Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-05-09
IN DEFENSE OF DR.. CRAP.
SEY,
Portland Oregonlan.

Portland Oregonlan. .
. . . . - . . . . . .
Discussing the case OF DIR. Crapsey,
good deal Of interest all over the coun-
try. the New York Evening Post
reaches a conclusion with which we
cannot agree. The Post holds that II
a minister's divergence from accepted
doctrine be such that he cannot stand
up and repeat the prescribed creeds
without intellectual qualification and
moral ignominy." then he should re-
sign his pulpit. He cannot 60 on re-
peating a creed. the Post declares.
when to do so Is Of the essence Of
falsehood. This, OF course, IL unde-
niable. and 1t seems to be precisely
the case of DIR. Crapsey. He has said
publicly that he does not believe in
the miraculous conception of Jesus.
Nevertheless the creed Of his church
Jesus Christ-who was conceived by
the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin
Mary" and so on: and this creed DR..
Crapsey recites in concert with his
congregation week after week. In his
church service he seems to assert that
he does believe the very thing which
he has said publicly that ne does not
believe. The Evening Post thinks that
this is moral qualification and of the
essence Of falsehood.
Stated in this way 1t cannot be de-
MED that the case against DR.. Crapsey
looks black. and perhaps there is no
other way to state It. We think,
however, that it is not in reality az
black as it looks. We believe that
after candid reflection upon the mat
ter an unprejudiced mind must admit
that DR.. Crapsey may do all that he 10
charged with doing and still remain
entirely clear, both OF moral stultifi-
cation and of falsehood. To come at
once to the gist of our defence for him,
let us suppose that an austerely pious
spinster should sit by at bedtime and
hear a mother recite the adventures Of
Little Red Riding Hood to her chill
dren. The spinster would be shocked.
Grave moral problems would arise in
her mind When the children have
said their prayers and are safely
tucked up in bed, the two ladies' re-
turn to the parlor and the spinster be-.
gins her reformatory attack upon the
mothers SOUL do you believe that
story" she inquiries. Certainly not.
"Yet you tell it to those unhappy in
fants with all the solemnity and earn
estness of absolute belief" Yes.
Madam" the spinster then adjures
her in an awful tone" every time you
recite Little Red Riding Hood to your
children you stultify yourself morally:
you are guilty of falsehood. You should
at once resign your sacred office Of
motherhood and let somebody take
your place who will tell the truth"
In this humble apologize of ours the
mother is DIR. Crapsey and the spinster
Is the Evening Post. 1t is not lying
to racite fairy tale for the delight of
children. no matter If one utterly dis
believes It, Why not? There are sew
eral reasons. In the first place 1t is a
trivial question whether the events
narrated really took place or not. De
minimis non curat lex. The law pays
no attention to trifles and this Ia quite
as true OF the moral az OF the civil
law Again. the mother tells the story
in the full certainty that her children's
minds viii presently develop into a
correct perception of the non reality
OF Little Red Riding Hoods adventures
and the ethical truth It involves will
remain with them as a permanent
treasure. Similarly, although DR..
Crapsey denies the historical reality
of the myth about the birth OF Jesus,
he may continue to recite It n all SER
iousness for the edifcation Of himself
and his congregation. That his pur-
pose IN reciting 1t II not to deceive II
1 perfectly plain. for he has declared
! publicly that he thinks It Z fiction.
When DR.. Crapsey reads that part OF
the creed everybody knows that he
believes himself to be reading fcti-
lions Narrative. He IL no more guilty
OF lying than he would be Il he should
rad The Pilgrims Progress. Or Jack
and the Bean Stalk 10 his conerega-
tion. They perfectly understand that
! ne II siving It 70 them - ! flcflon and
| nothing else. for he has told them -
publicly ana repeatedly. How then