SINS OF SOCIETY.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 July 1922, Page 4

SINS OF SOCIETY.

WICKEDNESS OF THESE DAY'SINDICTMENT BY ARCHBISHOP JULIUS. CHRISTCHURCH, July 13. Archbishop Julius, in an address at the annual meeting of the Women’s Branch of the Social Hygiene Society last night, made a- speech attacking the sins of society and modern wickedness.

He began by drawing attention to the fact that clergy and doctors were on the platform, and said that not many years ago it. would have been an unusual sight. The two classes, instead of working apart, as formerly, with some jealousy, now were combining to find a remedy for a shocking social disease, a plague that was devastating the country. He hoped that the politicians also would conic into lino, and take advice from those who were studying the problem from every point. Tt was clear, also, that unless the women went into the work whole henrtedlv, the movement would fail utterly. ‘■‘The tendency in the past,” the Archbishop said, “was to put the fact of the disease out of sight, and to try to forget it. although it was there all the time. Nasty or not nasty, it lias to be dealt with now. to be looked in the face, and with the grace of God, to lie overcome. The Church takes up the attitude that- men must restrain their natural instincts. Afon could, do so; if they can’t they should lie restrained. “T)AAIN POLITICAL ECONOAIY.” “I know that things are changing Peoplq these days must have decent homes to live in. If it is said that what I urge is bad political economy, then I say ‘damn politic.il economy’. ]l is not as bad in Christchurch as in cities of older countries. Even before the war there was a great deal of selfmdulgence. aUi'mgst all! the people, from one end of the population to the other, in every single class of society. You only have to look at the birth-rate. You know quite well what it. means amongst wealthy and fashionable women. It means that people don’t want to spend money on children. Tt means the use of an instrument that has become so terribly common that it is increasing immorality to a very great degree indeed. Then there are late marriages. I am told a man should not many until he efln afford it. I don’t believe a word of it; a man should many when he reaches manhood and is fit to marry. Tt should not be said that a man must wait until lie i< fairlv we!! on in life.

INSTRUCT THE CHILDREN. "Ignorant*.* is another point. I have heard it discussed for forty years. It is ;i very knotty and difficult question, and we're told that sexual subjects must be buried out of sight. T say they should not be. On tin* oilier band I don’t believe tit all in that instruction being given by indifferent or foolish or ill-trained people, to their own children or to any other- chililicn. Parents insist not say: ‘Because the thing’s nastv, because T don’t like to

talk about it, because I haven’t broken from tin* false shame that hedged tbo* thing which is as pure and innocent as anything Ged lias inside I shall not talk of it to my children.’ The trouble is that somebody else will. The children will learn it in the schools. They will learn all the evil of it, all the vile wrong, and beastly side of it, not tin* pure, the good, the chaste and the holy side. It’s our hoiimlen duty to see that they learn it in a wholesome and healthy fashion.

‘■| wish to make a suggestion: It may he n narrow one, as it’s about our own community. Years ago. when T was curate 1 arranged with a doctor, a Christian man, to give a lesson to my children. There are wise. Christian men in this city—thank God we have them--w ho can do the same thing here.

MORE HELL NEEDED I “Olio other word. In modern re- 1 ligion we have dropped hell ont of count. It’s not mentioned in polite society now. I think we need a little more hell. I think our children need a little of the hell that follows the mis- 1 use of the powers Clud gives'." It might help them in the struggle for purity and truth, ft is si disgrace to .parents if they allowed their children to go out to face appalling dangers without one word of warning. LEGISLATION. “Another point is a delicate one. It is legislation. \Ve don’t know uhsit will come of legislation. They eall me a prohibitionist, and I suppose T am one; Imt, for the. life of me, what’s to come ol prohibition ■ prohibition might, for all I know, he. something worse than liquor. I don’t know. Legislation means uncertainty. T was never born to be n legislator, hot I know that legislation can’t go very far ahead of public opinion, and public, | opinion has to 1>? trained, and that s why this society is doing lug work and is working to the light end T want legislators to co-operate with the medical men and with all thus? who are seeking to help the people. “I’m not quite prepared to say what the age of consent should be, hut as long as you have that ‘reasonable belief’ clause in the Crimes Act you may as well chuck the age of ernsoril. Can

yon imagine :> hoy sayino ‘T didn't know she was under sixteen?’ A great deal that might b.> done bv legisl •- tion has not been touched. “There’s so mneh incitement to impurity amongst us! Can any hoy or gill walk down the streets of Christchurch without meeting infinite suggestions of impurity ami i?vil ? \ saw a great placat'd: I don’t say exactly where. It w: s about as disgusting rml b aslly a picture as I have seen on the walls of any city If that kind of thing is to lie controlled by authorities in Wellington, the sooner we get lock'd control and keep our streets clean, the bettor for os. “I don’t know what about the movies. 1 can't imagine children living taken by their'parents to some of the poctires we have, without those parents realising that the children are imbibing lessons and ideas which are hound to sink deeply into their minds. As long as von feed the imagination with such impuriely, , s o surely you will reap the more eonsec|Ueiieos. T feel it all the more as the movies might he the most healthful, instructive, encouraging tilings that science has ever given us." The archbishop concluded by saving Hint sympathy should he shown to others, hut it should he accompanied by a rn’iisiire of severity. ‘'Legislation.’’ he said “should go band ill hand with that piinciple. While we si cmld love, the sinner we should Tiatc the sin. and try to cast It out of our country.’’