The Washington times., 1922-07-20
BIRTH CONTROL
DENOUNCED BY
EP|SC0PAL|ANS
General Convention Fears for
Nation Through Non
Religious Homes.

NEW YORK. July 2o.--Uttering
a solemn warning to the men and
women OF America" that this ma.
ton will decay and finally perish
when American homes cease to
revere God." the report Of the joint
commission on home and family
life. which will be presented to the
triennial general convention of the
Episcopal Church, meeting in Port
land, Ore, September 6 next, was
made public yesterday.
The commission was appointed by
the Episcopal general convention
six years ago, and includes In its
personnel some Of the most distin-
guished of the bishops, clerical. and
lay members of the church. Among
other subjects which are frankly
treated are those Of marriage, d.
vorce, and birth control. The re.
port contains q strong recommen-
dation against the latter.
Even C cursory glance at copdi'
tions in the average American home
reveals evidence sufficient 10 war.
rant the most careful study Of
those influences now affecting
those homes from the STANDPOINT
Of morals and religion" the report
continues. THE attitude toward
youth. even more than the atti-
tude OF the youth. will scarcely
bear severe scrutiny.
I'VE touch the root OF our family
problem when we point to the lack
Of religion in the home. 1t Is para.
lying to think of the average Amer
ican family going on from the ris-
ing to the retiring hour as II God had
no existence. Sunday Is a day for
extra sleep, motoring. Sunday papers
in many volumes, comic supplements.
II American children are not to be
taught OF God in the schools, ana
He Is unnamed in the home, what
can we expect but that at this mo.
ment the United States Is actually
developing into a non'christian ma
tion7"
Touching upon domestic life in
America, the report says:
Where family life 10 dishonored,
wedding unfaithfulness lightly re-
garded, parental responsibility ne
elected, filial respect and obedience
sighted, there, we may be sure, So
ciety Is rotten. at the core. We
tremble for the future Of State or
nation where lax theories concern
ing domestic life gains ground. Even
laxer practice will certainly prevail
The remedy for the frightful dis
solution of the marriage tie going on
in America and its inevitable conse'
quence Of race suicide Is to be found
in Christian training alone. Rene
dial legislation, while imposing diff
cultes in the way of easy annulment.
does not 60 to the root Of the evil. II
attacks many outward symptoms OF
the disease and is Of undoubted value.
but It does not destroy the germ OF
the evil or cure II at it's source.
Boys and girls must be taught as
early as possible that the chief pur'
pose Of marriage is the perpetuation
Of the race, involving the begeting
and education of children for the
work of the world. Marriage is a
high and holy vocation because the
married pair are cooperating with
the Creator in the continuance Of the
human race.
This commission heartily indorses
the warning uttered by the great
Lambeth conference of bishops, gath.
cred from all over the world in Lon.
don in 1920, against the practice Of
means for the avoidance OF concep.
ton as involving grave dangers to
physical health as well as moral In.
nocence, and threatening the future
of the human race. We make our
own the words of the conference COM
mittee, as applying in particular to
the United States"