WHAT IS CULTURE?

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21420, 12 March 1935, Page 7

WHAT IS CULTURE?

TO THE BIHTO* 0* TUB PRBSfI. Sir,—Your correspondent, N. M. BeJJ, in Wednesday's issue of "The Press " asks the question: "What is culture?" In order to invite criticism lie answers the question himself, and this is his answer: "I think that the peculiar characteristics of culture, that which distinguishes all people to whom this word may be applied today, is kindness. Cruelty is the great distinguishing mark of the uncultured." He then endeavours to establish the idea that all who are truly cultured will be kind to animals, and refuse to eat the flesh of any animal caught and killed for that purpose. He seems to have the idea that it is degrading to humanity to take the life of animals to eat their flesh. What that has to do with culture it is difficult to say. Some of the most cultured men I have been privileged to meet are not strict vegetarians; but their refined manner and general deportment are evidences of high culture. Perhaps I do not understand the meaning of the word as your correspondent does. Human culture—for it is that to which he refers —is recognise to have three departments, the physical, the mental, and the spiritual. physical is recognised in all our educational institutions. Physical culture is essential for the activities of life. Mental culture is necessary to direct physical energy. Spiritual culture is necessary to make life noble and strong, although it is scarcely ever referred to in our literature to-day. The Christian Church is the institution established for spiritual training. You can teach children to be kind, gentle, and forbearing: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Neglect the spiritual, and the mental and physical may be cruel. It is evident that when man was created vegetables and fruit were the only diet eaten, and continued to be such for many years after man's transgression. But Moses, when he wrote the historical events of the human race, referred to the eating of animal food, and did not condemn it as a sin, nor refer to it as being injurious to the body. When Jesus was on earth He chose fishermen to be His disciples. He did not condemn the work in which they were engaged, nor speak of it as cruel. The parable if the Prodigal Son would indicate that He approved of the fatted calf being killed that the members of the household might eat, drink, and be merry because of the son's return. It is true that there are some men who believe that if the human race would return back to the simple diet of vegetables and fruit the health of humanity would greatly improve, and life prolonged.—Yours, etc., J. RICHARDS. March 11, 1935.