Marriage and Parenthood: Their Ideals and Dangers
On 20 march 1918, Arthur Conan Doyle was invited by the National Council of Public Morals to a series of conferences on "Marriage and Parenthood: Their Ideals and Dangers" at the Caxton Hall, Westminster (London).
The event was held during two days, 20 and 21 march, with 7 conferences but Conan Doyle was only present on 20 march afternoon as a speaker for the conference "The Future of Marriage".
Conferences
- 20 march 1918
- The Ethics of Marriage
- The Future of Marriage (with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
- 21 march 1918
- A Ministry of Health
- Ethics of the Prevention of Venereal Diseases
- Civics of Parenthood
- Economics of Parenthood
- Ethics of Parenthood
Attendees
For 20 march afternoon "The Future of Marriage"
- President : Dr. Mary Scharlieb
- Speakers :
- Bishop Welidon
- Lady Falmouth
- Lady Ruckar
- Professor H. Gollancz
- Father Bernard Vaughan
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Conan Doyle Views
Report from The Daily Mirror
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle declared that in cases of extreme cruelty and continued drunkenness, where the home was made a living hell, no law of God or man was meant to say that women and children should endure such martyrdom.
"If we have got 200,000 graves in France, as we have got, what we want is 200,000 cradles in England," he added, amid applause.
"I am out to get a large number of people married who cannot at present marry on account of our preposterous law." (Hear, hear.)
"Again and again in the past the Church had taken the literal meaning of the Bible. The Mosaic law of divorce was a scandalously weak law."
Sources
Announcement
- Marriage and Parenthood (13 march 1918, The Times)
Report
- Betrothal Service Before Marriage (21 march 1918, The Daily Mirror)
- Plighted Vows in Church (21 march 1918, Daily Express)
