Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-14
AN ARGUMENT FOR ATHEISTS.
REV. DIR. ROBERTS DISCUSSES THE
BIBLE FOR LEARNERS.
He Says to Deny God as Revealed in
the Bible Ii an Act of WOrship-
Believes in Jehovah for Whom
Apology Ii Unnecessary.

Church of This World, discussed the Bible
for Learners" at his service yesterday
morning at the Coates opera house. Among
other things he said:
"As a revelation of God the Bible is a
resistless argument for atheism. The being
which 1t reveals is a monster. To deny Him
is an act of worship. If idolatry in itself is
wrong, what must be said of the idolatrous
regard for a book which represents God as
a being before whom goodness must shud-
der and reason revolt? The atrocities re-
corded in the Bible and attributed to God
have been many times pointed out.
The Bible learner must assure himself
that the Bible does not reveal God. It
does not pretend to. 1t reveals only an an
Gent peoples thought of God. a conception
which. intrenched behind religious rite and
symbol, is doing more than anything else
to bring religion into odium and contempt.
The old gods are passing and he is a friend
and helper Of religion who speeds their
going. The Bible learner must remember
that 1t Is not God who Is on trial. Yelled
forever in mystery the Unknown cannot be
criticised. 1t is but the old conception of
God that is called to account. The Bible
learner must furthermore assure himself
that the ancient Jews were not the ones
upon whom rests the blame. That old peo-
pie did the best they could. We cannot
criticise the people of any past who lived
without blame in the darkness they could
n nfn aispei; The blame rests upon the peo-
for the imperfect God of that past day. The
human conception of GOO can never be any
The God Of the savage mind viii be a saw.
age God. The God and man cannot pass
their savagery. barbarism and rudeness up
the Sod of the breechcloth and wal paint.
Christianity has not vestmentS enough to
cover His nakednes or conceal His defor-
Tina lhI oft h.
calmly attributing them to God without the
pretense of an apology or the virtue of a
u~nspeakable enormity and surpass in atroc-
ity anything in the history Of God or men.
Does anyone believe these things are the
revelation of God? Must one to be religious
worship a being like that? Does He take
sides when men are at war and loading
me invisible air with missiles forged by the
combatants? If He does, then why did He
not throw an ice house on General Wey-
ieyi lt USED to be a part of the training
with these marvellous providences of God.
When the believers In the Bible were con-
s1stent and honest and fearless, as they
two ago, there were primers, Bible and
tract primers, illustrating by picture and
Ieciting in simple language the marvellous
dealings Of God with His chosen people. |
was carefully instructed in those things. |
l remember a picture Of one of the Bible
scenes where Cora, who was displeasing !
TO JehoVah. advancing at the time with an
army. was suddenly swallowed up by the
earth. The picture showed the hosts armed |
snd o Snleids and spears; there were horses
hupS n spokes; the uniform that the
soldiers wore was highly colored; the whole |
thing was vivid, and Jehovah had Simply
parted the earth underneath their feet and
the picture showed them sinking with their
helpless hands extended. grasping at the
earth was safs shutting aR1a the aege SIZES I to and crd ahs
and blend the hosts with dust. 1 was |
90 years old before I was able to get away
Of times, night and day, the Wis
lon of that thing, and the thought possibly
the earth might open beneath my own feet
who think that children ought to 20 and
learn these things at a Sunday school. I
would rather my children would go fish
II believe that the opportunity of honest
is u~nspeakably helpful to re-
llgion and progress. far more so than is
Will believe in a God for whom no apol-
ogy is necessary. When I begin to apol-
o ogi1 reva aos q ai God shall shall cease TO- worship
VINO IN all the past has been stainless of
every crime. I will believe in a God who
never, never thirsted for the blood Of His
oWn' or any other MANS, son. I will be-
leVc IN a God for whose world no miracle
was ever necessary but the perpetual mir
aeie Or life and light and Transformation
or at any time in the future, one cruelty, !
one atrocity., one shameful thing is at.
:ributed to that Being I will say that is }
lot knowing. in the security and the cour- !
lge OF frank confession Of ignorance. I }
;annot tell, or be compelled to try to ,
md claw. 1 do not know, I cannot be
to try to know. or to explain ,
ne mystery of suffering and pallid wonder J
lad rather be here and love and joy and !
ufer, than not to have come at ali, and )
VIII believe that whatever God may be }
lie is a. being in whose infinite and wave =.
ess calm any acts of ours may have !
ONE; He Is best pleased with that service )
his children which is expressed in )
lealth and haDDineSS 1oya opd io,. Z