The Denver Jewish news., 1922-12-13

many OF them, it is to he granted
whose primary purpose is rather Il
have good time than to get an edu
cation while ut college are ass4iredly
not us "A class in the wide sweeping
manner he describes lacking in seriou.
and high aims, in intellectual power
and appreciation and admiration for
the ideal.
His structures on. democracy and
that which is broadly spoken of us
Americanism, as they are working ont
and manifesting themselves. while un-
fortunately not entirely without war
rant, are decidedly overheated and ILL
tempered. and here is n distinct note
of bitterness and venom to he de-
tected in his references to the dom
tional "nativism' and ''tribalism' as
he loves carpingly to designate the
national spirit.
With regard generally to fOndness
for making extreme and radical state
ments that he displays. one cannot es-
cnpe the feeling of want of entire
genuinenes and sincerity on his part.
do not want to do the author an in
justic. but l must frankly confess to n
suspicion that he Ia not unlike GER
tain famous contemporary English
man of letters who from sheer con-
trariness delights in nothing so much
as habitunlly taking the opposite posi-
tion the general popular one on every
question of present moment. l had
mental picture Of the nuthor. when
ever 1 came upon an extreme passage
In his book. standing off and watching
with sardonic satisfaction the SEN
satiOn of shock he was giving his read
er by his radicalism.
But 1 find that have dwelt at
greater length than was my intention
ON the personality Of the author, leav-
ing me less time than IL NY want to
take In these Friday evening ad-
dresses. for the two times of the con-
duct Of the book which in particular l
want to discuss.
Let me first admOnish any prurinnt-
minded person. and especially young
person. that IL he is likely to be at
, racted to the hook, -by what l nm
about to say. he is bound to be dis
The book Is not worth the
attention that is being given to 1t.
from nny point of view or prompting
TINT of morbid curiosity. above
inland l regret especially the necs-
sity that that attention has created
the notice l am according 1t just now
In his discourse. My advice is. II any
here have not read the hook. do not
take the trouble or make the sncrifice
Of the TINT OF reading 1t. Whatever
motive might lead you ~ read 1t, your
Of merit--or- be 1t Of de-
it will not be realized.
The book Is normally indefensible In
certain of its passages. Not only is 1t
morals that 1t expounds
in these passages, but false morals as
well. I am ready to agree to a large
extent with the author in the stric-
lures he lays upon puritanism. hut
at that his Identification Of
morality with purita1ism. 1t is not
necessary to be bound by the rigidities
Of puritan code, to he moral even as
purity moral. yes. and more finely and
nobly and generously moral at that
than the most conscientious puritan
who has ever lived. But because we
reject certain inhibitiOns upon entire
ly innocent conduct which, puritnnism
would impose. is no reason why we are
justified in rejecting all the inhibitions
morality would impose upon NIL con-
duct whatsoever. have no right. as
the author would suggest. i:,continent-
ly to give the rein to my appetites.
wherever they may carry me. nativt
and basic to my physical being though
these appetites be. That way lies
only the way of sure human disaster.
of certain doom to all personal rec:i-
tude and decency. all social order and
security. The mighty imperatives OF
the eternal Thou shafts nnD Thou
Shalt nots- can be ignored and disre-
sarded only at the cost of the sever
est damage the individual can infiict
upon himself and all whom. in the or
der of nature. his action reaches.
Then as to the other item of the
book The author offers, If 1 may be
permitted so to refer you, n, strongly
eorrobOrative instance of the force Of
one of the observations you may recall
made in my recent Atonement Eve
sermon. According to his account of
himself. he was reared in no sense of
that term as a Jew. He was not in
doctrinated by his parents or others