MORAL OUTLOOK.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19258, 13 March 1928, Page 9

MORAL OUTLOOK.

"REVOLT OF MODERN YOUTH." PROBLEM FOR THE CHURCH. "No onehas really regretted the passing of the smug respectability of the Victorian era; and I for one rejoice to know that modern youth has rovolted against tho false pretences and modesties and shams of a past generation. '' This, however, is not the problem. The world to-day has not simply modified tho old standards of morality, but morality itself is questioned. In fact, the words of Pharaoh, 'Who is the Lord that 1 should obey his voico?' aptly expresses the modern outlook."

The abovo paragraphs, in tho opinion of tho Ecv. C. Maitland Elliss, of Duncdin, sum up,tho present public attitude in regard to tltc moral stnn dards in tho life of the community, and wore expressed by Mr Elliss at last evening's session of tho Congregational Union, in an address on "TinChristian Citizen and Moral Stan dards."

In opening, Mr Elliss said he wanted it to bo clearly understood that all ho could hope to do was to indicate the Christian ethic in its relationship to the corporate Hfo of the body politic. Nothing was more obvious than the fact that things had changed during the Inst few years. The old order along tho old standards had gone. No longer were things accepted simply upon the binding of authority. Not only was this ignored, but, in many quartors, its validity was questioned, not to say repudiated. Victorian Era. "It is not that wo have outgrown the rigid and somewhat circumscribed codo of the nineteenth contury, and seek to restato life and its relationships in terms of a wider and more liberal interpretation," oxplainod Mr Elliss. "If this wore all it would bo a phnso of truo progress to be desired. .... This is not the problem at all. Tho position to-day is that life is being interpreted by many in terms which, not content with stripping truth of any false presentation hnvo laid violent hands upon truth itself. Not eatisfiod wtih purging tho temple, modern life, in many quarters, is seeking to overthrow this temple. In fact, the prcsont-day attitude is woll oxpressed in tho words of Pharaoh, 'Who is tho Lord that I should obey _ his voice?' Hence tho modern outlook is reflected in tho modern conduct.

"The insano rush after pleasure, the breakdown of parental control, tho collapse of tho home, the demand for quicker and easier divorce are not so much in themselves problems, but rather nro the symptoms of a root problem. It is the problem of tho orientation of life in terms of conduct."

Tho speaker next dealt with the Christian aspect of the problem. Tho duty of tho Church was clearly deflnod, ho said. It had tho right to insist that the social legislation should havo true worth, although, it had been stated repeatedly that it was impossible to make people moral by legislation. That was so, but it was possiblo by legislation to protect the weak and tho unfortunate, and to restrain tho vicious.

"I contend that the time is opportuno for the reconstruction of our usually accepted methods of attack," continued Mr Elliss. "When all is said and done, we don't get very far by passing hectic resolutions against tho evils that exist. In the drawing of lurid pictures of night clubs, (which most of us havo never visited, and speak of only from hearsay) we accomplish but little. When we extract from our legislators a committal to support a piece of proposed legislation, irrespective of their own private judgment, may wo not ourselves exceed our moral rights? When we have brought to bear on an evil all the external pressure of the State, we have only suppressed it and the problem has not been solved. This, I may say in conclusion, is the task of the Church."