MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE

Shannon News, 15 March 1927, Page 2

MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE

POSITION IN SOUTH AFRICA. JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 21. “South African, sod ty is simply being gummed together instead of being solidly built up,” said the Dean of Johannesburg, the Very, Reverend W. Palmer, in a striking sermon on the divorce question. “Some contracting parties to marriage have not th e slightest intention of making thei r marriage permament if things do not turn-out well. We cannot build up a nation unless we have a solid home life. Home life is th e backbone of the nation.” Many present day marriages, said the preacher, were merely leasehold marriages. Till death dv us part was not a pledge by which the parties, meant to stand. Th e white people of South Africa were getting back to the poylgamy of the .natives. , The only difference was that the native’s polygamy was concurrent, whereas tho white man was drifting toward 'the state where he had two or three wives hot concurrently, but consecutively. “The time has come when the clergy should refuse to marry those who do not accept the ideals of the Church —the standard of Christ,” said the Dean. “That has been a lot of sentimental twaddle about divorce; I have not yet heard one sound argument for it. What is to become of the children of divorced parents? The Church in central Johannesburg is rapidly degenerating into registry offices for lost husbands. They had to fight against any legislation that was going to make divorce. easier, Dean Palmer continued. Such legislation must bo bad. Why? Because in order to make things easier for the individual it would upset that - upon which the welfare of so many depended. If anything, the existing laws should be tightened up. There was an unholy amount of lying and collusion going on to bring about divorce and; with It the abandonment of the child.