The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1955-06-10
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or IneonsIdsrsss

the world show It's hand. IL wins adherents by prac-
tice merely, without expounding any argument
against Christian life and Christian virtue. II plays
to the senses and th ough them it aures the will.
Seldom does it formulate its philosophy or try to
WOO the mind.
But now the makers of Camel cigarettes, of all
things, come up with what is called that horrible
name slogan And the slogan comes very near to a
declaration of the first principle of the spirit of
wordliness that is of antChrist 1t says, Pleasure
helps your disposition" This we are assured, is a
psychological fact whatever that Is, perhaps
the term may be intended to mean fact estab-
lished by psychology
This slogan pleasure helps your disposition" !"
u.s. like all principles true or false syllogism, a
piece OF reasoning but in concentrated or short
ened form. Fully expressed it means: Whatever
helps your disposition is TO be sought as worth
while. Now pleasure helps your disposition. There
fore pleasure is to be sought as worth while"
II is true that there are legitimate pleasures.
But the quest of pleasure for its own sake is not
legitimate Contrast the worlds cry, Seek pleas
ure" with the word Of Our Lord, Seek first the
Kingdom Of God and His justice" Compare the
worlds urgent advice concerned with beers, cars,
cigarettes, and other things seen in the ads En-
Joy yourself!" with the command Of Christ, Take
up your cross daily"
Now, the truth about the philosophy of world
ness as contrasted with the philosophy of Chris
tianiy is that the world breaches pleasure which is
very thin sugar coating on very bitter plif
whereas Christianity breaches penance which is
thin coating of harshness an enduringy pleasing
food The world breaches pleasure but not salts
faction; Christianity breaches penance together with
satisfying happiness and peace OF life
II is the philosophy of worldliness which pre-
walls on earth today and those that follow il are
full of miseries The followers of the Christian
philosophy seem to he subject to many restrictions,
hardshps and pains but they alone OF All men men
have any true experience of solid satisfaction they
alone know what is meant by 'the peace which the
world cannot give"
Therefore, il is quite plainly true that wordli-
ness is on the side OF gloom dissatisfaction, and
sad bewderment about the meaning Of human ex-
istence Christianity. the contrary is on the
side of happiness satisfaction, and awareness Of pur-
pose in life At first glance worldliness flashes at
tractiveness and Christianity seems austere. But the
flash is quickly gone and the auserity is soon dis
covered to have the true power OF lasting attraction
Apply the general doctrine that pleasure helps
your disposition" and you find yourself approving
all sin and veness For there pleasure in SIM there
is pleasure in drunkenness, in mpurity, in revenge,
in unlawful possession, in pride, IN brutal DONNA
ton over others The Camel people had better take
kind indulgence in every vice.
II is not true that pleasure helps your diSposi-
tion-except for the moment Just consider the per-
son who has spent evening" long evening"
in the pleasures of excessive eating and drinking and
high emotionalism, What sort of disposition has he
when the alarm.be calls him out of bed next day?
Is he little ray of sunshine about the house? Is
he full of sweet and kindly feeling for all and
sundry? Or is he rather like a bear with sore
head? Does he radiaie joy, or what Doctor John
son calls "inspissated gloom? The true test of the
pudding is not in the eating. but the after-effects
Of the eating The measure of the nights pleasure
is the morning after In getting the real hang of
pleasure, don't overlook the hangover
We know, to be sure, that the Camel people have
no intention of preaching lawessness and vice. They
have but one intention, that is, to sell more and
more Camel cigarettes. They like other advertisers
are merely rectng their ritual in the worship of
Mammon They like the Others are in single e-minded
pursuit Of the fast and frequent buck, That is called
by the name of business enterprise
But in their eagerness TO promote business
that is, to grab all the money they can,the adyer
tserS have here unconSciously invaded the field of
essential morals Their advertising slogan is
eal,-unconsciouS and unntentional,-to base
and brutal and vicious self.indulgence If the pleas
ure of Camels helps ones disposition" why not
make The same claim for the pleasure of cocaine
or the pleasure Of ealumny, the pleasure Of con
eubinage?
For mark you the Camel slogan says no word
about mere Camelpleasure helping ones dspos
tion. II is universal statement, psychological
fact" that pleasure helps the disposition And that
statement, as it stands, is plain paganism. and
has in 1t the foulness of hell.
@s#%
Besides, what precisely is meant by ones
disposition Is il the state of feengs2 Is il the state
Of mind? Is II the altitude of the will7 Or is 1t two
Of these In combination, all three together? And
in what way, exactly does cigarette help the dis
position A smoke may be relief TO nervous ten.
sion So may drink OF water. So may a brisk walk
in the fresh air. Are to suppose that this cigar
cite (as eontrasted with rival hrand) is frankly
offering itself as medicine?
Smoking Is hardly to be regarded as virtuouS
act or habit although ii MAY be the act and habit
Of virtuous person II is in itself. an noffensive
form of self-indulgenee And even such forms of
self.indngenee have about them some risk and dan
ger Prudence, = an essential and basic virtue
counsels restraint rather than excess The appea
to excess in tho low name OF pleasure is unworthy
and vile We repeat the Camel peope had better
revise their slogan Il ofends the public and eye