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GENERATION?
(Continued from page JO)
Woolworth jewelry, when what
they really crave is the pearls of a
heart-warming, Spirit-firing Chris–
tian experience!
The Sinful " Don' ts"
Religion has come to be consid–
ered, by these youngsters the old–
sters condemn, as a dark, gloomy,
profitless, penance-paying life. The
average adolescent's conception of
Christianity is a ·whole flock of
"Don'ts," beginning with capital
Ds. The churches shout "Don't
dance," "Don't play cards," "Don't
go to movies," "Don't bob your
hair," "Don't smoke." The church
offers no alternative. Christianity is
viewed as a sort of living painful
penance.
Instead of something that makes
one happy-instead of something
that would feed those cold, empty,
hungry hear ts-religion is pictured
as something gloomy, foreboding,
paínful and cold and as silly and
superstitious.
When Jesus ascended into heav–
en, he promised that the Comforter
would come. And he promised that
"ye shall receive
POWER
after
that the Holy Spirit is come upon
you." The apostles were
FULL
of
power,
and fire, and vigor and
interest, after tbe day of Pentecost.
What's become of that POWER?
What have men done with the
heart-warming, soul-satisfying
Comforter that Christ sent down
from heaven? That's what our
young people are really seeking.
But they don't know it, and it
seems there's no one to tell them,
or lead the way!
What Parents Do n 't Know
Now what about the outside
influences? The automobi le. The
movie. The cabaret, the night club
and the speak-easy? The dance
hall. The social affairs of high
school and college? These have
degenerated into artificial , devil–
inspired outlets that are doing in a
false way what the churches and
the bornes have fai led to do in a
right and healthy way- ministering
36
to the passion of modern youth for
an interna! warming-up.
1 know something of the modern
conditions from first-hand investi–
gation. And while
1
realize full well
that the average parent of middle
age or past will never believe what
is actual fact and truth-it is my
convict ion that Judge Ben B. Lind–
sey," while offering a dangerous
solution, presents at the same time
a really true and accurate picture of
the moral status of the young folk
of today. The real shocking results
take place, of course, under cover.
Most older people refuse to believe
the real truth . J udge Lindsey is in
position to know. Listen to a few
br ief excerpts from bis book
The
Revolt of Modern Youth.
On the testimony of thousands of
high school students-average stu–
dents, including all
classes-more
than
90
percent
of all the youth
who go to parties, attend dances
and ride together in automobiles,
indulge in hugging and kissing.
"Sorne girls," says Judge Lindsey,
" insist on this kind of thing from
boys they go with, and are as
aggressive, in a subtle way, in their
search for such thrills as are the
boys themselves."
A certain very beautiful and
spirited girl told tbe judge frankly
that she refused to go out with a
certain boy because he lacked pep,
and d idn't know how, as she put it,
to "love me up." "Do all the boys
do such things nowadays?" asked
the judge. "Of course they do," she
retorted.
"If
they don't, there is
something wrong with them."
But there is another type in the
flapper wor ld-quite numerous and
common-not at all oversexed, but
who nevertheless permits promjs–
cuous liberties. He quotes the con–
versation of such a typical girl–
extraordinarily keen and intelli–
gent--of well-to-do and apparently
good parents . She is unusually
attractive to boys. She is a typical
flapper- glib, slangy, sarcastic,
cynical. She permits occasional
kissing, because it's expected.
19 27 Teenage Slang
"But don't you resent the way they
dance?" asked the judge.
"Oh, you mean the button-shin-
ing?" she asked casually. "Not at
al!. Close dancing affects sorne
girls-but it never has any effect
on me."
"There is a common impression
to the contrary," observed the
judge.
"I know there is," she carne back
crisply. "All the old killjoys and
weeping-willows in the country
think the dirt that is in their own
minds. That's the way
they'd
feel;
and how they do envy us the
thoughts we don?t think!"
"But- -" the judge began.
"l'm telling you the truth," she
went on. "Most of us girls don't get
any special thrill out of close danc–
ing. We do get a thrill out of danc–
ing itself; and we go to parties with
these young crumpet munchers and
snuggle pups because we like to
· dance, and for no other reason."
"And the- er-crumpet munch–
ers?" the judge asked, trying to
snap the words out the way she
did.
"They
dance for the kick they
get out of it," she said promptly.
"In the dancing?"
"Yes, in the dancing- holding
the girl
el
ose, you know. And after–
ward, in petting, heavy necking and
other things, if she'll stand for it. 1
don't."
1 have quoted this conversation
in detail , because it is a fair sample
of the kind of language employed
by high school pupils of today,
especially in the cities, and it is
absolutely typical of the prevailing
situation.
He ll-ben t?
Are the youngsters hell-bent? Lis–
ten to sorne of the judge's statistics
and estimates, based upon, beyond
doubt, the best information avail–
able in the United States.
Says Judge Lindsey:
"At least
50 percent
of tbose who begin with
hugging and kiss ing (and tbat is 90
percent of all higb school pupi ls) do
not restrict tbemselves to that, but
go furtber, and indulge in other sex
liberties, which, by all the conven–
tions, are outrageously improper–
halfway sex intimacies that wreck
the health and morals alike." And
the judge continues that "15 per–
cent to 25 percent of those wbo
The PLAIN TRUTH