SPIRITUAL IDEALS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 219, 12 June 1933, Page 10

SPIRITUAL IDEALS

Real Issues of To-day WORLD CONFERENCE Machine Master of Man SERMON BY CANON JAMES “We have developed the machine to be our servant, and have allowed it io become our master,” said Canon Percival James in a sermon at St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral yesterday morning. “How will posterity regard our age?” said Canon Janies. ‘■lt will be remembered for its stupendous advances in scientific discovery ami invention winch disclosed to men new conceptions of this mysterious universe, and enabled them to harness natural forces to increase the means of comfort and enjoyment. For what else should we be remembered? Canon James asked. Our phvsics aud mechanics had not made man the master of tilings. Uiey seemed rather—for the point—to have put tilings into the saddle to ride the world. Posterity would not have any high regard for our spiritual achievements. . \ e “I will say that a certain atrophy Of spirit was the price of our preoccupation witli science,” added Canon James. “Our achievements in art, music aud literature will be treated with an indifference bordering on aversion, and the same fate may await our architecture. Most of our fiction and drama will be consigned to a well-merited oblivion. We shall be laughed at, I think, as those ‘who were eager to break with tradition because we imagined that anything new, however ugly, must be an improvement, because it is new.” This tendency had affected our moral and religious habits. We had abandoned age-long moral standards and restraints, and we experimented with all kinds of fantastic substitutes for the religion of our forefathers. The redeeming qualities of this age seemed to be its humanitarianism —a vague but powerful sentiment —and its frankness and sincerity. It was impatient of shams. Post-War Youth. Dealing with the future, Canon James said most people had learned to distrust those who had put themselves forward since the war to report “what youth is thinking to-day.” Jt was a curious muddle of the crude opinions of second-rate minds that these self-constituted spokesmen had attributed to youth. “Anyhow, what serious contribution to thought cau we expect, from those bright young things, the post-war young men who were too young for the fighting, and their female conteinporaries?” added Canon James. “The youth of ‘those twelve shameful years after the war,’ as Dr. Inge describes them, ‘who claimed all the license and more, that might have been indulgently conceded to soldiers in a campaign, the youth of squeals, night clubs and cocktails’.”

Perhaps they were to be pitied as much as blamed, but they were neither a pleasant nor an important generation. Tliey would not do much to put the world right. ’ “I find my own observation confirmed by those who have much to do with the younger generation —now in their ’teens or a little older that they are better and stronger and likely to prove more wholesome and serviceable than their immediate predecessors,” said Canon Janies. What kind of a future were men expecting? Some minds were haunted by growing apprehension. They were troubled by our apparent loss of some of the old virtues such as moral earnestness, capacity for strenuous endeavour, and faith in God. Others were quite content with this “brave new world.” “Many of these tell us that we have no need of God and Christ, and that we can rule out religion and trust the future,” the canon continued. “There is a third class —a large class, I think —who are utterly perplexed. They do not. know what to think or expect.” Because mankind had suffered many a setback in its long story of ups and downs, there were those who said: “Now wo are in tlie trough of the wave, presently we shall be on the crest. Have patience, for things will right themselves in the long run.” Was this true, and had things ever righted themselves, or had they remained evil until men aroused themselves to put them right bv changing men’s hearts and ways? The old idea of inevitable and automatic progress which deluded the nineteenth century was badly damaged now. It still lingered, but it was largely discredited. Economic Motives Insufficient.

“The Preparatory Commission for the Economic Conference has warned us plainly of the disasters to which we are moving, if something is not done’ to avert them,” said Canon James. “These disasters they say ‘will not be the result of any inevitable natural law, but of the failure of the human will and intelligence.’ I believe with all my heart that what we need above everything else to-day, the essential thing without which conferences, political measures, and economic arrangements will be of no lasting avail, is a working philosophy of life which will be largely accepted. I can see no alternative to the law of love as Jesus Christ taught it. I believe that the one thing needful is to rediscover the mind oi Christ. “At present, economic motives seem to prevail over all other motives. But economic factors, however important, are not the only factors to be taken into account. The real issues to-day are spiritual. They will decide the coming or the delaying of the better times for which we are looking. We are suffering from a failure of . the human will aud intelligence. What is wrong to-day is something wrong in the hearts of men and women. Our evils will not be removed until we put spiritual ideals into practice. “If our present civilisation is to be saved we must find other and better working principles of living together iu this world. Otherwise ,it will soon be found impossible to live together. We are concerned primarily with human conduct. Conduct depends on ideals and ideals are shaped by beliefs. What a man believes or disbelieves will determine what he does. The call on this tremendous hour is for the allegiance of men and women to the living Christ. To whom else shall we go?”