The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-01-21
EVOLUTION
Its Bearings Upon Religion and
Morality.

4
of evolution was necessarily atheist
ic, that to accept it was to exclude
God from the universe 1t was also
believed that according to this
theory man could no longer be re-
garded as occupyinga peculiar place
in the animal world, but became
a mere incident in an endless and
purposeleSs series OF cosmical
changes. That great theological
school should ever come to espouse
the cause of evolution seemed utter
ly preposterous. 1t would be q
quick way of bringing the world to
an evil end.
| This universal prejudice was large
| ly created by newspaper misrepre-
sentations. 1t has been the fate OF
all science in its infancy since print.
ing was invented We may take
courage, however, for the public
school has come nobly to the rescue.
Intelligence is spreading among the
masses. Bigotry is giving way to
fair mindedness. The decree has
gone forth: Ignorance and super
stition shall no more cucumber the
earth +" The illusion that evolution
implies atheism is everywhere Civ
ing way to the truth that, so far
from being atheistic, it is in direct
antagonism to those tendencies
which would undermine the founda-
tions of society and morality.
Let us emphasize that there is no
conflict between evolution and re-
lgion. The foundations upon which
the religious aspirations rest can
never be shaken, and this is nowhere
more firmly maintained than among
those who accept fully the evolution
theory, Even between evolution
and theology there is no conflict;
else how could theological schools
endorse it2 1t is between evolution
and theological mythology that the
conflict is on; between evolution and
those primitive, barbaric theories
which originated in the days when
men were alike ignorant OF natural
phenomena and of the requirements
of valid scientific hypothesis. A
spirit of careful inquiry has been
| fostered in the modern school lab
oratory, and it is this spirit which
is calling into question the dogmas
of the age. The demand is being
made that the tenets of all schools
shall submit to the test OF rigid
scientific analysis. The theory of
evolution has been able to stand this
test. But in all this it is to be
noted that the foundations of reli
gion are not once assailed. On the
contrary. religion has found in the
theory of evolution powerful ally.
Prejudice must vanish in the light
Of this truth. Let US hope that the
twentieth century will see the uni
versal triumph Of evolution as it has
already triumphed in the world of
scientific thought.
In the few words we shall say here
it is not intended to expound the
theory OF evolution, not even to de-
fend it as theory. We only offer
a few suggestions by way of clear
ing it of two charges mentioned in
our opening lines. We would in
sist that it by no means opposes the
idea of God in the universe. We
would insist, also, that it's tendency
is not to debase, but to exalt, hu-
manity. Ours is a position that
must be defended If we would justify
the fact that this theory is taught
today in our public schools; that
even in the theological world it is
no longer regarded as occupying de-
batable ground.
First, then, evolution is not god,
but process, mode OF divine ac-
tion. In accepting the theory of
evolution we accept nothing more
than that God, in bringing about
the manifold manifestations OF life
which we see, has acted and is still
acting in a certain definite way and
in accordance with a certain definite
plan. How baseless is the assertion
that it is tantamount to atheism.
Without God there could be no such
thing as evolution The theory Of
evolution is founded on the hypothe
sis that there is q God. 1t is es-
sentially theistic.
Now, we learn Gods ways by OBJ
serving nature. Natures ways are
Gods ways. Through ages OF
critical observation it has been de