“CITADEL OF THE HOME”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 279, 24 November 1937, Page 6

“CITADEL OF THE HOME”

THE MODERN AGE PRESENT-DAY PROBLEMS THE “NEW MORALITY” “Of all the changes in this modern world there are none so great as those which affect the relation of sex to the family life,” said Mr. F. W. Gilligan, M.A., in an address, “The Citadel of the Home,” at a function of the League of Mothers last evening. The speaker said that until recently family life had been regarded as a rock upon which depended many things, but with the teachings of a “new cult” which advocated new ideas on the subject, this rock has been shaken, and the effect was becoming apparent in many ways. The teachers of the so-called new morality found many adherents in the world of to-day. It must be realised that it was easier to combat a visible enemy that one which was not apparent, and it was obvious that it was not such a difficult task to fight something that they could see. It was to be admitted that the teachings of the new moralists held many attractions for the younger generation of to-day. It was considered by the new cult that the old views of the relations of sex and family life were wrong, and entirely misconceived. Sexual freedom was the ideal, they said, old morals could be scrapped. Bertram Russell was a strong advocate of new morals. Mr. Gilligan conceded that with modern conditions the reactions of men and women must be in accordance. Modern life made family relations difficult at times, but the words of wisdom which a parent of a famous English golfer had said, upon the eve of her daughter’s marriage to another golfer, were worthy of being borne in mind; “I hope you will give each other the short putts.” By this he conveyed that it was up to’ each to concede the other minor points in order that harmony in life might be achieved.

"In a certain measure birth control is desirable,” said Mr, Gilligan, and he considered that at times divorce was the only answer to a situation. He quoted trom "The New Generation” as follows: “Parents and children love one another unnaturally and hate each other naturally”; (2) "An insane asylum is a place of peace and repose, and sweet reasonableness compared with the institution of marriage as generally practised"; and (3) “It seems inevitable for good or evil that the family, as a unit, shall more and more fade away, having no ground to interpose its authority between the individual and the Stale.” The speaker disproved these contentions. Sir William Beveridge had said of British families that “they give one a picture of happy families with their trials and struggles, but they do not come into the divorce Courts.” This quotation alone would disprove the theories of the new moralists.

The facts of parental care are in keeping with the acquisitive instinct of man, and family life served his economic demands. Even in primitive times family life was the bedrock of social life. It had been stated by Dean Inge—“the gloomy dean" — that "the modern home was nothing more than a dormitory attached to a garage.” Mr. Gilligan, speaking of England, said that in this age of modernity the growth of cities had to a great extent warped family life. There was not the same opportunities for contacts with friends and relations, and “good old Mother Gossip” was totally excluded. Digressing, the speaker said that gossip had a cleansing effect, and its benefits were obvious.

_ Mr. Gilligan thought that this “new morality" was an insult to man generally, as it tended to underestimate the best in him, reducing him to the level of the animal. He said that it was up to those who thought of such things to make a stand for family life and show it as being superior to any other cult. Life was not an individual thing, but learning to live with other people. “What better place than the home lor learning to live with other people?” asked Mr. Gilligan. If individuals could not live in peace, how must nations fare? The speaker said that the home was a kindergarten to fit us for the rough university of life. The first duty of fathers and mothers was not bringing up children, but learning to live together in harlt was obvious that impressionable children, when they grew up, must take a line from what tney saw in their homes. Parents had no right to take for granted that love in the home would follow as a matter of course. Quoting a writer of note, Mr. Gilligan said that true love meant not just being loved, but loving one another. Unfortunately this was often lost sight of. Loving was an active, not a passive thing. Speaking as a schoolmaster, he said he was surprised that the majority of enquiries he received regarding prospectuses for boys were from mothers, to the extent of more than 80 per cent. It seemed that many fathers tended to shelve the question of the education of their sons, leaving it to the mothers to attend to. He considered that this was unfair that the mothers should be saddled with what was one of the chief issues of life. The question of education should be met on a 50-50 basis.

The new doctrine was playing into the hands of people who would take advantage of such teachings. In the light of modern conditions parents should try to make the home as attractive as possible to retain the interests of their children. Although he did not condemn either pictures oi dances, the part they played was an influential one, and must be counteracted.

Mr. Gilligan concluded by stating that discipline of the modern' day was not as strict as of yore, but modern youth was inclined to be of broadminded nature, willing to see the other's view.