THE SIN OF SCANDAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19905, 27 September 1926, Page 10

THE SIN OF SCANDAL.

SOCIAL EVILS ATTACKED. DRUNKENNESS AND IMPURITY. A TRENCHANT ADDRESS. iFbou Oub own Cobeebpondent.j AUCKLAND, September 26. A trenchant attack upon the social evils rampant in modern society was made in a vigorous and plain-spoken sermon delivered by the Very Rev. Father M’Carthy, S.M., in ‘St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The sermon was given in connection with the jubilee mission now being conducted. The subject of the address was “Scandal. “The sin of scandal/' the preacher explained, “does pot mean detraction of a neighbour's character, or slander. In i theology it is defined as /any word, act, or omission that in itself is or has the appearance of sin, and which inclines or disposes others to Bin.’ God cursed the scandal-giver.” There were no variations among the different kinds of scandalgivers. Scandal might be committed by silence, by demand, by flattery, by jeero, and, above all. by bad example in leading others from the path of virtue. “ This siu of scandal,” said the preacher, “is murder of the worst kind. a It is murder not of the body, but of the immortal soul. It robs the soul of its glorious destiny. It deprives it of the friendship of God. It is a more powerful agent for evil than all the demons of hell. Who are those who commit the sin of scandal?” the preacher asked. ‘ All those who by their evil conduct tend to lead others into sin.” . The preacher mentioned first the sin ot drunkenness. That sin, he said, went out ir countless forms to keep men low, but two sins were responsible for more rum than probably all other sins togetherdrunkenness and impurity. Where disease slew its thousands, drink slew its tens of thousands. I do not plead with the drunkard, I pray for him,” the preacher said. “Drink is not an evil m itself. There is no more harm in having a drink than in breathing the fragrance of the rose, but some weak wretches cannot use it without abusing this gift of God. But to women I would say, leave it alone altoaether. 1 especially implore you young women never to let men insult you by offering you strong drink. n Such men have no honourable purpose. Another great evil of the day "'as impure literature, the reading of which spurred people on to the commission of evil actions. What would inflame the passions of one man would be repeated in the cases of all to whom he or others passed on a vile book, for human nature taken all round was very similar. ‘And what shall I sc- of those who indulge in illicit company keeping and dishonourable courtship?” the preacher asked. Ha\o jou ever noticed how the world will ridicule the Church when she warns her children of that danger? It says: Tiust them, their motives are all right. But when ruin overtakes a poor girl no judge is so harsh, no tyrant so heartless as this same world which had scoffed at the idea of the coming disgrace. To whom do these outcasts come in then; misery and shame? They came to the chinch, and u they would trust the Church in their shame why did they not take heed at hci warning? The man who tries to line the steps of a maiden away from the paths of virtue is an assassin, the preachoi declared. “I thought love was a clean, a pure thing, but this love is baso ness without restraint. Men at a l times take women at the latter s own valuation. Women should not give their hearts trustingly to men concerning whose moral chaiactor they know nothing. , There were scandals for marriage, so people were guilty of this sm riage when they conspired to , , £ primary purpose of that sacred bond the procreation of the human race ih s crime, which seemed to be the besetting crime in the world to-day, was a crime against humanity and a crime against the sovereign rights of God It « th unnatural crime that sent Imperial Rome to its destruction. This crime was honeycombing our civilisation to-day. History would assuredly repeat itself, for would wipe out tho white race if it continued to offend against the law of natme in this respect. . This crime was surpassed in its hemousness 'v only one other-pre-natal murder, which was an unspeakable and nefarious crime The preacher, therefore, urged parents to set a good example to their children in the days when their young hearts were as soft as wax, hut as retentive of impressions as the hardest marble. They should instruct and correct their children in the principles of the faith. They should make themselves conversant with the company their children ke: i, supervise the books they read, and so forth. He traced the difference in the development of the character of children. One might be drawn into becoming a glorious saint of God, and another might become a monster of vice. The principal cause of this difference was in the example of the parents and the influence of the home on the child in its early days. , The worst feature of the sin of scandal was the impossibility of making reparations. The scandal-giver might forge the first link in a long chain of sins. This was the only sin the effect of which could be felt beyond tbe grave. It was very true that “the evil that men do lives alter them.” People who had been dead for centuries were still able to contaminate the souls of people yet living. The speaker in closing urged any who had been scandalising another to make restitution of God by henceforth setting a good example to others.