HOME THE CITADEL OF MORALITY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 190, 8 May 1940, Page 6

HOME THE CITADEL OF MORALITY

Headmaster Denounces Sexual Freedom

PERNICIOUS DOCTRINES ABROAD

Pernicious modern doctrines threatening to undermine the citadel of home life, the sanctity of .marriage, and the Christian ideal of morality, were deuouuecd by Mr. F. W. Gilligan, .headmaster of Wanganui Collegiate School, addressing a Mothers’ Union meeting in St. Mark’s Schoolroom, Wellington, last night.

There was a large audience. Nearly as many fathers as mothers attended. The chairman, the Rt. Rev. H. St. Barbe Holland. Bishop of Wellington, explained that the Mothers’ Union, a wonderful body to which hundreds of thousands of mothers in many parts of the world belonged, was here launching out on a glorious adventure, in attempting to interest fathers also in its aims and activities. He was pleased so many fathers had accepted the. challenge.

Mr. Gilligan spoke on the subject, "The Home Citadel.” We lived, he said, in times of upheaval and transition, that, dated from the beginning of the century. No age could remain static. Today religious beliefs, hoary with antiquity, were being widely challenged. The scientific aspect of the world was changing beyond belief, though not all the scientists showed wisdom in their experiments - . Recently social experiments on a large scale had been carried out in countries dominated by a strong man or a strong group able to command the unthinking allegiance of youth. Turning to morality, even principles for many centuries regarded as sacred were being attacked. Ideals of conduct that had served as touchstones for ages were being thrown into the waste basket.

Till comparatively recently, the institution of the family seemed as firm as a rock. It was the foundation of that morality, regarded as a proud inheritance, which taught that the relation between husband and wife was the highest form of union, sacred as the creative force of life, the industrial and social order, and religion itself. The central doctrine of this high ideal of sex was that nothing was more dangerous and unworthy than, to imperil it by philandering. Married honour meant that husband and wife trusted and were trusted by each other, their family, State and Church, while the unmarried were on their honour lo keep soul and body worthy of that great trust. The word “love” was never applied to any relationship outside that ideal. "The New Morality.” Now there had arisen a new body of people styling themselves apostles of the new morality. They maintained that the old view of sex and familylife was a mistake, because it imprisoned man and wife in the bondage of conventional responsibilities. These people were abroad, even in this fair land of New Zealand. They were insistent in declaring sexual freedom the ideal of human relationships, and maintained that because family ties interfered with that relationship they should be done away with. The average man and woman regarded such ideas with disgust. He admitted the difficulties inevitable in married life, the need of mutual give and take, and even the necessity for divorce in certain cases. He knew that some people had always practised sexual freedom, but he regarded them as undesirables, and not people whom he would introduce to his wife or daughter. Home life was based upon the deep loyalty and affection of man and wife, which welled up in times of difficulty or distress. It provided scope for the practise of such excellent, virtues as mutual trust, chivalry, honour, Christian morality and purity. “I regard this now morality as the old Immorality," said Mr. Gilligan. .Must Face the Facts,

Parents should uot put their heads into the saud like ostriches, but should know tiie sort of thing their sons and daughters would have to face when they went out into the world. Forewarned was forearmed. They must see what to do to give the lie to these pernicious doctrines, which led only to a life of futility. The drift of the populace to the cities contributed to the spread of such ideas. Large numbers of people arrived in town divorced from their family circle anti their friends, and were overcome by loneliness, when they fell easy victims to such pernicious teachings as were abroad. If life were presented as a great aud glorious adventure, and boys were taught it was a sign of manliness to practise restraint aud purity, it would give them a form of armour against such temptations.

The teachings of Christianity and the Christian way of life were uot productive of quick results; they were not products of ecstatic youth movements that sprang up overnight, but were the result of steady infiltration over 2000 yen rs.

lie suggested parents should make their homes attraclive, should identify themselves witii their children's interests, encourage them lo bring friends home where they would be assured of a ’welcome fi;om ful her and mother, and interest them in (hose things which were most worth while—reading and art and music, by which, with all resjieet to the broadcasting authorities, lie did not mean the Canned variety. Parents should encourage their children by persuasiveness and winning their confidence, not by dogmatic dictation in the “grand manner” of Victorian fathers. Tiie lure of the motor-car and cinema, excellent tilings in themselves, sometimes assumed a false importance in the lives of modern young people'. The end of life was not going to the “flicks” or indulging in speed trials—in spite of petrol restrictions. The greatest contribution parents could make in these difficult times was to identify thetnselves with the Christian Church, now facial with tiie hordes of Communism and Nazism, which professed to be religious. The Church must be miliianf, and parents must show their children Hint they identified themselves with it, while it was engaged in tin; fight with these forces.