LAW OF REPRODUCTION.

Population of the Globe.

— 2. Succession and improvement of the races. — 3. Obstacles to reproduction. — 4. Marriage and celibacy. — 5. Polygamy.

Population of the Globe.

Is the reproduction of living beings a law of Nature?

“Evidently.

Without reproduction the corporeal world would perish.”

The population always increasing in the growing progression that we observe, will there come a time when it becomes excessive on the Earth?

“No, God provides for that and always maintains the equilibrium. He does nothing useless.

Man, who sees only one corner of the picture of Nature, cannot judge the harmony of the whole.” Succession and improvement of the races.

There are, at this moment, human races that are evidently declining. Will there come a moment when they will have disappeared from the Earth?

“So it shall indeed come to pass. It is that others will have taken their place, as others one day will take that of yours.”

Do present-day men form a new creation, or are they the improved descendants of the primitive beings?

“They are the same Spirits who have returned, to improve themselves in new bodies, but who are still far from perfection.

Thus, the present human race, which, by its growth, tends to invade the whole Earth and to replace the races that are dying out, will have its phase of decline and disappearance. It will be replaced by other, more improved races, which will descend from the present one, as the civilized men of today descend from the brutish and savage beings of primitive times.”

From the physical point of view, are the bodies of the present race of a special creation, or do they proceed from the primitive bodies by means of reproduction? “The origin of the races is lost in the night of time. But, as they all belong to the great human family, whatever may have been the stock of each one, they were able to ally themselves with one another and produce new types.”

From the physical point of view, what is the distinctive and dominant character of the primitive races?

“The development of brute force, at the expense of intellectual force.

Now the contrary occurs: man does more by intelligence than by the strength of the body. Nevertheless, he does a hundred times more, because he has known how to take advantage of the forces of Nature, which the animals do not manage to do.”

Would the improvement of the animal and vegetable races by Science be contrary to the law of Nature? Would it be more in keeping with that law to let things follow their normal course?

“Everything must be done to attain perfection, and man himself is an instrument of which God makes use to reach his ends.

Perfection being the goal toward which Nature tends, to favor that perfection is to correspond to the views of God.” a — But, generally, the efforts that man employs to obtain the improvement of the races spring from a personal sentiment and aim at nothing but the increase of his enjoyments. Does this not diminish his merit?

“What does it matter that his merit is nil, provided the progress is accomplished?

It is up to him to make his work meritorious, by the intention.

Besides, by means of that work, he exercises and develops his intelligence, and it is in this respect that he draws the greatest profit.” Obstacles to reproduction.

Are the human laws and customs that have as their aim or effect the creation of obstacles to reproduction contrary to the law of Nature?

“Everything that hinders Nature in its march is contrary to the general law.”

a — Nevertheless, there are species of living beings, animals and plants, whose indefinite reproduction would be harmful to other species and of which man himself would end up being the victim. Does he commit a reprehensible act by preventing that reproduction?

“God has granted to man, over all living beings, a power of which he must make use, without abusing it. He may, then, regulate reproduction, in accordance with the needs. He must not oppose it without necessity.

The intelligent action of man is a counterweight that God has arranged to reestablish the equilibrium among the forces of Nature, and it is again this that distinguishes him from the animals, because he acts with knowledge of cause.

But the animals themselves also contribute to the existence of that equilibrium, inasmuch as the instinct of destruction that has been given to them brings it about that, providing for their own preservation, they impede the excessive, perhaps dangerous, development of the animal and vegetable species on which they feed.” [357.]

What should one think of the practices whose effect consists in impeding reproduction, for the satisfaction of sensuality?

“That proves the predominance of the body over the soul and how material man is.”

Marriage and celibacy.

Would marriage that is, the permanent union of two beings be contrary to the law of Nature?

“It is a progress in the march of Humanity.”

What effect would the abolition of marriage have upon human society?

“It would be a regression to the life of the animals.”

The state of nature is that of the free and fortuitous union of the sexes.

Marriage constitutes one of the first acts of progress in human societies, because it establishes fraternal solidarity and is observed among all peoples, although under diverse conditions.

The abolition of marriage would therefore be to regress to the infancy of Humanity and would place man even below certain animals that give him the example of constant unions.

Is the absolute indissolubility of marriage in the law of Nature, or only in human law?

“It is a human law very much contrary to that of Nature.

But men can modify their laws; only those of Nature are immutable.”

Does voluntary celibacy represent a meritorious state of perfection in the eyes of God?

“No, and those who live thus, out of egoism, displease God and deceive the world.”

On the part of certain persons, is celibacy not a sacrifice that they make with the aim of devoting themselves, in a more complete manner, to the service of Humanity?

“That is very different. I said: out of egoism [see the previous answer].

Every personal sacrifice is meritorious, when made for the good. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the merit.”

It is not possible for God to contradict himself, nor to find bad what he himself has made. No merit, therefore, can there be in the violation of his law.

But, if celibacy, in itself, is not a meritorious state, the same does not hold when it constitutes, by the renunciation of the joys of the family, a sacrifice practiced on behalf of Humanity.

Every personal sacrifice, having in view the good and without any egoistic idea, raises man above his material condition. Polygamy.

Does the numerical equality that more or less exists between the sexes constitute an indication of the proportion in which they should unite?

“Yes, since everything, in Nature, has an end.”

Which of the two, polygamy or monogamy, is more in keeping with the law of Nature?

“Polygamy is a human law whose abolition marks a social progress.

Marriage, according to the views of God, must be founded on the affection of the beings who unite.

In polygamy there is no real affection: there is only sensuality.”

If polygamy were in keeping with the law of Nature, it would have to be possible for it to become universal, which would be materially impossible, given the numerical equality of the sexes.

It must be considered as a custom or special legislation appropriate to certain mores, and which social improvement has caused to disappear little by little.