Men, Women, and God: A Discussion of Sex Questions from the Christian Point of ViewGray, A. Herbert (Arthur Herbert)
Religion
Men, Women, and God: A Discussion of Sex Questions from the Christian Point of View
Gray, A. Herbert (Arthur Herbert)
Sexual ethics -- Early 20th century
Of course this means that for a pagan society there is no choice
between a sternly cold and cruel morality on the one hand, and license
on the other. For pagans cannot forgive. They alternate between a moral
indifference in which there is no hope for anybody, and a cold and
callous condemnation of sinners which is both hypocritical and cruel.
We have all seen both policies in action and know how hopeless they
both are. But in exact proportion as we learn to think and feel with
Christ we shall learn to forgive, and so doing shall begin to have
mastery over the evils in sex life that spring from ignorance,
waywardness, want of discipline, and the misunderstanding of love.
History is one long record of how by the force of law and by alternate
severity and carelessness the human race has tried to find for itself
the right path through this special country. But the record is largely
one of failure. There is no way of success for a society that depends
upon such forces. Here as in a dozen other connections the only way to
life is that Christian way which the world has so largely repudiated.
Mankind want to make a success of their life in this world--want to
make the most possible of it--but they want it apart from the
leadership of Christ, and so they miss it. He can show us the way of
life if we will but listen, but no other can.
And His way is always and altogether the way of love--love that can
tame the brute in us and make it a servant--love that can transform
passion into a holy fire--love that makes men patient and women
generous--that takes the common things of life and makes them sacred--
and above all love that can hate sin with fierce sincerity, and yet
love and forgive sinners.
It is after this fashion that God loves us. We must so love one another
if we are to make human life great.
There is another and a larger sense in which there is need that we
should forget the things which are behind. We need as a race to escape
from an evil past. Our greatest danger in this whole connection is the
danger of moral skepticism. "Sex vice has always been common," men say
with truth; and then with fatal unreason they add, "and always will
be." That way lies sheer disaster. The whole situation calls for faith
in man's future--faith in his capacity for purity--faith in love. And
that faith is really but a part of any true faith in God.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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