The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-15
divergent folkways and customs. Some have favored,

divergent ~folkways and customs. Some have favored,
for example, polygamy and others monogamy.
But in each and every case the particular social
group, whether Christian, Buddhist, M-ohammedan, or
~Shintoist, regards its codes as divinely revealed and
completely perfect. In the case of the papal moral
views, the ~folkways lying back OF them were those
Of the ancient Hebrews OF Palestine, modified by
later Persian and Hellenic influences.
A moral code is valuable and valid in proportion
as it promotes a happy and efficient life on the part
of those who practice it at any given time and place.
It changes with radical alterations in the life condi-
tons Of the group.
Leaving fundamentals and coming to specific pro-
nouncements of the pope, the attitude Of science and
eSthetics would be roughly as follows: On sex life, the
papal view is that the sole purpose Of sex is the
provocative. The scientist and esthete hold that the
recreative is quite as important as the provocative
end and Is the most decisive advance which man has
made over the animals in this field.
The lower animals engage in sex solely for pro-
creation, but the human race as a group never has
done so. During far the greater part Of the existence
Of the race on earth man did not even know that
sex activity had any relation to the procreation and
the bearing of children.
With respect to procreation, the pope holds that
no limit should be placed on the production Of chill
dren, and that men are begotten, not for the earth,
but for heaven and eternity" The modern attitude
is that children are born for this life, and not more
should be born than can live happily and decentIy
here and now.
In regard to the family, the pope holds that mar
riage is a sacrament and the family indissoluble. Con-
temporary students contend that marriage and the
family are institutions OF purely human creation,
whose origins and evolution we can trace historically.
They hold that the family is the basic social unit,
Ht s&n oON&~I 49, I.-.G1~ --L - IL AS
considerations and by the personal relationships in
any particular union.
The pope condemns divorce unreservedly. The
s~ociologist and psychiatrist would insist that divorce
is en- indispensable instrument to promote c~onjugal
happiness. Nothing could be more intolerable than
an unadjusted and unhappy couple being held in per-
petual chains through theological-political tyranny.
In the excitement of love many an ill-advised
marriage may be contracted. The essence of the
whole issue here is that the pope holds that man
is made for marriage, the scientists and esthetes would
contend that marriage is made for man.
The pope pronounces birth control in any form an
"o1ense against the law Of God and nature" The
s~ociologist and sexologist view birth control as one
Of the supreme boons to the race which have resulted
from scientific progress.
1t alone has enabled man to free himself from the
tyranny OF wasteful and brutal nature and to control
population in the interests Of human well-being. 1t
is a safeguard against overpopulation and the hor-
rors Of war.
The pope condemns sterilization on the ground that
mans sex nature is above the control of civil law.
Science holds that SEX is no more immune from sane
legal control than any other expression of mans
nature.
If the state can take g. mans life, certainly no
part Of his anatomy is beyond the law.