Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-08-26
BISHOP QUICK TO
Defend DROPPING
MARRIAGE "ObEY''

New York, Aug. 25.-(AP)-The
protest of the Rt. Rev. Irving Peake
johnson. Episcopal Bishop of Colo
RADIO. against the elimination of the
word "obey" from the Episcopal
marriage ceremony. brought quick
response today from the Ri. Rev.
Charles l.. Slattery. bishop coadjutor
of Massachusetts, and chairman of
the joint commission on prayer book
revision which proposed the change.
From Hancock, N. B., where he is
having a vacation, Bishop Slattery
sent to The Associated Press his re-
joinder summarizing the attitude of
the commission The amendment.
which he says he feels sure will be
ratified at the triennial general con-
ference at New Orleans in October,
is, he says, in the interests of simpli-
fication and directness. He believes
that the promise and the espousal
being the same for the man and the
woman will be stronger because of
the elimination of "obey" and. fur
Their. that marriage being a mutual
relationship, the use of a mandatory
expression, has lowered the divine
height of matrimony. Below is his
elaboration of this thought:
by the Rt. Rev. Charles L. Slat-
terry. D. D.:
THE first reason for this change
is historical. l am away from books,
but think / am right in saying that
no other historic church uses the
word obey in the solemnization of
fnatrimony. This Is a time for SIM
plification and directness. We wish
to be rid of unnecessary words and
get down to the root of the mat
ter.
The promise and the espousal
as we shall now have them are the
stronger for the elimination of
obey The words are as full of
weight and meaning as they can be
packed. The promise to love and to
life till death parts one from the
other Is vastly greater than any
mere formal obedience. To add
obey Is an anti-climax. In the home
where love and service really reign
each obeys the other instinctively
I1uSU1IiuS anu WIVES sometimes agree
to live most of the time apart, keep
ing up the form of obedience, but
thew set a woefully bad example to
their children of what love Is. If
people would take SERIOUSLY the
words as they will be in the mar
| riage service of the future. the
would either be sure that their love
for each other was the real thing
| or they would postpone the service
till thew were sure
Most of the unhappy marriages
come from haste and from lack Of in
innate knowledge of one another. If
/ thought for one moment that the
word obey would keep together hus-
bands and wives in their days of mis-
understandings and quarrels l should
| cheerfully vote to retain 1t. But
| know that since it has not restrained
thousands from breaking their mar
riage vows in the past, we should
now be wise to make the promise and
the vow so plain that no one can
avoid it's strict meaning.
There is another reason. Marriage
is mutual relationship. not sub
ordination of one to the other. The
moment there is need to use the force
of such a word as obey the marriage
has been lowered from it's divine
height. The moment you begin to
compare marriage to a business Or
ganization or an army. where you
rightly say that there must be one
head from whom implicit obedience
must be required. You show that you
do not know what marriage Is.
1.-THE appeal to be rid of obey is
not the cry of silly wording asking
to have his obligations lessened. The
man who wishes this change looks
through Christian history and he
sees the light of Christ leading men
to understand what mutual love can
do and be. The world at one time, 1T
is said, compelled the man to obey
the woman, then the woman to obey
the man. History (when we come In
to historic records) is full of examp-
les of the wreckage of marriage when
either form of subordination prevail
ed Elowly we are finding out what
the love Of Christ means. We find
the meaning gadually growing clearer
in families, in nations. and In the
world at large. We shall try. In the
Episcopal Church. to apply 1t to mat
rimony We wish to tell people that
they must consider well what 1t
means to love and to cherish one an
other until death parts them. And
because believe that the elimination
of obey will helm to this end. trust
that the ACTON of 1922 will be passed
in 1925 almost, If not quite, unani-
mously."