South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-02-20
SOCIETY CRAZE"
Is DENOUNCED BY
REV. A. E. MONGER
Pastor of First VI. L. Church
Delivers First of Sermons on
Unpopular Subjects.

nNfUkfAlAaA Jun
"The Society Craze" This was one
OF series of Sunday evening SER
mons on some Unpopular subjects
preached ~ the pastor. Rev Albert
T.. Ionger. at teh First Methodist
church He said
"Our country ie today in the grip
of a fever OF pleasure seeking and
excitement We have developed q
great many social thrills which We're
unknown a few years ago This ma
MIA IS only "a temporary condition OF
our times but 10 is "a thinC that an
less resisted viii fssten itself upon
our life There ig legitiamte field
for pleasure and recreation The
PASSION for play IS one OF tho chief
instincts % human life. 10 has as
important part under proper direc-
ton az any other God given power.
BAT 10 b. becomes the absorbing pas
sion instead OF giving life DO pro-
duces destruction.
seek Amusement
Many athletic coaches and direc-
tors receive larger salaries than the
presidents Of colleges and universe
ties. Outstanding characters i'm ma
tional life turn from the fund2L. en-
tai and basal institutions 20 give
their time 90 promotion OF amuse-
meut interests at salaries far be-
yond that received in services OF
state. Sports. meant 10 be a mino-
part az our life and recreation, have
become chief businesses. Many peo-
pie are spending more time IN
20 real constructive service Of COM
munity bettermcnt. Young people In
high schools are giving more actual
time 10 hours in social functions
than I'm moral and religious culture
and training. 30 civilization can
continue long in such a world Of
values. The history - races and ma
tions dominated by such values is
too familiar 20 need uarrating. You
cannot build a 16-inch wall on g
five-inch foundation without that
wall topping over.
THE worst of 10 is that these
effects are not limited only TO those
who indulge but through influences
affect every family and community
The things that are the evils OF the
four hundred I'm our great cities or
at Hollywood are the things which
are the subject OF the fresides OF
every country home. hamlet and city
throughout our country. These evils
are the logical outcome Of lesser
evils that have their expression in
South Bend and other communities.
Or. NJ. v. O'Shea. dean of edu-
cation i'm Wisconsin university, said
in an address in this city that there
are great forces seeking TO shorten
the cdCcabIe period OF our youth
over against the forces that are
seeking TO lengthen it. tGreat civiIi-
cations are developed by those peo-
pies who keep their youth plastic
and educahle as long as possible
one chief reason why certain south
ern European nations are less Wig
orous, prosperous and progressive
than some others is that their youth
reach maturity mentally and physic-
ally before those lvmE under less
stimulating conditions
Need Revival.
Fruit ripened by the normal nat
ural processes Of nature is much
better than that ripened more quick
y 10y artificial methods This is 10
less true OF human life. A life that
natures early ceases to develop as
rapidly as the life that natures more
slowly. The same authority says in
a book, Social Development and
Education; The reason why 50
many receive so little out o. college
life Is that they have sampled life
IN all Of its aspects and therefore
have lost interest on acquiring The
movies with their sex problems. the
kind OF social activities Initiating
adults late hours awaken and de-
Velop forces before the youth has
acquired sufficient power or self-re.
straint The result Is that that which
has a normsl function I'm human life
becomes the source of vices that de-
stroy.
What can We do2 We need =
revival OF conviction upon what is
right and wrong based upon results
produced One great writer saws
that the reason why the few eN.
tremlsts hold millions of peonIe iu
Russia IN the iron grips OF despotism
Is because the multitude OF Russian
F~E.r-N +"+.D r@N ceased 10 Iee| The
Importance Of moral ideas. There
was no cleavage between right and
wrong. Therefore there IS no vigor-
Gus public opinion. Social bolsha.
V-ism - the forerunner Of economic
bolshevism. Il happened I'm Roma
IN France and in Russia IL vii,
happen I'm America unless the tide
OF destructive living is turned hack
Parents Responsible.
Parents must bear their fun re.
sponsibility instead OF drifting with
the tide. We cannot blame our fair.
ure upon teachers and neichbors Sd
long as we drift with the tide and
become the partners in these mad
Crazes of society. Parents citizens
teachers and young people them.
selves must refuse 10 WELD TO the
craze OF the dav. Parents mus.
think more OF their ChiIdren's vel.
fare than % yield 90 their desire for
those things whihc awaken force.
and Influences or whose power they
have no idea. We must cease beins
cowardiy when we are confronted
with the fendlnEs OF men or science
education and sociology. and let out
neichbors know hat we believe and
what we reject