The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-02-08
Rabbi Hirsch's Lecture.

course to the use of other fictions to
help him through. This, however, is
not unusual with public lecturers.
They have not time to read up both
sides of question diligently and
hence they frequently take that YER
sion of fact which is most con-
venient to them or that act cords most
agreeably with their interests. If
they devoted the time that is neces-
sary to make them good historians
or good historical critics they would
have none to spare for the rostrum.
1t was a novel departure to advise
his co-religionists to embark on the
stormy sea of mixed marriages. Here
L think he made serious mistake.
What good he can see in such mar
riages is not easy to find out. These
marriages of themselves can produce
no good because they themselves are
the result of a cause which is not
good. They result as every one knows
from diversity of opinions on the
most vital and most important of all
principles. That principle is the law
of God. These opinions are not SIM
ply diverse, they are of their nature
antagonistic. This is true not only
of the Jew and the GENTLE; it is true
of the Catholic and protestant; it is
true of the protestant of one denom-
ination and that of another; it is also
true of believer of any kind and an
unbeliever. Now this being so Rabbi
Hirsch must have keener perception
than most other people, if he can de-
tect any public or private good in
mixed marriages for his own race or
any other race.
OF all earthly unions the marriage
union is the most perfect. The Re-
| deemer himself tells us that those
who enter into the married state are
| no longer two but one flesh. Now,
therefore, where there is only one
| flesh or in other words one body,
there is and ought to be only one
opinion or one mind. No doubt, this
unity of mind was what God intended
when he instituted the married state,
and where this unity of mind is want
ing the experience of ages proves that
marriage is hardly anything better
than hell upon earth.
Now how can marriage be the per-
feet union which God intends it to be,
if parties to it are governed by an
tagonistic opinions OH the law of God?
1t cannot be.
The law of God is the only basis of
union on earth or in heaven. No
other basis exists or is conceivable.
All disunion that ever appeared to
curse the earth comes solely from dis
regard to Gods law. This also is the
true cause of all our unhappiness.
The present Boer and British war
comes from disregard o, Gods law,
and the resulti is an appalling slaughter
of human beings, with thousands of
once happy homes made desolate and
which will continue so during the
lives of the present owners.
Now in mixed marriages one of the
parties at least disregarded the law
of God or is welded to false con-
ception of it, and being false it is
consequently destructive. In this
state of affairs would Rabbi Hirsch
tell us where is the good which can
come from them? He cannot do it.
| do not saw that ell mixed mar
riages are unhappy But l do say if
some are seemingly happy it must be
by one party surrendering his or her
convictions TO the other before the
reason for those convictions has
undergone any real change. No one
can see much to admire in such a
surrender.
Disapprobation of mixed marriages
is not peculiar to the Catholic church,
though l am free TO say that it does
most strenuously disapprove of them,
and it is only with the greatest re-
luctance that it tolerates them at all.
1t is only the selection of the lesser
of two evils on her part. / find from
experience that the common sense
people of other churches also are de-
cidedly opposed to these mixed mar
riages.
Besides mixed marriages have pro-
duced some of the most consumate
tyrants this or any other country has
ever witnessed. 1t is not unusual to
find husband who thinks he has not
only married his wife's body, but
owns her soul also. He is unwilling
to allow her to have any religious
convictions except those which are
in accordance with his likes and dis
likes. Such a man would rival Nero
in brutality if he only had the power
Besides being tyrant he is also 6
coward of the first class, for he
tramples on his wife's rights because
she is the weaker of the two. If she
were not the weaker he would never
think of anything of the kind. Os
kaloosa has it's share of such people
and such ought to be expelled from
every civilized community. The mar
who enslaves his wife's conscience
ought to be exiled to Siberia
M. O'CARRoLL.