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on their side in any considerable num bers, and they never will be. No More Monkey Business Good for Kentucky! A big bunch of men who stand for the Book on which our country was founded, recently made a big racket about the public school teachers being permitted to teach in fidelity to the school children. A bill was presented to the state legislature making it a criminal offense to teach theories of evolution that derive man from the brute and eliminate God as the Creator of man by direct creative act. A majority in both houses are said to favor the bill. As might be expected, there has been a hot fight over the matter.. Arguments were heard. Several theological professors and liberal preachers plead for the privileges of presenting evolution in the schools. It was claimed that such leg islation would destroy religious free dom. Other speakers contended that religious freedom did not license teach ers to go into schools supported by tax ation and attack the consciences of the pupils on matters that are not religious in their nature. They had no right to teach evolution as an exact science dis proving the Bible, at a time when many eminent scientists repudiate the whole idea. In answer to charges by one pro fessor that such a bill was un-American, one minister pointed out that the chief text-books being used were all written by Germans or men educated in Ger many. He pointed, out that the pro fessor had read telegrams and letters from men favoring evolution, and that practically all of these men were re puted atheists. The opposers of the bill, strange to say,' plead for religious freedom, as though they counted the theory of evolution a religious creed. Is it not unfortunate that pastors, and professors who receive their salaries for teaching the Bible, should, at this crucial moment, go into a senate cham ber and raise cheir voices for a doc trine which everyone knows is in con flict with the teachings of Scripture throughout? Where Does Blasphemy Begin? The following words from the “ East ern Methodist” are forceful and bear a timely message: “ For professing Christians, even though accepting the results of some destructive criticism, there ought surely to be some limit to their treatment of Christ beyond which even they would regard it as blasphemy. Have they any definition
One Way to Corner Him _A contributor to “Watchword and Truth” was written to by a former par ishioner, who asked his judgment in re gard to calling a certain man to the pastorate of the church to which he had formerly ministered. His reply was sub stantially this: “ I am not sufficiently acquainted with the brother to warrant the expression of an opinion. But I would suggest that you ask him the question: Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God, or, as so many hold nowa days, that it simply contains the Word of God? If he says ‘is,’ other things being satisfactory, call him; but if he says ‘contains,’ you do not want any “ It is coming to be commonly known” says the “ Bible Champion,” “ that high er critics never read conservative books. Nay: it is even whispered that their fol lowers definitely advise their pupils not to do so. Do they fear, as Jewish rab bis do when they forbid the reading of Isaiah, that their pupils will be con vinced by the arguments, and become conservatives too? Like the Jews, they seem to have no use for meshumpmads and are therefore enable to tolerate any other doctrines than their own. Of necessity, then, they cannot or do not, consider conservative scholarship in any of its bearings. No matter how com pletely a conservative may prove a point, his arguments do not exist— for them. They constitute a strictly limit ed mutual admiration society, and the terms of admission are settled. No one who holds to divergent views is worthy of membership; for, verily, they are “ responsible scholars.” They are— re sponsible for much mischief and much shallow thinking and much superficial work.” Rationalists Don’t Like the Name A few months ago a big and pre tentious work appeared from the pen of an ex-monk turned Rationalist, to try and prove that the great intellects of the last three hundred years were not on the side of Revealed Religion. A list of 3000 “ thinkers” covering a period of three centuries was given. Now, some of the parties named, who are' still with us, are publishing pro tests at the use of their names and firmly denying that they are “Rational ists.” The incident calls for caution in accepting the audacious claims often set up by Freethinkers. The great thinkers of the world have never been thing to do with him” Not Looking for Truth
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