MORAL STANDARDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 70, 24 March 1937, Page 18

MORAL STANDARDS

INTERESTING ADDRESS

SOCIAL PROGRESS WOMEN

The members ■of;.the Women's Social Progress .Movement -spent a very 'interesting afternoon yesterday when'the Bishop of 'V^eilingtori-a.heßt. Rev. H. St. Barbe' Holland) 'gave an . address on a very "vexed question"—"ls there a MoraL'jStan.dard?"' The president, Miss Mary Mac Lean,. C:B.E., welcomed the Bishop cordially/.and thanked him for sparing.,the "time to'come and address them;.in^such abusy period as he had had since-his ; :arrival in New Zealand. .: :•, ■':....;.: ■■,',...'■■

The Bishop, .expressed his pleasure at being able to attprid,: while acknowledging that ; ; he had had a very strenuous time sirice-,'his- arrival in, the Dominion. However,fit was; a .tremendous question-^that". .of ■ i the . - moral standard —arid -'he. .would haveliked to have had more tirrie ;to .'think-■ out his address, realising the importance the matter to all.people. .. ■ . -\. '■/■

What was' immediately, behind the

moral standard was -j'the morale' of the people/- The one was indissolubly connected with the other, and no one would deny the necessity for a powerful morale in..the life, of a nation. The trend nowadays ;-wa"s towards irreligidn,' and*:1 the eterria V* things':--were pushed into.-i.the background .by: "a- host of things that did not really matter. God, who was the real background, did not matter. This, ; had an inevitable bad effect on morale,1, for, .the foundation of morals was swayed;,and buffeted by 'unbelief,.invanything 'beyond a mere living for the sake of a really not-worth-while'existence.. LIFE A UNITY. The Bishop emphasised that each person's life is a unity, although people tried: to departmentalise it- thinking, ithat; they;-, could; v . divide their natures arid'actibhs.in",'such a:way that there: was no; harmony"',anywhere—-and1 yet, make'a''success. Of life,; Instances were given of r'tile-,' difference in people under variedyir'cumsta'nces. Whenvin society /so-"4elightful,':, and yet not thinking,.ofstaking that charm to their homes -to.make"brightness there, such people; "departmentalised," and not at all successfully,,not realising the one-' ness , of' life'fih'each person. Many failures came; about because people .definitely.left'., the religious department-, empty, ; making the rest all "negative^'::.',dusty, and cold." If the irreligious: view were -taken it was like"-the' vgrain of dust that spoilt the whole successful working of the moral and mental machine—then life simply became a futility, and the ideals in front of such people were futile. There was no real background worth having, and in fact such lives were little worth living. .'.-■,-

People had to be sure that behind, in the '.unseen, there was something Eternal—then life became worth while, the morale rose, and the creative power of real religion changed the whole climate of -life. The futility of life without the, religious foundation was responsible for degradation in all its terrible branches, for selfishness' reigned supreme. There were moral disorders all round, these including selfish nationalism —as shown in some of the world's greatest countries today, in politics, and in sex promiscuity. These were till due to lack of true morale, for the people in fault had only futile beliefs, no trust in any ordered scheme of life, or in the creative power, which was also love in the highest degree. BELIEF IN SELF. ; ;. A sentiment expressed by Professor Hocking was very important. He stated that "there is a. deep, tendency, in human nature to become : what we imagine ourselves to be.": This was so largely true that it behoved people to beware what moral standard they admitted to their minds and hearts — for by that they lived and-acted.

The Bishop then spoke of people who had a number of good qualities and ideas, and yet missed the very greatest of -all, and therefore made themselves both selfish and futile, so far as their influence in life was concerned. Atheism led to a depressed enthusiasm about life; it held no great adventure in the minds of complete unbelievers. Aldous Huxley was instanced as one who had taken a depressing view of life, and had written, very! cleverly from his own point .of view. Now, he had discovered'the.-real truth of life, its eternal significance, its importance, and its possibilities of fineness, and had a new centre of unseen power in his writings. "With the current irreligious view men are going to lose the biggest thing—the power of sacrifice to duty,, and the power also of recovering valuable qualities they have lost, and which were good in the old days; bringing much'fineness to light," said the speaker. WHAT IS WRONG? "What is .wrong? Life is trivial in so many directions, and specially those who have no special call on them in life are apt to make it so thoroughly trivial," added the Bishop. "People must hitch their wagon to something, and it is too often not to any star," The.new morality- today was not the old immorality come to life again, but a definite basis ;of foundation, something that had come into.

the soul of man out of the late years of confusion. Old ideas of infallibility had been scientifically discarded, and those regarding the Church ' and the Bible had gone among others. Speaking historically, he recalled the old days of the morality of States—composed of men, who disregarded all ideas of religion; or persecuted, in its name, causing untold misery. Had not all this its counterpart now, in the times of so-called advanced civilisation? The Bishop reviewed, briefly European happenings today, bringing home his points. "Self-expression," he said, "is the great cry today, and these actions are national instances ..of selfexpression. The national. ideal Js this or that'leader instead of Christ—and what a terrible thing.it;'"is to;.call this national morality.". .: -;.'

Touching on the intricate'questions of sex,and birth-control, the speaker urged the extreme selfishness of placing the passing pleasures of persons against the good of the national life. Sex morality today seemed to depend on the doctrine'-'that personal happiness was the be-all and end-all of life. Plausible arguments in its favour were brought up by its exponents* but they inevitably fell to the. ground, when the great question'"of good morale came

forward. Those .who advocated, birthcontrol as making for the greater hap: | piness and good education and upbring- ■ ing of children lost sight of the imj mense issues .implicated—far greater ■than the-present comfort :and luxur^ I of;;their days.t Uncontrolled^ -.;birth1-:1' control would be a deadly thing./.The Bishop urged that those present should use. their influence in bringing before all whom.they could the necessity for a better unselfishness and finer view of life.' He also touched .on the pre-sent-day laxity among, quite young people, boys and girls, and asked that they should be better instructed and better controlled. He would like to ask those who advocated the theory of selfexpression if they could act up to it without causing harm to others? Did they.'regard themselves as superior to the: beasts of the afield? '-.Fundamental fehristianity,' he;'urged»l,-was' the only safe-standard for theV:.happiness of •others;( there will -be :;::as;collapse of human character.Hvithout'self-restraint, and, an' equal...collapse;;' of Courage ;was needed 'to ;uphold the :Christian; ideal-^both courage,, and effort,', and .he. asked -those, present if it •were'not a joy to : uphold the.right and help others to rise ; above;'the;;.ideas of ;the "new moral standard." :.<;.''

■: Very cordial.' appreciation; was expressed by'several speakers' .of. the Bishop's address. .■ ', ■'.: ;; ■: Tea was served,-and-Miss-:MacLean and Miss Chappell (secretary). ■'' introduced a number of those;, present to the Bishop and gave them the opportunity of meeting him. -.-',' .■ Some delightful entertainment, songs and recitations, were given-by Misses Edna Parton and Evelyn Goldsmith, Mrs. Dallard playing the accompaniments. .- ; - ~' \: