PRACTICAL QUESTIONS ANSWERED
=What is the primary purpose of marriage?=--While there are several
subordinate reasons for marriage, the one paramount reason is that of
having and rearing a family. The only admissible reason for not having
children is positive incapacity or mental and physical unfitness.
=How many children should there be to a family?=--The number should vary
according to circumstances. Every child has an incontrovertible right to
be well born and to be well cared for after he is born. It is far better
to have three to six children, who have good heredity and who are
properly cared for and trained, than to have ten or twelve unfortunately
born and largely neglected. Where the parents are both strong and
healthy and are able to support them, a large family is commendable.
=Is it wrong purposely to limit the size of the family?=--If no laws are
violated and the limitation is made to safeguard the wife’s health and
the best interests of the children, there can be no wrong done.
=Does nature use any safeguards to the wife’s health and the right of
children?=--She does. The woman is sterile before puberty, after the
change of life, in most cases during the period while nursing a child,
and a few days between the menses.
=At what periods during the month is a wife most likely to become a
mother?=--Just before or after the menses.
=What would be a natural method of regulating the size of the
family?=--Have sexual relations for procreation only, or for a few days
only, about midway between monthly periods.
=Is the last always safe?=--No. Impregnation with this precaution might
occur, but it would be rare. If a woman’s menses are irregular, or if
she ovulates at one time and menstruates at another, she would be likely
to become pregnant at any time. This last case is very rare among women.
=Are there other methods used?=--Yes, but none of them can be recommended.
They are unnatural. They violate nature. Those who use them suffer
sooner or later. One of the most common is that of withdrawal. This has
all the bad effects of the secret sin on both husband and wife.
Injections and the use of artificial contrivances, while in some cases
appearing to violate the laws of health but slightly, lead to excess and
thereby become morally and physically wrong. In this way tumors, ulcers
and other physical ailments and poor health may be produced.
=What are some of the evil effects of over child bearing?=--Among feeble
wives, much of womb diseases can be traced to this. Puny, sickly and
short-lived children are other results. Then there are some women who
suffer greatly during pregnancy and each time their lives are
endangered.
=What is “race suicide”?=--There are three kinds of race suicide, all of
which are very prevalent among American born people, (1) The various
methods of preventing conception. This is perhaps the most common. (2)
Willful abortion, or prenatal murder. It is estimated that 250,000 cases
come to medical attention annually. If this is true, perhaps 100,000
succeed in destroying prenatal life without medical attention. This
would mean 1,000 prenatal murders daily in the United States. If these
figures are true, then it is reasonable to suppose that 100,000 attempts
are made that fail. Many of these unwelcome children inherit a tendency
toward homicide or suicide. This is evidently one of the main causes of
the appalling increase of crime. As a rule, men who have not learned
self-control are more responsible for this crime than are their wives.
This is a national sin, found in all grades of society. This sin cannot
be checked until people learn self-control and all youths are
safeguarded in their sexual development by being given a correct
knowledge of sex. (3) The third form of “race suicide” is the
ever-increasing production of degenerates. The chief causes of this form
of “race suicide” are strong drink and lust.
=How frequently should husband and wife have sexual relations?=--There are
three theories held by people. (1) For procreation only. Where both
mutually agree and have perfect self-control, no harm can come from this
plan. There is no more necessity for sex gratification in the married
life than in the single. Those who have this self-control will be able
to avoid all dangers, sins, and diseases incident to a lack of control.
There are some difficulties connected with this theory. This
self-control is not possessed by the mass of mankind. Where one
companion tries to force this view the other may be driven to marital
infidelity, or family discord which may lead to the divorce court.
(2) Some consider marital congress to be an act of love. Where this is
confined to once, twice or thrice a month and to a few days midway
between the menses, except when a child is desired, no wrong will be
done; the sacred fire of love will be kept aglow in their hearts, health
will reign in their lives, the initial of each child can be
intelligently planned for, his prenatal rights be respected, his
nativity be warmly welcomed and he be given the best possible
environment.
(3) The other theory is that of physical necessity, especially for man.
Among the unmarried this theory leads to prostitution or the secret sin.
Among the married it means legal prostitution, leads to marital excess,
poor health of parents, loss of vitality, puny, scrawny, short-lived
children and to “race suicide.”
=Should coition take place during pregnancy?=--Among the lower animals
sexual indulgence never occurs during pregnancy. We are told that the
savage races observe this law. Doctors differ on this subject. All agree
that it should seldom occur. There is a growing conviction among some of
the most eminent physicians that man should observe the law that nature
demands of the lower animals and that savage man respects.
=What injurious effects may follow sexual intercourse during
pregnancy?=--It robs the mother and child of the vitality that both of
them need. Sometimes it causes miscarriage. If the initial of a child’s
life takes place as a result of uncontrolled sexual desire and its
prenatal rights are not respected, it will inherit sensual tendencies.
The fact that it is recorded in the Gospels, with great clearness and
emphasis, that “Joseph knew not Mary until after Jesus was born,” has a
redemptive significance for the human family of which but few
theologians have ever caught a glimpse.
=What is the difference between impotence and sterility in man?=--The
first is an inability to perform the act of coition. A sterile man may
be able to perform the act of coition, but his semen contains no sperm
cells, or at least, no healthy sperm cells. The first could become a
father, if he could perform the act of coition; the second can perform
the act, but cannot become a father.
=What are the causes of impotency?=--The inability to consummate marriage
is very rare. Venereal disease is the chief cause of impotency.
Malformation of parts from birth or accident, self-abuse, obesity and
the use of opium are other causes. In many cases impotency can be cured.
Where a man knows himself to be impotent he should not marry. Wives have
a contempt and a most perfect aversion for impotent husbands.
=What are the causes of sterility in man?=--Sterility is much more common
than impotency. Venereal disease is the most common cause. Excessive
secret sin may temporarily deprive the semen of its fecundating power.
Some malformation of parts is sometimes responsible.
=Is the wife ever incapable of coition?=--Very rarely. Excessive
sensitiveness of the parts is the most common cause. In such cases,
which are very rare, the sexual act would be so painful as to be wholly
unbearable. Such cases require medical treatment. The sooner it is
begun, the better. A very rigid hymen, or the vagina being partly absent
from birth, or grown together from an accident, may make coition
impossible. In the first and last case a surgical operation can remove
the difficulty. Eighty per cent. of sterile wives, are due to gonorrheal
infection received from their husbands who thought themselves cured.
=Should husband and wife sleep together or in separate beds?=--In many
cases, owing to lack of self-control, it would be better for them to
sleep in separate beds. If there is no other reason why they should
sleep apart, and they have self-control, it would be better to sleep in
the same bed.
=Are women as passionate as men?=--Centuries, of the double standard of
morals, have established by heredity, more of passion in man than exists
in the average woman. Among the lower animals, except where they have
been forced into polygamy by man, the male controls himself fully as
easily as does the female. Many women do not feel any sexual excitement
whatever, others only to a limited degree. This is doubly true of women
during pregnancy, and lactation. Most normal women seek sexual
gratification to please their husbands or out of a desire for
motherhood. There are some women who have inherited or acquired strong
sensual natures.
=Should coition take place during the menses?=--Absolutely no. For
sanitary and hygienic reasons, if no other.
=What is the “climacteric” period, or the “change of life” in a
woman?=--This occurs between forty and forty-nine years of age. It
usually covers a period of from two to five years. The menstrual flow
often occurs every few days. This is often a critical period in a
woman’s life. When this is completed they are sterile, or incapable of
reproduction.
=Should sexual relations take place during the “change of life”?=--For
sanitary reasons, it should not. For the hygienic reason, that it would
most likely cause flooding, it should not.
=Is there a corresponding period in a man’s life?=--Yes. It usually occurs
some five or ten years later and is more gradual. If he is well
preserved he does not become impotent or sterile. The sexual appetite
begins to abate and they no longer experience perfect erection. There
are also physical changes taking place that make this period a crisis in
his life. Certain brain affections, sometimes resulting in unexpected
death, is due to sexual indulgence at this time. Many men do not know,
that if they are to have a beautiful sunset, they must conserve their
sexual life.
=Is there any way to determine the sex of a child?=--This is evidently
governed by some definite law, which has not been discovered. Many
theories have been advanced, but none are generally accepted.
=What is the best season of the year for conception to take place?=--In
the spring. A larger per cent. of the children are healthy and
long-lived than when the initial of their lives occur at other times.
=What is the difference between an abortion and a miscarriage?=--- The
first is where the expulsion of the fetus is willfully produced; the
other where it is purely an accident.
=Is abortion ever justifiable?=--Only when it is done to save the life of
the mother.
=What are some of the causes of miscarriage?=--Intercourse during
pregnancy and nursing a child after conception are the chief causes. The
child should be weaned as soon as a mother suspects pregnancy. Venereal
diseases, straining at stool, over-exertion, physical accidents and ill
health may sometimes cause miscarriage.
=When does life begin in a child?=--At conception. It is as much a crime
to destroy the life of a fetus one day old as it is after its movements
are felt.
=Is it possible to lessen the inconvenience of pregnancy and the pain of
child-birth?=--Yes. Avoid all tight lacing; eat chiefly a diet of
cereals, fruit and vegetables; take light, regular open-air exercise, of
which walking is best, and have little or no intercourse during the
time. Tight lacing has been the chief cause of the inconvenience and
pain experienced by civilized woman.
NINTH DIVISION
MORAL, SOCIAL AND REFORM TOPICS