Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-06-24
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
ON TOPICS OF THE DAY
Correspondent Writes on Reforms,
Declaring He Is Keeper OF
Own Conscience.

10 the Editor OF The Times DIspatch
SIT am II reader OF The Times
dispatch and ! have read with tho
kcenest interest the discussions that
have recently appeared In this pa
per regarding tho subject o, dancing
end moral reform.
don't want TO be prcachy, but I
wonder II / may. through your papcr
say some OF the things that are in INV
iect.
God made US all free, self-will
agents with bit of Himself which
W: call that spark Of divinity that
makes us different from other AMI
mails. lie put into our souls that
thing we call conscience. We feel
IL and we recognize the power OF its
wonderful workings In our beings
but we cannot explain IL any more
than we can explain other Inysterics
OF life. We only know one thing for
certainty-that this power ana
!orce we call ones conscience Is a
vital thing in the life OF man: that IL
lives and grows when il is nourishcd
oF constant use, or that IL dies us
any organ In our anatomy dies II IL
is denied OF every function IL was
created TO perform.
Man is the keeper Of his conscience
II he Is brought UP from babyhood
10 know that there is wrong way
even in the smallest acts of ife-as
well as right way and is taught to
follow the right with satisfaction
which Will ut once turn him TO un-
easiness II he happens TO stray into
the wrong path. then that man can
DC counted on TO feel the power OF
his God given conscience and to do
the right. On the other hand. there
Is the child who is allowed TO do as
he p!cascs-who is not taught 10 re-
spect the laws OF his God and tho
laws OF his country-and when he
reaches the age OF reasoning he Is
as ship on the ocean without n
pilot-he continues to do as he
pleases. He has no feeling Of either
satisfaction or OF uneasiness result
ing from his actions. Things just
work for him as he makes them and
he can go down into the blacklist sin
without the slightest sting. How
then are we going TO train and de-
velop and protect the conscience OF
the world-made up of individual con-
sciences--eScept through the proper
training in the homes and the high
and noble leadership of the churches /?
Paul teaches us that II thing is evil
to him who evil thinketh and that
every man should be ruled by HIS
own God given conscience. But the
great apostle also draws a boundary
lire. for he says. "If meat maketh
my brother TO offend. / will eat no
meat And SO one may have
schoolcd ones conscience into allow
ing himself or herself TO indulge II,
any kind of dance and to wear any
kind Of garments just to keep up with
the styles, but every one has his or
her border line. II that little light
called conscience that dwells in the
sanctuary of our souls Is kept burn
ing brightly because of our constant
watchfulness over 1t, we will stay on
the safe side OF the boundary line.
IT 1T is neglected it will grow DINNER
and DINNER. and he who was as
signed by his Maker as the keeper of
this light will fall over the precipice
OF the border-line and pull his broth
er over also.
What then are we going to do to
help the world-to make 1t n better
place to live In? Are we going to
leave II as II stands-every man act
ing as he pleases. reEa rlless of the
consequences OF his acts? Are wa
going to make moral laws less
stringent? Are we going to forget
the sacred associations that linger
In the worlds memory OF tho family
Preside affairs? Are we going to just
turn our girls and boys loose and
give them free rein to do as they
please? There's a truth as eternal
as the hills that X one denes tho
world 1t will crush you. Are we go
ing to cease to preach and teach-in