of religions) will be proved. The possibility of this experiment failing was not consider, ed. Once again "if one has thought on the subject he becomes a Christian? I have actually heard Christians state that agnosticism is taking the easy way out that is agnostics are people who did not think about or experiment on religion. Christians themselves surely take an "agnostic" stand on problems (outside of theology) where evidence will not convince them either way. The agnostic attitude in religion is also Justifiable.

I would like to conclude with a comment on the final sentence in the E.U. letter. "But your six feet of earth in all you own in the long run, and then—what?" If I were to be converted it would be because of the admirable principles for good living taught by Jesus Christ, not because of any concern about what happens in the long run. E.U. have surely grasped the wrong end of the stick here. The aforesaid six feet of earth will suffice for me!

In Justification.