South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-11-12
NOT BEING GOOD
BUT DOING GOOD
Mere Passive Goodness is
Scarcely More Than Selfish
neSS-ACtive Goodness Only
Counts.
BY MADGE ARTHUR.

/ suppose that neither you nor L
are able 20 say quite definitely what
IS good and what is evil, where the
one ends and the other begins; or
why or when. But as a general rule
we may use this. Anything that does
harm 10 one or another is part OF
evil an danything that may benefit
is part of good.
Then, Of course we are confronted
with out insOlvable problem of not
knowing whittier our thoughts and
actions lead-hOW far their original
energy may carry them.
And so only in a general way are
we enabled 10 make a rule up TO
which to strive to live. Today 1 par
ticularly wish to impress this upon
you. lest without such a warning. you
might misconstrue my words.
Now, good is predominant in man.
kind There are all sorts OF mean
ness. a thousand crimes and ten diff
terent ways of committing them, but
the love Of good has far greater pow
er in by far the greatest number.
Yes, Us we cannot lay down one
definite, clear-cut rule for evil so the
line of good may scarce be drawn.
Therefore I am of a mind today TO
speak of one good and another And,
in particular. / want 10 point out the
g
ence-the difference between being
good and doing good.
There are very many people who
are good, who know they are good,
and take infinite pains Co material
pride) in being so. I am not sug-
costing that such a state is unpleas-
ant or harmful. 1 do not tell you
that it is not good. But / do most
emphatically believe that il is neither
great nor unselhsh.
What is Goodness?
To be good! What does it mean?
y concentrating upon ones own self.
a never ceasing care and guard Of
ones own ambitions and likes-men-
tai, spiritual and physically
Even that is not all. This merely
being good presupposes a general idea
of bad in others, and q deliberate
ignoring of such badness and a with
holding from any association with it.
Very often this being good is moth
ing more or less than a species Of
Weakness moral cOwardice.
To leave the world to its own sin
and its own punishment; TO abandon
one or another or all to fate; to re-
tire from the everlasting battle of
life and seek seclusion in "A monastery
or a desert-here or there or else
where-this IS being good.
It is not doing good.
Some one of you says, But / have
done my duty; my task is done upon
earth.
How do you know? Who gives the
information that your or another's
work is done? Do you, then, mean to
/ say that the world is left so sweet
+ hearted and pure that there is no
need for God or man TO give il fur
Their heed?
4 And if one says his duty is done,
does that not suppose that ones soul
I is ready for Paradise-perfect spot
I less and Godlike2
You and i know that such an
/ hypothesis is absurd.
The one great goodness is in doing
| good. Not in attending solely TO the
very tiny details of ones own mater
/ ial and spiritual welfare, but in the
/ elimination OF self, the sacrifice of it
/ in striving to do good
The battle Of life is the battle of
good life against bad life You have
| the choice of only three states in that
| battle; a soldier, a weaklng, or a
( coward.
Goodness * a Battle.
J To do good is the fight of the sold
( Ter. To go out and face the red rage