INGERSOLL'S PROPOSAL ON MARRIAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10413, 10 April 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

INGERSOLL'S PROPOSAL ON MARRIAGE.

WOULD GRANT DIVORCE TO WIVES FOR THE ASKING. The famous Agnostic, Colonel Ingersoll, has been promulgating a theory &i to marriage and divorce. The following aro extracts from his statement s— In the New Testament there is little in favour of marriage, and really nothing as to the rights of wives, Christ said nothing in favour of marriage, and never married. So far as I know, none of the Apoatles had families. St. Paul was opposed to marriage, and allowed it only as a choice of evils. In those days it was imagined by the Christians that the world was about to be pnrifiod by fire and that they would bo changed into angels. The early Christians wore opposed to marriage, and the " fathers" looked upon woman as the source of all ovil. They did nob believe in divorces. They thought that if people loved each other better than they did God, and gob married, they ought to be held to the bargain, no matter what happened. Is it to the interest of a husband and wife to live together after love has perished and when they hate each other ? Will this add to their happiness! Should a woman be compelled to remain the wife of a man who hates and abuses her and whom she loathes? Has society any interest in forcing women to live with men they hate? There is no real marriage without love, and in the married state thore is no morality without love, A woman who remains the wife of a man whom she despises, or does not love, corrupt? her soul, Slio becomes degraded, polluted, and feels that her flesh has been soiled. Under such circumstancos a good woman suffers the agonies of moral death. Ib may be said that the woman can leave her husband—that she is not compelled to ltoe in the name house, or to occupy the same room. If she has the right to leave, has she the right to get a new home? Should a woman bo punished for having married ? Women do nob marry the wrone men on purpose. Thousands of mistakes are made—are those mistakes sacred ? Must they be preserved to please God ? What good can it do God to keep people married who hate each other ? What good can it do the community to keep such people together ? « All human beings should be allowed to correct their mistakes. If the wife has flagrantly violated the contract of marriage the husband should be given a divorce, If the wife wants a divorce, if, she loathes her husband, if sbe, no longer loves him, then the divorce should be granted. It is immoral for a woman to live as tho wife of » man whom t he abhor?, The home should be pare. Children should be well born. Thiir pyiattibould love welt other,