Show MONEY SYSTEM M PERIl ClAIMS Brooklyn Divine Declares Few pew If Any Realize Difficulties That Lurk in r Path of of Matrimony iy By By NELSON JUNIUS SPRINGER Minister of the Fourth Unitarian Church of Brooklyn BROOKLYN N N. N Y Jan 14 B By U V P. P Perhaps R-Perhaps Perhaps the best way to begin a a. discussion of my conten conten- lion tion that marriage is ii i j not feasible for the tho average person today would be to cite a few specific matrix matrimonial matri matrI- x problems which have ha come cometo cometo cometo to to my attention w One young woman who asked my advice v wanted anted passionately to become a mother She dip did not want to to marry She was pretty viva- viva clous educated intelligent lar Jar She had never she said accepted accepted ac- ac an invitation to a dance dance or a n dinner party or the theatre thea- thea tre tie without discovering that her host either believed or hoped that she was a woman of easy vir- vir tue ne neShe She was too thoroughly disgusted disgust disgust- Sed ed with men to conceive of loving lov- lov ing one or even of tolerating one but she wanted to become a mother The only thing that restrained restrain d her herIn herin herthe In the end I believe beli ve was the recognition rec- rec of or what would be the common common common com- com mon social attitude toward the child CITES NEW YORK CASE Another woman laid this problem problem problem lem before me She was well past 30 The man she loved and who loved Io her was also well past 30 They were alone in New YOrk Tork Both were obligated to support aged and invalid parents Economically it was as impossible fOr ifor them to marry Beyond that they were faced with the realization tion that psychologically the next step for them was either marriage 11 or or a life together without mar mar- 4 ringe Marriage wa wag ruled out The alter for them therefore were were a life together without the sanction of church and state or parting Then this matter was detailed to 10 me from Europe The two young Americans were living there to to to- get gether gether her They had been living to together to- to gether for ten years They had hada a daughter 6 0 years old whom they wished to bring to the United States to be educated They had not been married The degeneracy of the Christian church in Europe had disgusted them and they did not propose to allow a church chur h which they despised to legitimatize their child chUd the alternative was permanent exlie ex- ex lie lle from their native land HUMAN UMAN IMPULSE i a a I offer these cases in support of this contention that contention that basic human impulse will not be permanently denied denied de- de nied nied that whenever the mode of ot life approved and the customs ins ins- posed by bj society make the gratification gratification cation of such impulse impossible then that mode of life and those customs will be scrapped It has happened before it can happen gain S 'S As I see ee it the obstacles to to tomar mar mar- under tinder existing conditions whether hether those obstacles are social or or psychological ps n oV dr r economic jire are the product of at n a civilization n which which subordinates and exploits the tho indi- indi in l- l vid al and which places Maces institutional institutional and property rights and Interests in interests interests In- In above human rights and in in- in M We Ve are still living under the cial social so- so 50 1 convention mention that envisages the theas husband as the exclusive breadwinner bread bread- bread I I winner ot of if a thoroughly respectable I family tamil That at conven convention I in on is breakIng breaking break- break Ing in down partly because it Is economically economically eco eco- necessary that it should break down dawn partly because an In increasing increasing in- in creasing num number er of lot women prefer economic independence But the woman who works is not yet according according according ac- ac cording to the canons of the existing existing exist exist- ing social system socially the equal of the woman who does not work The marriage difficulty today is in the principle of our civilization If It It costs costi so much to live in this community and according to the st standards dards lof Hof of this community that the children who are born here must choose between love lovo and joy on the one hand and income and position on the other then the system system system tem under which we live is wrong It is not only wrong it is Perilous perilous peril peril- ous SEES HIDEOUS FARCE If the organization of social life has assumed a form which makes social intercourse Impossible ex except except except ex- ex at a cost which makes the young person choose between marriage marriage marriage mar mar- and such social Intercourse then social life so called has be become become become be- be come It a hideous farce In countless ways the Impersonal and inhuman demands of our civilization are converging and closing clos clos closing I ing in upon the tho individual defrauding defrauding defrauding defraud defraud- ing his spirit of Its natural heri heri- tage The church can and must act It can at least give the weight of or its denunciation tion of the thwarting thwarting thwarting thwart thwart- ing and the w warping ing of human life that must go on as as' long as money and more money and power and position are the things for which I men strive e and are taught to strive It can demand and work for the abandonment of such objectives and such methods in business In government government government gov gov- and in social organization But it can do more than this practically practically and constructively for the reli f of individuals within its own parish and its own community I I It appears to me that there would be far less marital unhappiness and andI fewer divorces if before taking the marriage vows the man and the I woman had placed before them the incredible problems they must face facein facein facein in in their life together I doubt if anyone before being II married begins to realize the tre- tre difficulties that beset the I path ath of matrimony today |