Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1912-03-08
Morality
By Rev. Guy Z. Simpler
Asslsssst Rector Of 81. Peters
81. Louis

There 10 In our civilization class
Of women branded as moral lepers'
the presence OF any one of whom
would not be tolerated in our homes
Yet our daughters are allowed to min
Gle freely with the men who prey
upon these women; to receive them In
Our homes-and too often-to marry
them. Such Is custom and conviction
% totally an inversion OF the teaching
and practice OF Jesus Christ, who ate
with harlots and sinners, not to con
done their acts. but to save them from
evil.
Let us ask in all frankness, is IT not
time for the church to inquire rather
more seriously into this matter OF
conscience and morality? Shall we
70 ON being satisfied that custom and
convention have said the last word on
these vital matters?
There are too many false Judgments
Of morality In society, as a result OF
unframed conscience. The thing We
call convention is too often but a
cloak for false morality. Custom and
convention are made up OF elements
both good and bad, though most OF us,
II a thing Is conventional, adhere TO
It's announcements without stopping
to question the right or wrong of Il.
Convention and custom are good
when they conserve the good Of the
past they are yiciousIy evil when
they cloak evil. and even worse when
they 30 enslave the minds OF the peo
pie that they stupeiy all moral prog
ress
There is Il tendency 10 most ol Us
toward legalism; this false use OF tho
law, and the subtlost foe with which
Christianity has had to cope one OF
the most remarkable things in history
is the speed with which Christianity
morally iran of the track and al
lowed its freedom to become claborat.
ed and stiffened into dogma and then
into legalism.
The church which was to bring God
and man together, became burdened
with ecclesiastical machinery, which
kept God and man apart What Is
the standard? Shall We frankly be.
come legalists and accept the law as
our standard of conduct? Or shall we
accept what are called the average
Judgments OF mankind--the consensus
Of opinion-as our standards? II So
what shall We do with the prophets
those men OF vision who sometimes
rise In our midst. to point the way 10
q clearer conception OF truth than the
average man has attained
And II We do not listen to the
prophets-for example, those men OF
vision we have in our political life
today-how can We hope to progress
az q civilization? Or shall we accept
as our standard that which satisfies
us? Or shall We accept that which
works-pragmatism which has be-
come popular among certain ethical
thinkers.
This matter Of conscience calls fol-
clearer thinking than We have be
slowed upon It as a church or as In
dividuals In the past Conscience IL
the souls discernment OF right and
wrong for the purpose Of its own
moral choice 1t has as standard
not any exterior law, which means the
reduction Of religion and morals tc
Jurisprudence and restraint but II
must have an inner law. which means
freedom.
Jesus Christ's most emphatic teach
ing, about which centered all else he
said and did was the sacredness Of
the self We have Christian morality
then when We set before u the TASK
Of developing this self This self
loyalty Is the only morality we know
II 10 truth for truths sake, not truth
for e;pediency
Conscience IL the voice Of God wit
Messing to eternal right within the In
dividusl soul. It Is the voice Of man'i
true self, and the true self is one with
God. As our sense OF beauty leads VI
on TO things beautiful, so our mora
sense should lead US TO things moral
And, as In art, We turn to great mas
ters, whose genius has wrought II
the world OF beauty for the standards
of valuation: 80 In the world of moral
must we turn with eyer-increasint
earnestness and appreciation ant
longing to the master OF men.
And as our study OF the great can
vas reveals ever and anon some deep
or truth that lay In the heart Of thu
artist, % our serious study Of Chris
must reveal more Of the truth that la.
like gold In the depths OF his heart
II n for each one OF US to say--for n,
oue else can say II for us-whethe
the light that is in us shall becom
darkness and so spread the gloom o
itself through the hearts OF humanit,
or whether II shall become part o
that light that lighteth every man tina
cometh into the world