Calling Evil Good
Too great possessions led to luxury. Luxury brought forth frivolity. But the jocular language of mockery does not end it. Even the scoffer in turn knows how to become serious. So the fourth stage of this unholy process of sin is reached, in the equally wanton, but now reasoned wickedness.
Then what is bad is said to be good. Of evil a theory is made, for the unholy a high-sounding system is set up. And so everything is subverted. What thus far you took as light was really darkness, and what seemed darkness, when carefully examined, proves to be real light. And this is demonstrated, and is accounted for, and is brought to your understanding, and it is reasoned out before you in a manner at which you stand aghast.
And therefore Isaiah offers no reasoned argument in return, but briefly cuts off the folly with his fourth Woe! saying: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (5, 20).
IN our poor land you need but name the name of Multatuli, to call to mind the object of this Woe! provided you but understand, that this wandering spirit would never have spoken as he dared to speak, or would have exercised an influence, such as he did, had there not been at his very coming already a considerable number of our people that had reached this fourth stage of national decadence.
When the Money-fever broke out, old morals, at least outwardly, were still maintained. Even at the Exchange the white cravat was still in demand, to carry a certain impression of solidity.
When Luxury increased hand over hand, in common conversation one still had respect for form. One courted the reputation of being honest and a man of good morals.
At the outbreak of wantonness the standard of what was holy and good, was lowered somewhat at times; but as a rule it was left alone and was merely made sport of, after the manner of a child, that hankers after what is forbidden, and when he succeeds in violating the command, takes pleasure in the wantonness of his daring.
But since the period in which Multatuli became the hero of the day, this is all changed.
Now one has begun to reason. Now it is asked, why the foundations of human society cannot be turned around. The ideas, and the morals and customs which were derived from these ideas, were based merely upon human opinions, but of old-fashioned people, of people who came from the night-boat, and understood nothing of modern life.
What then more simple, than that for the theory of those old sleepy-heads other theories, other ideas, other principles were put in place, and these so put together as to dovetail with the playful, wanton, light-hearted morals of the man of the world.
So they were the good, the enlightened people, that would enjoy life, who now in their turn could laugh to scorn the stupid, antiquated paragons of virtue, as folks who do not understand their world, were handicapped by their narrow-mindedness, and in no particular up to the times.
AND to this it has now come.
In former times they called the man a rake and laughed him to scorn as he passed, even all those who had the insolence to go contrary to God’s Word. Now on the other hand to oppose God’s Word is a sign of high development. And he who still holds fast by God’s Word is called narrow, backward, beclouded by darkness.
Undoubtedly in former times sins were committed in the seductive domain of the senses, the same as now. But one was ashamed of it. In public opinion marital fidelity and chastity were held in honor. Now, on the other hand, all feeling of shame is cast aside. It is argued in public, that free love is more honorable than marriage. That for young people to remain chaste is playing with health, and thus is sin. In all sorts of pamphlets, even in dignified magazines lust of the flesh is openly advocated. On the stage nothing is spared. Even women begin ever more shamelessly to take part in this chorus. And he who now is laughed to scorn, and held up to public gaze, is no more the libertine, but the house-bodies, the illiberal, the narrow-minded woman, who has scarce any more count, who still esteems her modesty her honor, seeks her happiness in quiet marital faithfulness and finds the world of her wealth in the mystery of the household.
So everything is turned into its contrary.
Not father and mother teach the children, but the children come home with all sorts of latest novelties in morals, and try to bring them to the understanding of their parents.
Mother cannot enter into it, and father is too dull-headed to grasp it, but they, young men and young maidens, they know.
Father and mother in their old-fashioned way had imagined that their children should honor them, but that is altogether amiss. Children are under no obligations whatever to their parents. What was called parental love, is nothing more than pure egoism. And parents may indeed be thankful, when notwithstanding their backwardness and narrow-mindedness their children, if they do not honor and love them, at least still endure and tolerate them.
THUS, what in his fourth Woe! Isaiah censures, is none too vigorously drawn. You literally find it again in your own land, in your own literature, in the conversations of the rising generation, in the theories that are broadcast.
All bands are cast off, every bit and bridle is thrown down. One lives according to the desires of his heart, and fights shy of no single sin. And while thus actually a life is lived in direct opposition to the ordinances of God, one first persuades himself, and then tries to prove to others, that thus it is not sin, that it is entirely natural, that so it is only really good, and that he who still holds to those old-wives’ tales of virtue and chastity and modesty and piety, deserves no better name than that of narrow-minded obscurantist.
So he who walks by the light of God’s Word, is called an obscurantist. He who walks in evil ways, prides himself that he alone sees the good and directs his life according to this clear insight.
Formerly sin was called bitter, and the sweet of life was tasted in the virtuous life of family and circle of friends. But this, too, is now all turned about, and, according to this reversed taste, that former sweet of life, even the very sound of it, arouses a bitter feeling of nausea. Such a home-bird. Such a back-number. No, now is known another sweet, and in the end you see the young woman, in young men’s clothes, publicly by the way kick the football into the air. and in all the papers her name is blazed abroad, and from ambition she enjoys what with better morals in the eye of all would be her shame.
ESPECIALLY the lowering of womanly standards is an evil omen.
In times past a sportive youth would propound foolish theories, but mother would frown upon it and the sisters would look at him with an injured feeling of seriousness. And this never failed of its effect. Conscience spoke again. The wild notion was curbed. And in face of the loose talk of the man, the woman, true to her calling, continued to keep watch over God’s holinesses.
But when a people grow decadent, it is a sure sign in national disease that, at last the moment comes, when woman too is poisoned in her soul; instead of offering resistance, she first begins by taking part, then to join the loose talk, and finally, carried away in the unholy stream, to outdo the man.
And then the last dam is broken, and the entire field of life is inundated by these unholy waters.
Against the ordinances of life appointed of God altogether different ordinances are enacted.
He who then still holds to God’s ordinances, is laughed to scorn. To court popularity one must vigorously and boldly denounce those ordinances. No book so bad but one dares to read it before others, or talk about it with whoever else read it. yea, counts it pusillanimous and small, when some one yet declares, that he does not read such books.
AND so we come back again to the Christian home, as the center from which this evil of arguing and by arguing calling evil good can be resisted and healed.
When in the family God’s holy Word remains the foundation of life, the only authoritative Word, by which we let ourselves be led, this evil arguing and calling sin good has no hold on our heart. And whether one laughs us to scorn, we keep on calling evil evil, and what is darkness darkness, and enjoying of the sweet of life, as God has apportioned it to us.
But then let the mother in the home be level-headed and watchful, let the daughter understand her sacred calling, and let not the father imagine, that life is salvable by mere dogmatic steepness.
The conflict against the mysteries of our faith is already far behind us. Against the Word itself the weapons of the world are now turned, not to overturn your doctrines, but to bring under foot the ordinances of God, to push aside His holy Law, and to put over against the law of God the law of the new, the light-hearted life.
Give no respite in this conflict for a single moment, neither to yourself in your conscience, nor to your children in their training, nor to your servants in their companionships, nor to yourself with those who visit and associate with you.
Continue faithful to the God of the fathers, and let His Law be the rejoicings of your heart.
And though the strife be bitter at times, and victory scarcely possible, still here also it applies, that who shall have fought faithfully to the end, cannot be vanquished, and that the crown which eternally blooms, awaits him at the hand of his King.
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