DECAY OF HOME LIFE

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 27, 22 July 1925, Page 33

DECAY OF HOME LIFE

The decay of home life in Now Zealand occasioned some out-spoken ' criticism from' Canon Percival James in ‘an address deliv- I ered at the annual meeting of the Auckland Anglican Mothers’ Union, “One sof the greatest and most insidious enemies of home life is impurity,” he said. “It is among \ the I children that the greatest danger lies to-day. ... The moral conditions among . many :of the children at the present time are appal-; ling. The absolutely sickening filth that: is talked among them —not only among boys;? but among boys and girls is incredible; and. it some of the parents knew what was going* on they would not sleep in their beds.” The Shocking condition of affairs thus indicated emphasises the truth that we cannot be. neutral on religion. The really disturbing re- 1 flection is that in the face of so . much iniquity those who deplore it publicly can only repeat helplessly that something must be done, which really amounts to an admission that they do not know of anything that can be done. Protestant bodies are at a disadvantage in that they cannot, reach the children. The standing complaint - from clergymen about empty pews shows that they cannot reach the parents; and this inability to find a point of contact no doubt ,is responsible for their efforts to have religious instruction given in the State schools. Apart altogether from the well-founded' objections of Catholics a nil others to this course, it; should be apparent to all that such/ami anaemic system of child-training would be!* powerless to check the rampant evils in our | midst. Bad example in the home is ;ajj stronger influence than moral instruction in the school. The Catholic Church knew, that centuries before Protestantism was horn. In' New Zealand Catholics built their ; schools’ I because they were conscious of the truth | that secular education'must be carried on in ; ! a religious atmosphere, and that the moral training rf the young is a full-time occupa- ■ tion. The pupils were drawn from religious ; homes; they were educated in ' religious schools; and the three institutions, ’ the I Church, the home, arid the school, met them at every point and fortified them against the } dangers they would meet in a corrupt world?'! The late Bishop Moran- used to say: “Build the school first. It will serve as a temporary church; but if there is no school there will he no demand for- a church.” The Catholic schools are built upon the philosophy by which, the Church says to 1 man; “Thy intel- - lect is weak ; thou hast need- of a- guide in ; many things.” The moral, disorders which ; we see around us are due to the Protestant philosophy ; which says to him;' “Thou ;. art J? surrounded by light; walk. as ; thou . wilt; thou canst not > have - a’ better guide than I thyself.” • -v, .' ' ' I