The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1900-05-11
a n Alarming Religious Crisis.

soon terminate or suffer q material
change. In this age of progress scien
t;hc discoveries aud inventions, scienc ,
seems to be running a very close race
with religion, in fact We might say
that science has with a great many
supplanted the Bible with reference
tto the creation or rather formation of
the earth. Oar chill lrenS are now be
ing taught in the Biographies used in
al of the school. of ftc-1ay that the
earth was not made ia the manner
taught in the Bible; but on the con,
trary was the result of natural causes,
a red hot ball launched into space,
by who's, rapid revolutions underwent
a cooling process t. us f,rming a crust
vf rock, which rock in tn, thousands
of years weathcred and become soil,
and by this cooling process like
roasted apple with its crrmpled sur.
face are the elevations and deprs ssions,
bills, mountains and valleys.
Some writer in contradiction of the
Bible story of how Moses and the
children of Israel crossed the Il ID sea,
says that it was no miracle, but that
the waters of the Red sea at that rar.
ticular place, like the ebb and fl Nv OF
tie tide, periodically separated aud
left a roadway Of dry land as it were,
and Moses with his peop'e reached it
in time and crossed in safety, but
Pnaro was a little too late. But the
nost startling and alarming announce
ment is that made by DIR. Harper,
one Of the most intellectual tf ito
younger Baptist leaders Of The present
day and the head of that great 3 ,p-
tist. educational insti;uti IN, Chic4g,
University, when he says that the
story of The creation as told in tue
Bible is fable, ii. on'y fer children.
There sr. doubt!ess many other min
listers of bis faith aud Of diff .rent
faith, who believe as he does. M
urally Df. Harper's views are current
in the institution Of which he is the
president, his opportunity f,r dissent
mating lis views all the greater aud
the consequences all the more disas-
trors.
DR.. Parkhurst and d.. HILLS, tw,
of the nhises nItuis:crs Of the Presby-
terian church, by their radical de-
parture from the doctrine of that
church are guilty of heroay.
The doctrine which they have S
ably advocated in the past years Of
their pastoratr, they now hold up to
public gaz, as absurd and Ridiculous
ali this, to our mind, is but the re-
suit Of too great and an unwarrantei
resca 'cb, culture, (which is a poor
substitute for Christ" The doubts
expressed by these eminent divines
that the Bible is the inspired word of
G. ID is an evic ence OF culture. such as
destroys the simple faith of the
Christian believer. Uf all the Pro
tcsiant denominations the Baptist and
Preshyterians have been the most
strict il reqliring an absolute ad
herenco to the belief in the Bible Il:
the inspired word tf Goa, and ye
these expounders Of II word dare say
at this late day, that there is doub
about the Bible bsing inspired
Shame on such men who woul fair
hide behind their culture, their elo
qreEce. These views are bat the ia
initiative to the propagating Of a nev
doctrine which must be apace will
This age of intellectual activity.
The ACTIVITY displayed by TIT
clergy in pronouncing the Bible al
uninspired work and accounting fo
the miracles related in the Bible upol
scientific ptiuoi2 2les and taeori 3 is bu
The fnrerunntr OF the downfall Of tn
Chris.ion religion. This greatest O
ali nations like the arcients who hac
reached the climax In scieace, sn,
then went back, back TO darkness
those nations tc whom the gospel O
Christ is now being preached by th
mission q aries from this great nation O
America, The Uuited States will i
the next century be s,nIing thci
missionaries to us to try to lea u
back t, that filth snI knowledg
from which we are p)w so veTy reaait
r2trograding. Tho Methodist so f.
is the only one Of the Protestant dc
nominations thct has made no sue
radical departures. Not long since
bishop aai to sHme young prohationer
"If you don't believe onr doctrine W
don't want you" The ministers {
this church are sent to t!c differsn
fields Of labor by tho Acnual Cor
ference, aud they 60 whether the pa
be much or LITTLE. This method mo:
closely resembles Christ's iiianctio