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The Spike: or, Victoria University College Review, October 1916

Free Discussions Club

Free Discussions Club.

"Discite, miseri et causas aqnoscite rerum."—Persius.

The Fourth Discussion, held on June 6th was on the subject of "Prayer," and was introduced by Miss H. Ross. In her paper she briefly sketched the history of prayer, and examined the claims of Christianity with regard to prayers and their answers. Of the two main classes of prayer, the answers to those embodying a petition could be explained very simply and satisfactorily, as the result of human action rather than of supernatural action, and to those of a devotional nature as due to page 86 psychological influences whose nature, while not always quite clear, is still in the realm of natural science, and in the fairway to elucidation.

The Fifth Discussion held on June 16th was on "The Historicity of Jesus."Mr. H. S. Tiby gave the opening paper, and he dealt principally with the historical references to Jesus, but the discussion was confined chiefly to the trustworthiness of the Gospels as evidence. The similarity between the ideas in the Christian religion and ancient myths was shown. Passages from the New Testament which are evidently authentic, and passages which must have been inserted since the writing of the books were quoted by Miss England. She also showed how our Christmas and Easter were fixed at Pagan festival times, the Summer Solstice, and the Equinox.

The Sixth Discussion, held on July 21st, was introduced by Miss Braddock, the subject being "The Genesis of Religious Ideas." Miss Braddock outlined methods of attack, e.g. study of religions among primitive peoples; but she considered the best method was the appeal to psychology by the study of the child mind which is to a great extent a recapitulation of "the mental" life of the human race. She showed that the principal doctrines of Christianity existed prior to the origin of Christianity, and that analagous doctrines existed in other religions which could all be related to a common origin. The discussion centred round the advisability of the Church by means of missions thrusting an advanced religion on untutored and undeveloped minds.

The Seventh Discussion, on August 4th was on "Eugenics," and Mr. Purdie gave an opening address.

Mr. Purdie gave as the reason for studying Eugenics the necessity for increasing the happiness of the race. He treated the subject from the point of view of evolution, and dealt with the theories of selection. He gave as proofs of the degeneracy of the race—the birth of less fit and more unfit—the injudicious methods of modern philantrophy—modern war.

The methods suggested to overcome these difficulties were—(1) Education as to laws of heredity. (2)Higher ideals in selection (not for social position). (3) Prevention of reproduction by the insane and those with incur page 87 able hereditary diseases, etc. In the discussion, good legislation was suggested as one of the solutions.

The Eighth Discussion one on "Conscription" was held on August 25th. Miss L. Crabbe gave the opening paper. She put forward the various arguments against conscription. e.g. The difference in fighting power of willing and unwilling men, and the fact that those who compel others to go are themselves guilty of murder if the conscripted men are killed or kill any of the enemy. Also, in a conscripted state, the status of woman is lowered; and again allowance must be made for conscientious objectors who do not belong to definite creeds.

Miss Crabbe recognised certain advantages from conscription, but she thought the disadvantages far outweighed these.

Professor Hunter put forward the idea of National Service, under which each one would do what he is best fitted to do, and then there would be no difficulty about men going to war.

England's relation to other countries was discussed, and in this connection her folly at the present time in giving her trade to Japan.

The Ninth Discussion on September 1st was on Maeterlinck, and Mr. Tocker gave the opening paper.

Mr. Tocker gave a brief sketch of Maeterlinck's Works, and then dealt with his book "On Death." From this book he set forward the possibilities for the Hereafter. These Maeterlinck considered as four. (1) Total Annihilation; (2) Individual Immortality with remembrance of this life; (3) Individual Immortality with no knowledge of this life; (4) Immortality with a consciousness quite different from our present one. He advocated the fourth, discarding the first three as impossible.

A lively discussion followed, on the state after death, whether there should be individual immortality, or a universal consciousness, and as to the nature of this consciousness.

The subjects yet to be taken are:—September 15th. That it is in the best interests for the welfare of a modern state that its women be eligible for election to Parliament. Leader, Miss England. September 29th, Modern Christian Theology. Leader, Mr. Archer.