Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-02-13
HITS THE BIBLE
PROFESSOR FOSTER OF MIDWAY SCHOOL ATTACKS CHRIS
 THAN DOCTRINES.
Miracles and Spernaturai Elements In Christ's Life Are Held
 Proofless.

Biblical teachings embracing the range of orthodox Christian doctrines are attacked with weapons of "high- CT criticism" and liberalism by Geo. D. Foster, professor of the philosophy of religion at the university of Chica. go, in a book on The Finality of the Christian Religion" published yes terday says the Chicago Record.Her ald
 Accepted belief ill the Bible as an inspired document and in Christianity y as an historical religion is declared false by Dr. Foster. Other Christian tenets held to be without proof are the biblical miracles, the immaculate conception of Christ, the bodily resur- recton of Christ and the mass of supernatural clements ascribed to the scriptures.
 The volume, which was issued by the university of Chicago press, repre- sents the latest contribution to the de- cenial publication, and is designed ;is an arraignment cf authority reli- zion" which, according 10 the author, "is Ill full force in all our denOmina- tons in some parts of the country aud il, some of our denomiations in all parts of the country
 Inspiration Denied.
 "1nspiration of the book k untrue historically and psychoIoeically.s . writes Dr. Foster in refUtation of the claim that the scriptures were com posed under immediate divine gaid- 2nce. "The watehwOrd Christian fly is historical religion is super ficialy true but fundamentally false It means that Christianity is a re- ligion of historical facts-not so very many and not so certain, neither so many nor so certain as they used 10 Ie whereas it is at bottom a religion of spirit and personality.
 ''The evidential value of miracles is the mainstay of authority religion. Miraculous narratives, like the bibli- cal, originating from no observer who possessed sufficient knowledge of the relations and laws of nature to have right to pronounce upon such mat ters, have no scientific importance. And the orthodox exactiOn of faith in stories out of religion with everything we konw must forever be no less an tagonistic to the high activities of true faith than it is stultifying to sci ence and common sense. An intelli- gent man who affirms his faith in such stores as actual facts can hardly know what intellectual honesty means
 Doubts Christ's Birth.
 In questioning the common theory oi the immaculate concept on, Dr. Foster calls attention to the scientific explanations, which have been ad vanced but declares them unsatis factory.
 ."The import ance attached to the bodily resurrecio is far out of pro portion to the evidence therefor h5 continues. "The narratives yield a fuctuatitng mage, which alludes all assured eYaluation. Shall We base ou! hiohest and holiest, our whole re | ligiCuS life. on an occurrence Of which no one can make a perfectly distinct picture? IL is, indeed neces- sary that we build our salvation on th IS occurrence?
 'Thus the untenability and iNpracti- 1 cability of the scriptures as whole becomes apparent. And if the vali dation of the norm be sought by as s1lring the mir culous insp ration of the scriptures. the futility of such q makeshift has bean already sufficient ly considered in a former connec tion"
 In his intrcduet on, Prof Foster raises a dou!lt as to whether or not Christianity will continue as the high 1 est form of religion