434
July 1927
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
that must believe every word or throw the whole thing away; from the tragedy of discovering that they must choose between what science: teaches and what their church has taught them. “The place to begin this work is with the little children. The little child has a right to the beautiful stories of the Bible. . . . . “When Bible stories are told, they should be told exactly as other stories are told, with no sug gestion that they are in a class by themselves. . . . Let us select those hero tales and stories of action that will make the strongest appeal. Make clear that the Hebrews thought they were a chosen people and that their God was always on their side. What do we think about it? Distinguish very clearly be tween what happened in those far away days and what the writers thought happened. Are junior chil dren up to such thinking? Many of them are, and if we do not talk it over with them, either they will come to believe that the Bible is something you do not think about anyway, something they try to put over on you in Sunday School that has no relation to present-day life, or, far worse, they will believe God does really love some people better than others, • and will do any terrible thing to give those' He loves success. As we tell stories about Jesus, emphasize the human and the heroic. Never try to arouse admiration by stories of miracles. “With the beginning of adolescence, if it has not been forced upon you before, the question must be faced, ‘Is the Bible true?’ It is not a question to answer with yes or no, nor one to be dismissed without an answer. Teach what a myth is arid show how truth is taught by myths. Show how all that men tell Or write is colored by what they are and what they think. Show how tradition was passed on and on, how mythical elements would inevitably be added, and how at last traditions, laws, bits of older writing, were all combined in the books we now have, called the Old Testament. Next give a pic ture of the men who wrote the Gospels, just every day men who had the stupendous task of describing the most wonderful personality the world has ever seen. Make the first aim to show that, whatever theory of miracles one may hold, nothing can change the miracle of Jesus’ life." S c r ew s L oose i n t h e L ogic There you have it—and it would seem to be the only consistent action for Modernists to take|4-but the logic of the whole argument is destroyed by the closing sen tence in italics. The writer still hopes to cling to Jesus Christ Himself as a miracle; in fact, the ablest of skeptical critics have been compelled to acknowledge that the per son of Christ remains a great mystery in history and that He is the one absolute exception to the experience of mankind. He Himself was a miracle; they admit it— then set themselves to the task of getting rid of His miracles. Wouldn’t it be a miracle if He who was Himself a miracle should have performed no miracles ij^-the most extraordinary man of history performing no extraordin ary works? One puts it—“As well expect the sun to send forth darkness as to expect' ordinary works from such an extraordinary Being.” And considering such power as He has held for 1900 years and still possesses over the souls of men—why is it a thing unthinkable that He should have had power over the lesser sphere of the body when He was here upon earth ? And again—if Jesus lived a “miraculous life,” did He teach falsehood? Why did He repeat the Old Testament stories as truth and assert that every jot and every tittle of the law, the Psalms, and the prophets was the Word of the living God—if they were but myth and folklore ? Or was He subject to popular superstitions of His day—and if (Continued bottom next page)
The Defenders’ Column
Notes by
Managing Editor
“Above all, takinA the shield o f faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts o f the wicked. And take the helmet o f sal vation, and the sword o f the Spirit, which is the word o f God.“
How th e Modernist Would Teach Children OR a long time Modernists have not hesitated to be very outspoken in the presence of adults, but for some reason have been very reticent in expressing their views to the young, especially children. Many Sunday School teachers and parents affiiliated with Modernist churches, although they . have given up belief in the integrity of the Scriptures, have proceeded to tell and read the old Bible Stories to the children. As they have looked into the faces of little folks, something seems to have deterred many from tell ing the Bible stories as they would tell mere fairy stories. Not for the world would they let the little ones know that, in their own thinking, these Bible incidents were no more to be trusted than the fairy tales. They have continued to impress these young minds tha't these stories came from a Book altogether different from other books, although they well knew that in later years the cat would have to be let out of the bag. Can it be that there has lingered in the minds of many of these drifters from the Faith, .something of the solemn word of Jesus Christ: “Whoso shall cause to stumble one o f these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he Were drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” (Matt. 18:6-7). May it even be that they hoped that the disillusioning might be done at other hands than their own ? Yet how hypocritical is the whole procedure! While the child is a tender twig, straighten him. “Teach him truth in the April of his understanding lest the frost of May nip his blossoms.” Why solemnly teach him things at this formative period, which he will later have to unlearn, perhaps at the cost of driving him not only to utter loss of confidence in those who have first instructed him, but into the blackness of despair? Now P r o po se to P la y F a ir Some Modernists are evidently awakening to the dis honesty of the whole method. Here is what an article in “The Christian Leader” (Boston) said in the January 1927 issue : “If our church does not teach its young people a rational interpretation of the Scriptures, are we not derelict to our duty ? I f our teachers are able to teach from the standpoint of the modern inter pretation, we ought to be able to save our young people from some very disastrous experiences—from that superstition that is afraid of new interpretations,
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