LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

From: The Revd G. A. G. Bowden, the Revd John F. C. White, Roy Boulting, Bennie Gray, Sally Beau- man, The Mayor of Siena and others.

South African logic

Sir: I misread the first few words of your leading article on 'The Archbishop and Apartheid' as 'Pre- dictably replete with a sense of moral courage'. I then saw that the word was not 'courage' but 'out- rage', and I found that the sneer contained in those first words per- vaded the entire article which ends with a recommendation to the Archbishop to stay_ at home and not meddle in what is none of his business.

You do not realise, it seems, that the Archbishop of Canterbury, as Head of the Anglican Communion all over the world, has a responsi- bility for all Christians in it, wherever they may be. His journey to South Africa, an extremely risky adventure, was undertaken out of a sense of pastoral care for those oppressed Christians in South Africa for whom he is responsible and to whom his visit will have brought a sense of deep Christian care from the Church as a whole.

The Daily Telegraph, in a critical but appreciative leader, said 'It is astonishing not how many but how few pitfalls he has stumbled into. Christians everywhere, and Angli- cans in particular, have cause for thanksgiving in that they have an Archbishop who believes in God and fears no man, who cares nothing for his 'public image' but very greatly for the Christians under his care.'

If we are to use the expression `moral outrage', it seems to me more fitting for the way in which a responsible journal like the SPECTATOR has commented on a notable feat of faith, courage and Christian statesmanship.

Guy Bowden Lucaslands, Highbrook, Ardingly Sir: As one who worships neither in Church or at a football match I am always a little confused when the name Ramsey crops up in a newspaper headline.

But before the Archbishop chases South Africa off the field amidst cries of 'off-side' I must say that I have always been puzzled by the representation of the Church of Christ.

, The Virgin Mary is usually shown as being of pale-pink skin, and Christ himself as no darker than I.

But coming from Jerusalem wouldn't they have been of a dark complexion?

One suspects that when Christi inns speak of the Son of God they credit him with a White son.

As the Archbishop says 'we're pretty wicked in England'.

Martin Folkard

67 Beaulieu Avenue, Sydenham Sir: Despite what you say, I suggest that the Archbishop of Canter- bury's visit to South Africa has been a magnificent achievement, though knowing how things are 'laid on' for visiting bishops and dignitaries, I wish his stay could have been for several months rather than the short time it was. How- ever, in that time, speaking as a spiritual leader, it seems to me he has awakened a Christian con- science which needed awakening, or perhaps more correctly, guiding. It is this spiritual content of his message which is so important. and which must have a necessary effect. Thus, to answer your question, I suggest that many South Africans most certainly are the better for Dr Ramsey's visit, and I have no doubt we shall see this is so in their revivified Christian witness in the months and years ahead. However, now the visit is over, I for one hope that we may now see an end to the one-sided party politics which have been so much practised in the Church of England in recent months. These can only divide the Church, and I find myself completely at one with you, when you suggest that those 'who work themselves up so constantly into states of righteous indignation about South Africa would be better employed directing their moral outrage at the evils around them'. The silence of the leadership of the Church on these great issues at home has been ominous to me, and one wonders how much this lack of leadership may not one day be firmly placed at the Church's door as being no small cause for our spiritual, moral and cultural decline in the past ten years. This seems to me, now that the Archbishop has been to South Africa and played the part we hoped he would, the time for the Church of England in particular to be giving a spiritual lead to the country, leaving purely party political matters to those who have the inside knowledge of what - is going on in the world. — John F. C. White 20 Abbotsbury Road, Broadstone Sir: Your editorials and reviews on the subject of Southern Africa seem to have been becoming more and more illogical lately. It is quite - in order to underline the tyrannies of the Iron Curtain regimes, and that of China, for instance. But can it be said that Britain bears much responsibility for these? America perhaps. Whereas she does bear i heavy responsibility for the course of events in Southern Africa. The English-speaking whites capitulated to the Boer policy towards the Africans because it suited their pockets—as it still suits the pockets of businessmen here to defend these regimes. And the British gov- ernment turned a blind eye towards the tendencies of the South African and Rhodesian governments be- tween the wars.

What other wealthy industrial state allows such a large pro- portion of its infants to die of malnutrition and allied causes as the South African? Since it is the only heavily industrialised state on the continent, until the further development of Zambia, there will be no choice for Africans wanting this kind of work except to go to the Union. Naturally the ethos of Africa differs from that of Europe. It is still what used to be called a 'pagan' continent. The black Afric- ans have been painfully struggling forward towards more 'Christian' standards, held up by missionaries, with only limited success. The white ones have been rapidly re- gressing towards the worst aspects of African paganism. There is a heroic minority of exceptional people holding out—mainly Jewish, actually. But the majority have unfortunately reached the state of monkeys with machine guns. With decades of experience of Southern African white families, I have been forced to this conclusion.

Desiree Hirst The English Department, Univ- ersity College of Swansea