Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-29
GENESIS BOON OF MYTHS.
DR.. Hirsch,s Declaration the Sub
iect in Full.

DR.. Hirsch7s Declaration on the Sub
ject in Fall.
believe that the teaching in the Sun
day schools OF to-day is dong more for
the spread Of atheism than any otnst
influence.
ny s..s- Il .ias no sc1et.s.--c t@I~e.
NO trained scholar OF tn.s ceuee.yy be
..e.-- =. - 100000 auliio. snap u tna
:'DelIrI IN TIE literal inspiration OF the
Bible was given up .o.s aeo o. tne ripe
tnIAAtI.
1nsse were some Of the STRIKING state
ments made b. LIZ. tIni.. IAi.s-n. u
his recent S.fMou, IN Hn.ca ne set-u t.is
i>UoA or GeAeslo Is a trsdSure-nULSe OK
my tbs ana ttauit4onS.
Dr. .1irsch belongs to what is styled tns
radical reform Sc.0Ol of EtUts" ie.45lU.a
thought. lie Is pastor OF sinai LUASEe-
cation tRetormed), IN Chicago. 10 th-S
.d..C,uary sltaI cto"uS Loco 20 near t.l@
eloquent spraeer every TIE IL pIeAcAss-
in ais pu4p.t he stcIAes st.a.snt from tae
shoulder. He does not believe IN m.ic-..'
lords irdtnpu 20 cadet S-ROiaEsh-P
ii tLI university OF Germany. ana rlptHel
in thought py Ensatlap.e rea-lHG OF sol
cal and secular history, Dr.. ht1Sch has q
wonderful fund OF information to draw
upon.
L
clared, and still | asu preaching nothing
new When / say TIE BOOK OF Genesis
is book OF myths | am only one mora
who voices the conclusion OF the INST
mature scholarship OF the age. There
are other eXpositors of the Hebrew faith
VINO believe as l do If they are not 80
outspoken it is because they think IL
may be better to let their congregations
ENJOY their traditional reverence Tor Ger
tain things than to bring the light o.
reason too strongly into play aEd destroy
the old celusions.
Credit me with franHness if you will
but | am not the first to proclaim that
Genesis has no historical or ScieDtiEc
value. a a ar or so ago Professor Fred
erick Delitzsch. of the University, of Ber-
Hin, delivered a lecture along this linz.
entitled Bible and Babel Because OF
the prominence OF the writer and the
frankness Of his declaration the lecture
stirred Germany as nothing else religious
had dcre for years
There was a great outcry against Pro-
fessor DelitZsch from orthodox quarters.
but that he had made profound impress
sion on the German mind ard though
was evident when Emperor William sum
moned him to court 10 expati3te furthe:
On his theories. This action on the pars
OF the Emperor was virtual sanction
from the highest secular authority in the
German nation. II meant great dtai
for the higher criticism in Germany
quite literature based or professor
De,itZscn's statements has grown up. and
IL IS DeSOilIlLS more ana LiLOiS PSPN4'''''
His work was an elaborate analysis,
showing wherein the Book OF GeusslS
could not be accepted as literal truth by
reasoning minds.
you please, and lind scientific argument
to the same end. In 1872 a Mr.. smith
it doesn't matter just now about his tirSt
sent by the London Standard
Iigris and t.uphrates: to carry on some
investiSa tons IN which he was interested
as an expert. There he made special
study OF cuneiform tablets and demon
Book of GeEsss and the tablets had 7
common source and represented OLD
Semitic traditions or that Genesis was
a copy of the tablets. or vice versa
Biblical story of Genesis have common
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES traditions of the Sem
tic people. Genesis represents tAe
monotheStic theory OF the creation AMI
lets tell the polythesric idea.
1.-The Scrtptural account OF the flood :
as vulnerable. from the standpoint -
the critical mind. as the Biblical story oI
form tablets helped 70 prove tatle
the experience of Noah and his taHi.y
was myth, pure and SIMPLE Very L.
ly there was food roundabout the coNA-
try of the Euphrates and Tigr!s. There
have been foods there since. indeed
in,,ndaucns We're almost periodical
Bat the idea OF the 6.1 tuSe SGCA az L.'s
children In the Sunday schools maze
been taught TO believe II doesn't h'fIh
with science or history. More myth that
allan interesting myth il you viii 81,
TO be read for entertainment. rot 70 aCd
to the store OF human knowie6Se
Genesis and the suneftoru1 taoiets arg
simply variations on the myth FhHW
mighty combat between hero or gnl
ard a monster of the deep. OF course Shs
monster was conquered in the ere ~
rhe hero Novels and PLAYS have 20 ena
that way to-dav to satisfy the human
conception of thirgs.
."rhe tablets told t7cc6 story. rniHHs
the sthtcal element. The Biblical account
put In the ethical idea Instead or lS-
ting the hero work cut his own Sa,Ea
tior rs the tablets ~! Genesis had I'm
saved by direct prevention OF The t'l'y.
In the Bth'e the food IS set forth as
punishment for the der-av'tv o, the a9~.
end Noah's esraoir~ the fate OF others
iS e-oSitna To hts NAV
Genesis ard science cannot De recon-
ct'sd Irdeed the various chH"tHrs OF
rs,-acis 10 NOT re"o-c''e wf.e "THN ofN"r,
c,->a pa-ts Of The hoo rr"rfr's'3g ",ere
trc>~nc--.e rod as of'~-.h >''s,Nt rs
to be true OF the frs, twe've chap
--rs~-r ra--- 20 80 -s'~' the
&C. -a -. .NS,--{-,,' -