WAR-TIME MORALS
SIP,—Mr. Angus Watson's letter is excellent as summarising the Church's teaching on sex. None of us would disagree with his admirable exposi- tion of the Christian attitude in this matter. But the fact is that young people of today do not see things in this light, and the problem is to relate Christian teaching to this most vital subject. As an example, in a recent " best-selling " novel there were two cases of seduction and one of perversion in the first few chapters. The book was given me to read by a young girl of eighteen brought up in the strictest Christian home. When I expressed my opinion that .the book was thoroughly decadent both she and her fiancé, a young Christian aged twenty-one, were amazed that I had found anything to criticise in it. It was not that they would think of emulating the characters concerned, but that the moral side of the question simply had not entered their heads.
I still maintain that there is no teaching on sex apart from marital infidelity in the Gospels. I agree entirely with Mr. Watson's position except where he asserts that I am mistaken! But his letter is that of an older man who has not had to deal intimately with these problems of modem youth. The modern generation is not likely to be influenced by Jewish teaching, which incidentally condoned concubinage and also male and female slaves together with eunuchs. They are inclined to look askance at Paul's teaching with his curious attitude towards marriage in general. As for modern civilisation, it has not much to commend it to the young people. In any case, it is difficult to apply the foundations of society to an acute personal problem, and those foundations need not necessarily be Christian. In addition, the economic aspect of modern civilisation is responsible for undue postponement of marriage which is responsible for much of the irregularity that we arc discussing. The Church has in some way or another to nail down sexual irregularity as sin against God in the Christian sense. Until that is done no progress
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