The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-01-26
MARRIAGE AND THEOLOGY. y


In your issue of January y, 1877, un-
der head of Marriage and Theology"
taken from an exchange), I find the
following sentence: 'It (marriage) has
no more to do with questions of relig-
iOus belief than with questions of per-
sonal taste, and difference of opinion
on forms of faith is no more decisive
than difference of opinion on what is
best to have for dinner.n
Let US suppose case for an illustra-
tiOn of the truth or falsity of this SEN
tence. Suppose a Protestant man mar
ries a Catholic woman. They may
agree beforehand "that their differences
of opinion in religious faith shall not
be allowed to interfere with their hap
piness, ian agreement directly at vari-
ance with the laws of their being), and
that each may enjoy their religious
faith upnloIested by the other" While
they remain without offspring, will
admit that they may enjoy their union
and be happy to a limited ertent, but
not that full and complete happiness
found in a unison of religious senti-
ments.
Who is there that listens to sermon
or speech, or words from a paper or
book, and hears or finds ideas and senti-
ments that coincide with his or herown
which gives real joy and happiness, but
wants some one else to enjoy those ideas
and sentiments with them? And where
is the person with whom they would
take as much delight in these senti-
ments as with their bosom companion? ?
| But the Catholic and Protestant can
never hitch on their religious senti-
ments, and the consequence is that each
one is forced to seek reciprocity with
others. There is no caging human feel
ings in, wall them around as you may
with man-made institutions.
In few years children appear upon
the scene-children as dear and precious
to the father as to the mother. What is
the history of the Catholic Church in
reference to the children of Catholic
parents, or a Catholic parent? What
are the requirements of the Church, and
what is the first step taken? The child
is sprinkled or baptized in the Catholic
faith, and from that moment forward
the priests, the Church, and every
Catholic in it, will claim that child as
one of the flock. AS time passes and
the child grows to the years of under
standing, the priest takes the place of
the father in the religious instruction of
that child, and no power on earth can
prevent it, without disruption of the
family, or the destruction of that hap
, piness and comfort which all true par
ents take in the rearing and education
of their children. If the father resists
the encroachments of the priest upon
his parental rights, he destroys the hap
piness of the mother. The Catholic re-
e ligion to the Catholic is paramount to
all other interests. Everything must
] succumb to it sooner or later. Their
o own happiness in all other matters must
yield, when it comes to the test, if it
conflicts with their religious instruc-
tions. The father must submit to the
: dogmas of the Church being instilled
into the minds of his children, no mat
ter how obnoxious they may be to him,
or suffer the consequences. In the face
of these, and thousands of other facts
equally as potent, which are known to
exist in every city and hamlet, we find
! persons ignorant or stupid enough to
write such sentiments as 1 have quoted
=, from your exchange, and attempt to
palm them off upon the public as
worthy of endorsement.
There probably no Protestant Church
> whose subjects are so completely under
the control of their religion as are those
of the Catholic, and yet we find among
the Protestant marriages, where the
man and woman are of different de-
nominations, these same difficulties in
=. milder form. I think the chances are
rare where the parties are "pressed tC
- the WALL" as they are under Catholic
rule. When you set a man up-a hu'
4 man being, with flesh and bones, head
;, and hands, mouth and digestive organs
:, and call him "infallible," >" "incapable
of mistake" and, throwing away youl
, own reason, bow down before image:
. and highly drawn pictures and worship
:, him. as such, and no amount of fact!
,f will convince you to the contrary-yoU
= believe it "because the Church teaches
70 it-your case is a hopeless one. Their,
- is but one way and that is the way o
the church. When persons get int
.. this state of mind, all that can be dom
- is to let them alone. But what fathe
- or mother, outside of Catholic, want
= to feed such flames with their children
Yours for religious, as we'll as politica
liberty, S.
Salem, January IA, 1877.