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Show CONCERNING "RACE SUICDE." ! (Written for The Infermountain Catholic.) The discussion of the "race suicide" topic is waxing nauseatingly perennial and absurdly impassioned. im-passioned. -lust, now our Catholic journals or many of them, at least are manifesting much earnestness and no small amount of irony in commenting upon an article which recently appeared in 'Thc Independent," Inde-pendent," from the pen of "A Childless Wife." The writer of said article is vouched, for by the editor of that journal as a most estimable person, whose life is largely devoted to the social well-being well-being of a numerous and worthy class among her sex, and it is further stated that her husband, also, devotes much of his time to work of a like praiseworthy praise-worthy character. Now, it may be asked, is it not possible that a grave injustice is being perpetrated by inconsiderately incon-siderately condemning and denouncing this couple t Is it absolutely inconceivable that their childless condition may be due to a heroic act of self-immolation of abstinence on tiieir part, inspired by most noble motives, and not at all to acts of sin-1 sin-1 fulness and crinrinality Catholics, in particular, should -Jiot deem incomprehensible in-comprehensible the heroic spirit of self-sacrifice implied by such a conclusion, in view of daily examples ex-amples in their midst of heroic devotedness in the sacred cause, of humanity involving acts of sclf-' sclf-' abnegation but little, if any, less drastically opposed op-posed to human nature, aid its lawful propensi- tjes, than would be the case under circumstances herein predicated as possible, if not even probable. prob-able. To be sure, it might be reasonably urged that svreh a high degree of moral courage is not to- be expected without the powerful influence of Holy Church, with her divine sacramental and sacrificial ministrations, and the inexpressibly potent spiritual spirit-ual aid thus afforded. The fact remains, never' theless. that we occasionally encounter instances of moral heriosm and spiritual grandeur. under such unexpected circumstances that -might well put to blush the ordinary type of Catholics, who arc so wofully remiss in responding to the inspirations of their holy religion, 'despite the powerful aid they thence derive; certain it is that each and every one of us should accord to the exemplars of this moral heroism, our most profound pro-found reverence and homage wherever and whenever when-ever they may be encountered. How often are we most forcibly reminded that "The ways of the Lord are inscrutable.'' Abundant evidence have we that His ordinary channel of grace and sanctity is His Church, whose membership is our ineffable privilege; but that He sometimes graciously transcends these bounds, is also unmistakably evidenced evi-denced by the extraordinary cases alluded to. Let us therefore have a care not to grossly sin against the spirit of divine charity so solemnly enjoined en-joined upon us by the Divine Founder of our Holy Church iu a misguided zeal to propogatc hei4 saving sav-ing tenets, by hurling caustic reproaches or ckiinning inuehdo, where perhaps only unstinted commendation rnd ardent praise arc due. Whenever When-ever anyone should be so rash as to publicly defend de-fend formal violations of the 'holy precepts of Mother Church, then should they be publicly denounced de-nounced as enemies of society, because contemners of the moral law and agents for the spread of immorality im-morality and iniquity. In the meantime, all should have the credit of being actuated by holy motives, as long as their attitude does not preclude the reasonable possibility of a favorable construction. Does it never occur to the editors of our Catholic journals that the charcter that this discussion dis-cussion has assumed in recent months is wholly irrational and essentially mischievous? Whenever society reaches the state of infidelity that it can- 1 not be vitally influenced by appeals to their love or fear of God; when the future glory of the race-on race-on this terrestrial sphere shall be the only valid and efficacious or even the principally vital motive for permitting nature to take its course in the matter of pro-creation, then shall it have, be-.:.,-! itir -'.--tfny of p doubt, passed its day of sal-vatidh. sal-vatidh. Such a motive for saving, morals might be the most potent that could be urged upon a pagan race,, but history abundantly proves that whenever a pagan race reaches a point in intellectual intel-lectual development when rational motives might shape its' destiny, it has reached the .point wherq its doom and early dissolutiongV.ttnraistkabIy. proclaimed. . . It remains for the 'religion .of Christ . to demonstrate the perpetuity of a race, under ' , I high state of civilization. Only the. sway of j Christian principles can save an intellectually de- ! veloped and highly civilized society from a stata ' I of mortal retrogression. I Why not, therefor, permit the holy Catholic f Church to combat, the iniquity implied, in her own I divine way'. By bringing to bear upon societ? the holy and inexorably just, and beneficent ordin- - ' t ances and decrees of Heaven, which is her sacred mission to the race of man, the latter shall bo J vouchsafed salvation; all other influences at tho ; I command of mankind arc utterly barren and ' j futile. t j Meanwhile, it is (dearly apparent that purely I human agencies, be they never so nobly or zealously zeal-ously inspired, are crude and blundering in their methods. The writer has among his most estimable estim-able acquaintance a considerable number living in a state of wedlock who have never been blessed with offspring. As several of these are ae voted ' and exemplary Catholics, he will never be persuaded persu-aded to the belief that they arc guilty of the at-trocious at-trocious and abominable crime of impiously defying defy-ing the divine ordinances relating to their state. How foolish, therefore not to say abominable--the practice of holding up all married people who are childless to the scorn and execration of their . ' fellow beings? For nineteen long centuries ha3 Holy Church t hurled her anathema against the unspeakable crime under consideration, and her sacred voice has never been unheeded where the baleful taint of in- I ' ' fidelity has not made itself felt. Whenever her , j beneficent and saving influence is discredited, no efficacious remedy against, the heaven-crying evil can be found. The moral is, assuredly, mo?t ' obvious; the preservation of society depends solely f upon the Holy Catholic Church. Let "him who I runs, read' and by wisely and piously heeding the ' ' momentous lesson taught by history and to be deduced de-duced from sound philosophical principles, cur cherished race may be perpetuated unto its highest high-est and holiest destiny: i. e., by a dutiful acceptance accept-ance and faithful application of .the divine dogmas of Holv Church, and not otherwise. A. C. LAYMAN. |
