CHRISTIAN EUGENICS
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
Sm,—The Bishop of Southwark states that the " spirit of loving service " by preserving sickly lives has had a detri- mental effect on the biological balance of the community. This statement is certainly precarious and probably fallacious. Social services inspired by the Christian spirit have also had the effect of turning what might otherwise have been sickly lives (and so burdens on the community) into healthy lives which have been biological assets to the community. There is good reason to believe that the biological balance resulting from " loving service " is a favourable balance.
I myself was born in May, 1868—a year which produced the hottest summer on record. That summer nearly killed me in infancy, and would have done so had my parents not been in a position to give me the best medical care. I have lived to do over thirty years' parochial work in large parishes —work very seldom interrupted by illness. I have six sons and a daughter all usefully employed, all showing capabilities above the average—some of them decidedly above the average. They may all be reckoned as biological assets to the community. As to grandchildren it is as yet too early to speak. There are twelve of them all healthy. The preservation of my sickly infant life has certainly not adversely affected the biological balance. There must be many thousands of cases like mine.
As my personal illustration of the biological argument might appear to be boastful I must veil my name under the
Previous page
