South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-01-24
MONGER TALKS OF
CHILD'S WELFARE
Pastor Says Revival Of Paren-
tai Responsibility is
Necessary.

The Place OF Christian Parents
IN the World Of To-day" was the
subject Of the sermon last night at
the First Methodist church The
text was Luke 2:27, And when the
parents brought in the Child Jesus
that they might do concerning him
after the law"
Rev. Albert Z. Monger said in
part:
Joseph and Mary were typical
christian parents. The temple and
the home were vitality related. No
people or nation can hope to survive
that which divorces the home and
the temple. We are awakening TO
the fact that something is radically
wrong in the training OF the genera
uOn that must face the problems Of
tomorrow. We have been spending
both effort and money on intellect
ual and social training. In our train
ing Of intellect we putNthe child In
public schools 20 70 80 hours each
week and then require that much
time each week for home study.
Great numbers OF parents have been
permitting and giving to their CHILD
rem five 10 ten hours week for so
cial life. Contrast this with reig-
iOus instruction which after al IS
the very foundation OF the use OF
our INTELLECTUAL and social powers.
We spend from 80 minutes to one
hour in the actual study Of vital
religious truth and this is Largely
done by teachers in our Sunday
schools. This moral nature whic1
Is TO determine the investment Of
intellect and social life for good Or
bad is treated indifferently If not
criminally neglected.
Should Protect Children.
1--WE must have a revival Of paren-
tai responsibility. Next to the pub
lie schools the home has the child
more hours Of the day and week
than any other institution. We are
reaping in this country a crimianl
wave. a spirit OF indifference TO NOR
al ideals and a deterioration of NOR
al standards. We hear men advocat-
ing the abrogation of the ten COM
mandments just because one or two
OF them interfere with financial gain
and selfish pleasures. This teaches
irreverence for God and his moral
human personality When laws OF
God conflict with gain, great num-
bers OF men throw laws to the wind
and get gain. What do they care II
human character is undermined so
that they may increase their bank
accounts or satisfy their own selrish
pleasures. II this attitude is allow
ed TO grow UP under its spell we can
expect TO reap just what we SOW In
the mind OF childhood.
The place OF parents today Ia 70
protect their children from the NOR
- - aFfnnlr1nU
on every side. The great leader OF
education. F'roebel, says. "It is high
" important that at this stage the
child absOrbs nothing morbid or low
or mean" The home and religion
must be identified, Many children
never associate religion with the
home. Children must be brought
I'D in a religious atmosphere II they
be the type of christian men and
women which will make this the
kind of a world which we want It
to be. We must remember that thS
generation of tomorrow will be just
what we SOW in the mind OF youth
today. If we lack respect for law,
for God and for the sacredness OF
human personality we shall have
that kind OF life tomorrow. The
generation who will be parents to-
morrow will be just what their re-
ligion is today.
Quartet Is FRvOrite.
'@The folks who believe in God
and HIS truth are after all the ones
who make this world the kind in
which we want to live. No normal
human being would want 10 bring
I'D a family In a churchless COM
munity. No one would want TO live
where every persons own desire and
will were against christian training.
The place of the christian parents
in the world today is 10 be militant
and aggressively active for Gods
laws The home must become a
place Of prayer. The home ana
religion must not be divorced
The Fine Arts Quartet, Welsh /
Singers, sang at both the morning
and evening services at the First /
Methodist church. This is one or
the good concert companies or
Welsh singers who are giving pro- |
grams over the country. Mr.. Cavan /
Jones manager, was former mem |
Der OF the First Methodist church |
and also a choir singer for the vest
ed choir. The other members OF !
the quartet are Richard Pavey, Miss
Madeline Smith and Miss Marie /
Walter.
T ne large audiences at both ser
vices greatly appreciated the must 1
cal numbers which they gave.