July 1927
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
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Was Blood Sacrifice a Prim itive Idea? B y W . B e l l D a w s o n In “The Inspired Bible and Human Opinion”
selves in the light of our superior modern knowledge, what is worthy of acceptance and what is not, it is evi dent that we will always be in uncertainty and at the mercy of every change of Opinion regarding the Bible, as scholarship advances and we deem ourselves more intel lectual and capable of reaching conclusions. Many endeavours have been
URING these years, the doctrine of Evolution has become amazingly widespread, with its theory that man has gradually developed from the lower I Ì m I animals and will continue to improve by his own efforts. This is much more palatable and con- genial to men’s minds than the teaching of Scrip
ture, that in the sight of God we are sinful and wilful; de siring to take our own way and to please ourselves, rather than seeking to do the will of God. In harmony with this theory of the gradual development of human intelligence, the. Higher Critics explain the Bible as the endeavour of men to seek after God; and by pursuing this search to arrive at some meas ure of truth regarding the char acter of God, and His attitude towards mankind. The whole tendency of the Higher Criticism of the Scrip tures is to reduce them to thè heathen level of uncertain in quiry; for the Modernist view is that the Bible-story depicts the gradual endeavour of the best of men to arrive at some knowledge of God. The outcome to which such a view leads is very serious. For if the Bible has thus the same character as the sacred books of other religions, it may be super ior to them, but it is not essen tially different. This under mines the whole basis of Chris tian Missions to the non-Chris tian world. The Mohammedans recognize this distinctly ; and they aré now quoting from the writings of Modernists to show that since the Christian Scrip tures are discredited, the oppor tunity to spread their own Mos lem faith has arrived. Modern-
made to reconcile Modernist views with Christian belief; by holding, for example, that even if large parts of the Bible are untrustworthy, this need not subvert faith in Christ. But when the Bible is examined fairly, it is found to be a con sistent whole, with its , various parts interdependent upon each other. As discussions go for ward, and as the Bible is more carefully looked into, it is therefore becoming more evi dent that compromise is not possible; and a choice must be made between accepting the Bible as it stands, or rejecting and disbelieving it. It will be our endeavour to point out some aspects of Bible truth which make such a choice plainly necessary. , T he N eed of R evelation (1) It is eminently reason able to suppose that God should be able in some way to com municate with intelligent beings • whom He has made; and (2) that if we have any such revela tion from God, it is contained in the Bible. In considering these points, which ought in themselves to be evident, we have further to inquire why it is that there is so much anti pathy to the Scriptures, and so great a desire to explain away the doctrines which they teach and their claim to authority
The Evolution of Religion I F anyone is-in doubt as to where Bruce Barton (author of “The Man Nobody Knows’’ and “The Book Nobody Knows ) stands, his recent article in Colliers, will make it clear. He writes on, “Should Religion be Abolished?" and takes the prevalent modern istic idea that “step by step through the ages” religion has evolved. From the early notions of propitiating God by bloody sacrifices, he attempts to show that man has grown to his present conceptions of God. “It is a tenacious thing, this idea o f bloody sacrifice,” says Mr. Barton. “It still hangs on. Religion to many people is even now some thing that hurts, and God is an unhappy being who will not be appeased or bribed to good conduct except through self-abasement and pain. . . . “But the toughest part of the climb is over. We have achieved civilization, and it looks reasonably secure. We are full-grown men at last and need no myths; let us face the facts.. Again he says: " That experience in the old theology has been labeled ‘the fall of man, but if it was a fall it was a fall forward ,* it was the first great upward step." In the accompanying article, W. Bell Daw son answers this notion that the Old Testa ment is merely the record of man’s gropirigs after God, and shows that we have in God’s Word a divine revelation of the steps in God’s revelation of Himself to men.
. . . ism therefore brings the spread of vital Christianity to a standstill. . These views are also in direct contradiction to the teaching of Scripture that man by his own wisdom and intelligence cannot reach a true knowledge of God. This must come by way of revelation from God Himself. It is thus made clear that the source of spiritual truth is in God, and not the outcome of human research. If then, the Bible is a revelation from God, we have a sure and certain foundation on which to build ; and a definite mes sage of truth to bring before the non-Christian. But if the Scriptures must be placed for judgment before the tribunal of the human mind, that we may decide for our
over our belief and our conduct. If we believe in a Creator, it is surely unreasonable to think of Him as incapable of finding means to communi cate with the beings He has created, or that they on their side should be entirely cut off from the One who made them. If the need for some access to God is acknowledged, which even the creatures made evident, the first question that arises is: What is God’s attitude towards man; favor able or unfavorable? This question is at the basis of all religion, and all worship must be governed by it. But it is a question that man cannot answer, or reason out for himself; more especially as his conscience reproves him
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