The Apache sentinel., 1944-12-15
EDITORIAL
The Marks of q HE-MAN
BY CHAPLAIN CHESTER A. PENNINGTON

BY CHAPLAIN CHESTER A PENNINGTON
1t is all too commonly supposed that maniness
can be judged IN terms OF mans ability to vul-
gar language, consume liquor and handle women
These frequently taken as the marks of a"he-man,
Along with this goes the notion that the only fellows
who are getting any real fun out of life are those
whose tongues usually dirty, whose torsilS are
frequently fabricated and whose glands generally
gratlfled. Those who believe these things also seem
to believe that men who trying to practice the
Christian virtues of decency temperance and chastity
are something less than real men-sisses perhaps
and certainly are missing lot of fun
Now it SO happens that this is the exact reverse
of the truth. And if it were not so serious it would
around in their thinking and yet so satisfied with
their self deluson. The truth is that genuine manli-
ness is manifested in decency, temperance and chas-
tty. Moreover the only who is having any
genuine pleasure is the who is trying to practice
these virtues.
There very good reason why it is important for
servieemen to understand the truth in this regard
There are a. lot of felows-particuarly younger men
who have been carefully reared but who are being
led away from their earlier standards by older
worldly wise guys who brag of being more informed
concerning the "facts of life" Those who allow them
selves to be influenced by fellows are going to
lind themselves extremely distressed when they go
back to the normalcies of home lfe-to say nothing
OF what their lowered standards are now doing to
their souls.
Therefore, we need to be pretty clear on the mat
ter OF what manpess really is and be straight in our
notions of fun.
The truth, let repeat, is this Genuine n1anli-
ness may be judged by mans decorous speech, by
his temperate and chaste life-these are the real
marks or a 'he-n1an' And this is the OuIy man who
Is getting any real fun out of life :
We are not made to be animals, creatures of ap-
petite lndulgng the desires of the moment; we are
made to be man, living the sons of God Biological
~, OF course, we animals, with animal needs and
passions. But there's more to it than that We are
not only body, but we also soul or spirit This
soul part OF u.s. the most important part by far we
observe funetonng as intelligence WILL moral sense
It IS this which makes us more than anirnals-that
is men.
One further thing is true God has SET I'm certain,
rules which enable to get the most out of our
human life And the general truth which underNes
all these laws is this The animal part of us is to be
controlled and used by the spiritual part of us in
an attempt to do the Divine will
In the light of all this look the matter frankly in
the race And you will have to admit that the man
who lives only to indulge the passing passion of the
moment is not real man; neither can he be really
happy. just in the measure that fellow lives like
an animal is he something less than a. man. He who
IS constantly defying the very laws Of his humanity
can never be happy-indeed, I think he can never
really have any fun. He will have thrill sensation
release but not genuine pleasure which springs only
from fulfilling the laws Of ones fe Real rnanliness
consists In self-contro and it is elf-control that
yields the fruits of decorun1, temperance chastity
Only the fellow who is herman enough to control
himself is genuinely happy-and still saw he's the
only man having really good time.
Now let us take the three items which mark
real herman tdecency, temperance, chastity and
analyZe this matter with reference to them These
three obviously chosen because they are of most
common concern among service men.
Is Language is clearly an instrument designed for
CARVING on the necessary relations of ife and also
for the beautfyng and enrichment of life via ltera-
ture and music. Now when takes this inStru-
ment and uses it to insult his mates or debase one
OF fes sanctities Gas is done in the four
letter cSS-word in the Servce), or to Erofane the
name of God-when a man does this obviously he is
using language for purpose which is less than hui
man. that is less than manly. The real man is he who
uses language forciby and decorousy not to be con-
fused with prudistly) and perhaps sometimes beau
tifuly.
Consider the subject of liquor. Il would rather
skip it entirely because there such violent diff
ferences of opinion here; but it cannot be avoided in
the servceo The only favorable thing that can be
said about liquor is that it administers to the pleas
ure of the palate and stimulates convviaty and good
fellowship" " There are host of unfavorable things
that could be said, but this thing is the only Dos
sibe excuse for its being tolerated at all in human
society But when man uses it escape, to run
away from his problems, he is being coward AS
such, how can he be called manly? Or when man
drinks until he is silly stupid or senseless he is
using liquor for less than human purpose Wher,
he robs himself temporarily of his intelligence and
self-control he is literally unmanning himself
Consider finally, the matter of sex In animals
sex is physical drive, method of procreation; and
most people nowadays regard 1t as plaything a.
pressure to be relieved. But if is more than an
animal, human sexual experience ought to mean
A1AAN &I1SC