BROKEN MARRIAGES.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 May 1923, Page 2

BROKEN MARRIAGES.

ANGLICAN CONGRESS DISCUSSION [IIY TELEGRAPH—I’ER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, May 23. At to-day's session of the Anglican Church Congress, Archdeacon Jl. Vi . "Williams (Gisborne), spoke on the question of marriage, which he classed as being of the highest importance to the Church; to the State and to tho individual. The Archdeacon deplored the decrease in the birth-rate, and tho postponements of marriage until the parties were becoming advanced in years.

Archdeacon Williams then traced the causes of broken marriages such as drunkenness, gambling etc. He contended that, until the Church attacked them with both metal and spiritual weapons there could he little hope of success.

It must, he said, he realised that the Church could not look for real assistance from the State. The tendency of tlie civil laws to-day. he pointed out, was to diverge even more widely from the Christian view. In those conditions it would seem to he the best procedure; (1) That all marriages should take place before a Government official, who should register the civil contract involved; (2) that the Church should recognise tho distinction between marriage and Christian marriage; (3) that tlie Church should refuse to be associated with any marriage which did not conform with her standard, or which was otherwise scandalous; and (4) that she should reserve her service and her benediction for those alone who were in communion with her, and who, therefore, accepted that standard.

NKW ZEALAND’S BAD RECORD. CHRISTCHURCH, May 23. In an address at the Anglican Church Congress to-day, the Bishop of II illochra (Dr White), after outlining the Christian ideal of marriage, said: “To-day the ordinary novel, which reflects the belief and practice of the age, not only relies for its interests on adultery and on fornication; but these things are regarded as normal, and entirely harmless interests in the lives of heroes and heroines, who do not so much deny as they ignore morality, just as they ignore religion. At the same time, the Christian ideal of marriage is regarded as old-fashioned and out of date, while the habit has grown up of glorifying sexual passion as an end, and a sufficient end, in itself—an end which justifies the sacrifice to it of duty, purity and honour—so that, for men and women alike, the following of desire is lauded, often in beautiful language, as the highest and noblest thing in life.” “It is not suggested (he continued) that sexual immorality is worse to-day than it has been at other periods of the history of nominal Christianity ; but this is probably the first time that lust has been so widely excused, and even lauded, as though it were a virtue. Nor is this merely theory! Practical results are shown in the reports of the Committee of the New Zealand Board of Health last year, with its appalling statement, that, oi all the young mothers in New Zealand, at least half have been unchaste. I do not suggest that New Zealand is peculiarly had in this respect. There is strong reason to believe that Australia is little, if at all, better than New Zealand; but it is a terrible state of things for a nominally Christian country.”

‘•lt must, be remembered that such statistics as are derived from the marriage returns only show us the irreducible minimum of the evil. If "c wish to know its real extent, we have to add the great number of persons who escape detection by the use of preventives, and who. from other causes, do not come under the heading of those officially known.”

“The remedy,” Bishop White said, “was the transmutation of sex impulses to creative work, whether in art, science, social service or religious effort. Christianity was enough for the spiritual health and happiness of man, and if it really aboded in the heart, there was no room for the evils ho h a d mentioned,”