XN000022-1982-11-26 — Page 7

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1982

HE SAID THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE INCREASING AS MORE REPRESENTATIVE ORGANISATIONS ARE CREATED AT A DISTRICT LEVEL AND MORE ACTIVITIES ARE GIVEN A DISTRICT FOCUS.

+AND I AM NOT REFERRING MERELY TO THE WORK OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS BUT TO A SPECTRUM OF ACTIVITY, WHICH COVERS ALL THOSE ORGANISATIONS WHICH UNITE OUR COMMUNİTY, SCOUTS, RED CROSS MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES, RECREATION AND CULTURAL ORGANISATIONS.

+THE VAST MAJORITY OF HONG KONG'S PEOPLE WILL LIVE HERE ALL THEIR LIVES, THEIR HOMES ARE HERE, THEIR FUTURE IS HERE, FOR THEM THERE IS NO QUESTION OF DEPARTURE.

+THEREFORE WE MUST NOT FALTER IN OUR RESOLVE AS A PEOPLE AS A GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE, TO BUILD HEERE A FULL AND HAPPY LIFE FOR OUR PEOPLE, BY USING THE IMAGINATION, ENTERPRISE AND DETERMINATION, WHICH HAS BROUGHT US TO THE PRÉ-EMINENT POSITION WE ENJOY TODAY.+

HAYE SAYS SOME FAITH IS BETTER THAN NONE

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IN THE MODERN WORLD THOSE THAT HAVE A FAITH ARE IMMEASURABLY BETTER OFF THAN THOSE WHO HAVE NONE, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR COLVYN HAYE, SAID TODAY.

SPEAKING AT THE SPEECH DAY OF ST MARY'S CANOSSIAN COLLEGE HE SAID, ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS IN THE AGE IN WHICH WE LIVE IS SOME SORT OF FAITH, AN IDEAL WHICH IS OUTSIDE ONESELF, TO WHICH ONE CAN CLING IN UNCERTAIN TIMES,+

MR HAYE SAID THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO DIVIDE PEOPLE INTO THREE BROAD CATEGORIES: THOSE WHO HAD A FAITH, THOSE WHO REJECTED FAITH AND THOSE WHO EITHER DID NOT KNOW OR DID NOT CARE.

+PHILOSOPHICALLY I SUPPOSE ONE WOULD SAY THAT PEOPLE ARE

EITHER BROADLY IDEALISTIC OR MATERIALISTIC.

+] HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT MUST BE TERRIBLY DEPRESSING TO BE A MATERIALIST BECAUSE THIS REALLY MEANS THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT LIFE

IS SOMEHOW THE PRODUCT OF MATERIAL ACCIDENT, THAT IT IS A

MEANINGLESS LOTTERY OR THAT EVERYTHING IS SOME SORT OF ADJUSTMENT TO ENVIRONMENT, AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING AFTER DEATH.

+THE IDEALIST, ON THE OTHER HAND, SUBSCRIBES TO PURPOSE, MEANING, AND A DESTINY WHICH MAY NOT BE TOTALLY INTELLIGIBLE BUT WHICH UNDOUBTEDLY SHAPES OUR ENDS.

+QUITE APART FROM PREFERENCE FOR AN EXCITING AND MEANINGFUL EXISTENCE, AS DISTINCT FROM A DESPAIRING AND MEANINGLESS WORLD, THERE ARE VERY GOOD RATIONAL REASONS FOR BEING AN IDEALIST, + MR HAYE SAID.

HE SAID HE WAS NOT PRAISING ANY PARTICULAR SYSTEM OF FAITH, BUT ADDED. I DO BELIEVE THAT WHAT YOU LEARN HERE AT ST MARY'S PREPARES YOU FOR A POSITIVE IDEALISTIC LIFE.+

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