The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-04-16

| i'm the NUMBER OF divorces con-
Times. we shall in time actually
have in this country n trial mar
riapc system, and believe it must
he conceded that under trial
mari iagc system, it cannot be pos
siflc to have q healthy, normal
! home life. ..
Now in this menace to the home
life of our people probably real
religion can help more than any
other one thing. The marital re-
lation should be regarded as hav-
inc much Of the sacred in it. Real
religion causes parents to rccog-
nizc their responsibility for the
nropcr rearing of their children as
sacred duty which they cannot
sbirk without disasterous conse-
ouenccs both to themselves and to
their children. Here again the
church must lead, But Kiwanis
and other civic clubs should lend
the church helping hand, be-
cause good homes is also a civic
matter Of the greatest Importance.
It is often said that one of the
CRYING needs Of today is for more
character training in our schools,
vet character training is not, in
nv opinion, matter which can
be left entirely to the schools.
The home. the school and the
church must cooperate earnestly
and fundamentally in order to
achieve real results in character
building. And results can be OBJ
tanned only by God-fearing men
and women of character But
what is character? What is its
foundation? Well, it is in part at
least the capacity to adhere to
right rules of conduct. These
rules of conduct in order TO have
commanding authority must be
based upon eternal religious truth.
Such rules must have the sanction
of n power that is greater than
ma nor greater than any organl-
cation that man has created. This
means that we must depend upon
the Bible as final authority for
right conduct. If we should aban-
don the Bible as having divine,
commanding authority, then there
would be nothing whatever by
which to test a rule of conduct.
There would be no absolute test
by which we could say that
thing is right or wrong. ] know
that in modern times certain PHI,
losophers and writer's have tried
to set up other authoritative tests
for right rules Of conduct. But no
other standard or test other than
the Bible will be found upon
analysis to have any commanding
authority. Therefore, the rules
rules for building character must
be founded on religion. u.
There is now rising tide OF
hate in the world; race hatred
class hatred, national hatred.
These fierce hatreds must be
checked OF they will wreck our
civilization. Their is no way by
which these various hatreds can
be subdued except by the kind OF
religion for which the church at
it's best stands.
II is because of the supreme I'M
portance of religion in these mat
tiers which have briefly men
toned. and in many other human
activities and relations, that M
wants has taken the stand in favor
of active support of the churches
in their promotion Of religion.
There are many intelligent PEG,
ple today who are rather critical
of the church and other religious
organizations. They take the po-
sition that the church is falling
badly in the performance OF It's
appointed task. / know there Is
much in the church which is open
to criticism; that too often man.
made doctrines count for more
than eternal religious truths; that
some of the men who are carry
ING on the work Of the church as
ministers or as laymen appear 10
be poorly fitted for their tasks
and that in many churches there
is much dullness and pettlness OF
feeling and thought. But these
are not good reasons why hlwan-
ians or other laymen would WIN
hold loyal support to the church;
On the other hand these are GOOD
reasons why Kiwanians and other
good citizens should rally to the
support of the church and help
make il the agency for good oil
which it is capable. As a matter
of fact most ministers and church
officers are doing good work con
sidering the staggering difficult
| ties under which they labor.
I There is also at the present time
great deal of damaging criticism
of the educational system in TINS
country, and of some Of the edu,
Gators. But nobody contends that
we should cease to support our
|