The reader may recall that famous list of fifty-one scientific facts pub lished by the French Academy of Science in 1861, all of which contra dicted some statement of the Scrip ture. Years have gone by, and not one word of the Bible has been changed, but in that time, the knowledge of science so increased, and altered, that there is not a living man of science today who holds one of those fifty- one so-called facts that were at one time advanced in refutation of the in spiration of the Scripture! A careful review of these years would show that a fiercer battle has raged between schools of scientific in terpretation than ever existed be tween the diverse camps of varying denominational beliefs. We feel confident that it should be easy to establish the harmony of sci ence and Scripture. In four simple but clear propositions, we would summa rize a great deal of evidence which, if given in detail, would fill many vol umes. The first proposition is that the Bible does contain scientific truth even though its facts are stated in non- scientific language. Some time ago we heard of a very learned gentleman who repudiated the fact of the scien tific accuracy of the Scripture. He based his entire attitude of mind upon (Continued on Page 20) The Bible States Scientific Truth
case perfectly. Science is growing, but we would like to reply to you, sir, in the language of the hillbilly of the South, ‘ Science may be growing, but the Bible is done growed’ !” This erudite man of science looked up with quick interest and said, “Meaning what?” “Meaning,” we replied, “ that for a growing science to criticize a fully grown revelation would have some thing of the audacity of a seven-year- old boy telling a seventy-year-old man how to grow up. It just isn’t done that way, you know!” By every technique that is accept able, we test the lesser by the greater. This modern craze to test Scripture by science, however, would reverse the natural order. When science is grown up and has achieved its majority, and has demonstrated its own infallibility, we may then be ready to test the Bible by science. At the present time this proceeding is wrong, and we should reverse the technique. We have come to that place in our thinking, after twenty-five years of research on this subject, where we are willing to admit that where science. and the Bible are in utter harmony, that agreement establishes the certainty of that science! We must not forget that there are errors in scientific thought. The opin ions of scientists change so rapidly that it is reported that the library of the Louvre, in Paris, contains three and one-half miles of bookshelves, holding volumes of science that have become obsolete in fifty years! What is this thing we are worship ing but a vain repetition of what de cayed nations fell down and worshiped just before their light went out? Read the history of Rome in decay, and you will find luxury there that could lay a big dollar over our little dough nut that looks so large to us. Great wealth never made a nation substantial nor honorable. There is nothing on earth that looks good that is so dangerous for a man or a na tion to handle as quick, easy, big money. If you do resist its deadly influence, the chances are it will get your son. It takes greater and finer heroism to dare to be poor in Amer ica than to charge an earthworks in Korea.— Wall Street Journal.
word, “ apple” in connection with Adam’s fall. The text in Genesis sim ply says, “ fruit,” and there are many varieties o f fruit that grow in Meso potamia. The young lady replied, after con siderable lapse of time, by saying, “ I cannot find the verse in Genesis that says it was an apple, but I am possi- tive it was an apple, because my Sun day School teacher told me so!” This scientific society, however, is not pay ing one hundred dollars for what some Sunday School teacher may think about the text of the Scripture! Their proposition is clear, simple, sincere, and explicit. Wherever there is a clear statement of fact in the Scripture, the ultimate conclusions o f science will demonstrate that fact beyond any shadow o f a doubt. Some years ago, the late Dr. E. E. Slosson, one o f the outstanding men of science in our generation, wrote an interesting little book entitled, The Sermons of a Chemist. In the fore word to his book, Dr. Slosson said, “ Science is moulting, and right now it looks funny. But I wish that we could get the world to realize that this changing phase of science is an evi dence of growth and not decay.” That is a thought-provoking state ment, perfectly expressed. Some time later, when we shared a platform with Dr. Slosson, we called his attention to this sentence from the introduction to his interesting book. He smiled when his memory stirred, and said, “ I still feel that way.” We said, “ Dr. Slosson, that statement covers the What America needs more than railway extension, and western irri gation, and a low tariff, and a bigger wheat crop, and a merchant marine and a navy, is a revival of piety, the kind mother and father used to have . . . piety that counted it good busi ness to stop for daily family prayers before breakfast, right in the middle of the harvest; that quit work a half-hour earlier Thursday night so as to get the chores done and go to prayer meeting ; that borrowed money to pay the preacher’s salary, and prayed fervently in secret for the salvation of the rich man who looked with scorn on such unbusinesslike behavior. That is what we need now to clean this country of the filth of graft and of greed, petty and big.
Wall StreetSeesNeedOfPiety
Washington Monument, Washington, D. C. Page Nine
F E B R U A R Y . 1 9 5 1
Made with FlippingBook Annual report