Evening star., 1922-09-24
EPISCOPAL DIVORCE
RULE WILL STAND
Bishops Refuse to Reopen
Remarriage Question as
Deputies Urged.
PASTORAL LETTER READ
Labor and Capital Both Enjoined
to Make Service Rather Than
Profits Their Goals.
PASTORAL LETTER READ

/ PORTLAND, Ore, September 20
! The closing hours of the general
convention of the Protestant Epis-
| copal Church in the United States
were marked today by the house
! Of bishops refusing to concur in
| action of the deputies in referring
to a special committee the whole
marriage question, including a pro-
posed absolute prohibition of remar-
| riaSe of divorced persons.
Rev. DR.: +. w. Tompkins of Phila-
dclphia. had proposed revoking the
/ present exception granted for the
remarriage of persons in cases where
divorce had been granted on grounds
! Of infidelity.
A resolution passed both houses
continuing the prayer book commits
! sion during the next three years.
! The commission was instructed to
make no further revision of such
sectlohs OF the prayer book as had
neen acted upon by both houses at
the present session
Pastoral Letter Read.
service. unity and devotion to
Christian principles are emphasized
IN the pastoral letter read today at
me me Gl?sins services. The clergy and
| the ialty of the church are entoined
ia inns letter to put the principles
OF Christ int" effect to solve the pres
cht-daE problems of industry. labor
and of family life. Outstanding pas
/ sages in the letter follow:
Service: 1t is the lesson which
many OF the members of this church
! nave special opportunity to apply to
/ industrial life. Were great corpora
tlons to realize that they are and
must be primarily corporations for
public service, rather than for priyate e
profit, it would be easier to reply
to agltators who threaten their
peace and prosperity.
| ana Labor. The unions will be as
! cordially hated as the most unpopular
| 1h th inaustrlal trusts If they neglect
| the call to serve while insisting on
the right to have. Efficiency in labor,
| better work as well as better wages
I this must be the program. if in
dustrlai justice is also demanded
| Ideals Too Low.
! TOO many of the generation now
. passing have been content to have.
SO easily satisfied with low ideals
| or the religion of Christ Our con-
| sciences have not been troubled when
! the strong oppressed the weak. We
| nave been fearful to enquire too
cioselE as to sources of wealth and
/ The young people of TODAY are ey-
actiE what we made them Too fire.
quently have parents abdicated their
! position of direction and leadership.
! Certainly they have not exercised
! strong spiritual influence by example
! as well as precept in holding up d
: simple and natural religious home
| life. Without a vital faith. without
! dehnlte standards of conduct having
| PACK OF them divine sanctions, the
level of popular moral opinion will
steadily become lowered. 1t already
has been terribly lowered through
the menace of divorce. which encour-
ages selfish and extreme individual-
ism In disrupting the American home
! life.
Defense Of Youth.
! We have little sympathy with
| critics who adopt a censorious atti-
tude toward youth, always complain
/ ing and generally condemning. Free
dom of behavior and carelessness of
speech may mean. and often does
| mean, not lack of courtesy or con-
sideration. but dislike OF convention
the desire to be natural and human.
| This church has labored faithfully
in the cause of that unity for which
! Christ prayed. Conferences on unity
will accomplish something; plans for
unity may bring Christians of many
names into fuller sympathy and un-
derstanding and growing apprecia
! tion each of the others; but only as
-! we give ourselves fully and free to
| unselhsh service can we come to-
Eether in unity of life. We must re-
! fuse to isolate the spiritual life. So
shall we find life in losing it. not
merely as individuals. but as a
church"