EVOLUTION THROUGH SEX

New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 808, 21 January 1955, Page 5

EVOLUTION THROUGH SEX

Sir,.-One wonders how much there is in G.H.D.’s suggestion of a connection between naturalistic beliefs and juvenile delinquency. Certainly it does seem, at times, that there is increasing confusion of standards about sex and other moral matters in our society. On the other hand, this may be putting the cart before the horse, for it is possible for one to suppose that people have come to believe that naturalism should be the basic principle in morals just because the older, mainly Christian, standards have become confused. Not being myself what most people would call a Christian, I would not presume to conclude that all kinds of Christians speak with conflicting voices, but it often seems to me that they are trying to embrace positive moral standards by placing all their emphasis upon what is forbidden. This must often fail as a guide to conduct, especially with the young. It seems to be a reasonable further doubt, in connection with G.H.D.’s comment, that one’s \definition of delinquency might be most important in criticising naturalism. If this is so, then there might well be no ultimate standards. The truth may well be, as I have heard some Christians say, that their apparent conflicts of moral philosophy arise because none of them has yet clearly understood the moral ultimates. One may hope that the position is not worse than this, for without some final principles we would indeed be lost.

T.

P.

(Christchurch).