| Show comments from dixie by E A DAVIS many of the most important people in the city of chattanooga have been formally discussing a very serious problem this week juvenile dehn quency As usual the gamut of caus es cures and effects were proposed but nothing really constructive came out of this meeting recriminations accusations criticisms constructive and destructive gave evidence of parental disagreement and discord what hat can be expected of the young when their mothers and fathers show such lack of fundamental and elementary wisdom as to not to be able to intelligently and with accord discuss so vital a subject as the T oper conduct of their own children the simple and only solution to the entire problem of juvenile dehn delin quency is contained in the fifth commandment honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the lord thy god thee exodus 20 12 the first table of the decalogue d als with man s relations with and obligations to his creator the first four commandments tell man how ard when to worship and warn against irreverence and impiety in word and conduct the second table deals with human relationships these six commandments tell us how to treat one another and it is therefore appropriate that the regulations gu lations of human relations should cleveland tenn begin with the family life in the home the place where society has its orgin the family is the most important and fundamental unit in society and government respect for parental authority and obedience to parental law are the foundation of all order and organization As goes the home so goes society the nation and the world the fifth commandment is properly placed at the beginning of the second table its position thus in di cating a divine arrangement fam fain ily relationships constitute the be ginning of all human relationships which are set forth in the second division of the law and have been appropriately called the six pillars uphold the social order of the world since the fifth commandment deals with obedience to all lawful authority in that formative period of life when characters are molded and destinies are determined how true is the saying that the band hand that rocks the cradle rules the world because in so many ways the par ants stand in the place of god to their children until they arrive at the age of discretion and account ability the fifth commandment is closely related to the law during the earlier years the parent is to the child what god is to the adult the law giver the overseer and the pro ider the fact that the attitude of the child toward the parent deter mines his attitude toward god in later years gives the fifth command mei t a double significance when the home life is what it should be the children are almost certain to fulfill both tables of the law and re both botn divine and human author ity bince true morality is impossible without true ie ligion proper human relations have their root in the rela reia lions that should exist between the human and divine as set forth in the first table the foundations of both religion and morality are laid in the home and therefore the fifth commandment occupies a significant place in the bosom of the deca louge the close relationship between the fourth and the fifth commandments is indicated by leviticus 19 34 3 ye shall fear every man his mother and his father and keep my sab baths I 1 am the lord your god reverence for the sabbath must begin in the home where respect for divine and human law has its origin another evidence of the import ance of his commandment is the fact that parenthood is partner copartner co ship with god in the work of ere cre aaion reproduction is a form of creation what greater honor could god bestow upon human beings than to share with them the power to per his creative this realization of the holy functions of parenthood will place marriage on a moral elevation seldom lecog nihed in this world of sin it will give a sacredness to family relation ships that will ennoble and dignify the marriage institution which is being trampled in the dust the lack of regard for authority parental civil and divine is the greatest evil of the modem world the real cure for juvenile delin quin cy lies with the parents proper understanding understand mg and respect for the law of god on their part must be had before we me can expect our children to respect and obey authority |
