Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-21
ALLEGHENY PASTOR ShYS
OLD TESTAMENT MISLEADS
Claims II Was Written for and by
Primitive People and
Contains Many
Errors

PITTSBURG, Sept. 20.--Some sensations
al statements were made by Rev. Thomas
Clayton in his sermon to the congrega-
tion of the North Side Unitarian chuca
at the Allegheny Carnegie music hall.
His topic was "Old Testament Science
VS.. That of Today" Taking Rom, 15:45
as his text, he ridiculed the Old Testa-
ment teaching, instancing the creation,
fall of man, deluge, ETC., and claimed its
history and much Of it's theology was un-
reliable and untenable. Were all the
Bibles destroyed, he claimed, man would
soon make another religion worthy of his
high state. In part he said:
'It is undeniable that all Bible teach
| ing is based upon the Ptolemaic theory
of the world Earth is understood to be
fiat and surrounded by water; the heav-
ems simply a dome that separates the
abode of God from that of man; the sun,
moon and stars made only to give light
to the earth. That was as far as the
imag agination of primitive peoples could
rise. This theory prevailed until the time
of Copernicus. Nevertheless it took 200
years for the truth to gain full accept
ance, chiefly through the fierce opposition
of the champions of religion.
mo one now thinks of denying that the
earth is only a small atom in the great
universe of worlds, yet theology goes on
SuDllfHely lHulncT6nt dIQ ledCHeS QOC-
trines that depend upon the old, discard
ed theory. In the light of modern as
tronomy, Joshua's power to arrest the sun
becomes ridiculous, even to many who
are regarded as orthodox. Bethlehem's
star grows dim and resolves itself into a
myth. The earth no longer stands still,
although the Bible continues to teach
that it does.
Modern geology after hard struggle
has fdaatrnUa6 faith in PihIfaaI OF
of the six days creation and the seventh
day of rest needed by the great Creator.
This story was written for the purpose
of giving divine authority to the Sab
bath. Geology reveals the fact that the
earth was built up very slowly by sedi-
mentation. Stretching the days of Cen
esis into periods never thought of by the
writer's is not wise nor dignified way of
answering the facts of science.
1.-THE story of the deluge fades into a
nursery tale before the cold logic of COM
mon sense, backed by scientific observa-
ton A flood might be conceived of as
covering the whole earth If it were fiat;
but not globe revolving rapidly on it's
axis. Noah's ark might hold all the ami
mails, etc., known to the students of Asia
Minor in the old days, but it falls short
of the space needed to contain all the
living things known today. Putting
rainbow in the. clouds might not seem
silly to the ancient, who had not found
out what caused it, but surely we are go
| ing to stop teaching this as fact of
history in our Sunday schools.
Evolution is not collapsing. 1t is gain
ing new proof every day. 1t effectually
overthrows the Genesis story of man and
that is why it is so unwelcome to many.
1t gives the theologians so much trouble.
Science proves man has risen. not
fallen that developing up from ignor-
ance to Knowledge. he rises in moral tone
as his knowledge of the trend of the
universe increases. Man was not created
before woman, neither did he precede
animals on the earth. Death is not a
mere penalty, but inseparable from all
physical life. Sin is imperfect develop
ment and points directly to the animal
origin of man.
"Old Testament history and much of its
theology is unreliable and untenable, yet
this need not affect the beauty and power
of its best religious teaching. Truth is
truth wherever found. Religion Is not
dependent upon any book or so-called
revelation; 1t is inherent lin the heart of
man. The right view of our Bible is that
it is the literature of a very religious
people, to whom we owe much of our re-
ligious knowledge and inspiration"