The Letter of the Law July 15, 1945
In order to justify their own action, men, knowingly or otherwise, are constantly trying to define evil in such a way as to give themselves a comfortable conscience. Unto certain Scribes and...
The Opportunist July 22, 1945
We remember from childhood those who were forever changing the rules in the middle of the game, to their own advantage. And if they couldn’t, they wouldn’t play. And there were those who...
The Record July 29, 1945
At times we may be disposed to conduct our lives carelessly or indifferently, on the assumption that when it is convenient or necessary, we will settle down and give a more favorable account of...
Discipline August 5, 1945
Delivering a well-earned spanking to a child with the assurance, “This hurts me worse than it does you,” is a bit of hackneyed humor that has been much overworked. But aside from its...
On Using Authority August 12, 1945
It has long been said that a little learning is a dangerous thing. And human experience would more than justify the paraphrase that a little authority may also be an exceedingly dangerous thing....
On Offering Excuses August 26, 1945
Any act of ours that is in any way wrong or unworthy, almost always seems to set in motion a process called self-justification. Often, even before we are called upon to explain our errors to others,...
For the Fashion of This World… September 16, 1945
Other People's Opinions September 30, 1945
It is probable that all of us are sensitive to the opinions of other people. And yet it is not uncommon to hear those who say that they don’t care what others think. But in saying this,...
On Becoming Idle October 7, 1945
There is an old Scottish proverb which reads: “If the devil find a man idle, he’ll set him to work.” It was by no mere whim that the Lord God gave man his work to do and commanded...
On Escaping Penalties October 14, 1945
Frequently the question is asked: Just how effective is the threat of punishment in keeping men from doing things they should not do? To this, we must frankly answer that often the mere threat of...
The Question of Divorce October 21, 1945
The world’s attitude toward the separation of two people who have been lawfully wedded has varied greatly with time and with place, and still does. But no matter how widely differing may be...
On Lying Without Speaking October 28, 1945
There has sometimes been an all too common assumption that truth pertains only to what one says or writes—an assumption that if we give a wrong impression with the right words, we are still within...
A Generation Grows Up--Quickly November 4, 1945
Where men are concerned, time does what it does quickly. Each hour adds its weight of impression to the total impressions of life. Each day adds some strength to the force of habit. Each week adds...
The Right Answers November 11, 1945
Not infrequently children ask questions, and then rebel against the answers—if the answers don’t happen to please them: “Why can’t I do it? Why is it so? Why does it have to be...
On Varieties of Gratitude November 18, 1945
Cicero said that “gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues, but the parent of all the others.” But whether or not it be the greatest, gratitude is highly becoming to all....
On Getting Away From Ourselves November 25, 1945
For those who are old in years, the past seems to become sharper in memory, and many things which we thought had been obliterated have proved but to be stored away, only waiting to be recalled. For...
Freedom From Offensive Speech December 2, 1945
As a society of men we have learned to take measures to protect ourselves against many things. Those who commit theft or violence we endeavor to isolate. Against the spread of communicable diseases,...
On Facing Life as It Is December 9, 1945
Sometimes in looking at the lives of others, we may suppose that there are those who lead an untroubled existencefree from the heartaches, free from the reverses, free from the causes for worry and...
The Quality of Generosity December 16, 1945
On the face of it, generosity would seem to be easy to define. In the abstract, perhaps it is. But to say in specific cases whether or not one is generous may not be as easy as might be supposed....
Let There Be Light! December 30, 1945
From the time of their earliest understanding, we wisely assured our children that there is no reason to fear the dark. We tell them of the need we have for the nighttime to bring us quiet and...