Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-11-22
rIIE NV ETHICS.

Tho higher criticism" OF the Bible
as IusuHcd BY The Biblical world Of
Chicago. has aroused storm of pro-
test IN religious Journalism.
The position taken by the editors 81
! the Biblical World was that the bible
Is not an adequate ethical guide for
modern society. and that the new ethics
Is 70 take the place Of the old appeals
| 20 the sanotity Of the moral law or 90
the authority Of prlori intuitions"
The argument is as follows: This
newer point OF view takos account OF
the vital relationship between codes OF
| ethics and contemporary social welfare.
Il regards moral precepts as instru-
( ments by which tho social group as
serts and maintains its welfare It
leads the student 60 expect that each
particular social cxlgeucy will demand
its specific type ~ ethics. and II seeks
TO furnish reliable guidance by setting
forth the mductive principles on the
basis OF which human conduct may be
rightly valued"
II Is at once pointed out that this
makes the moral law. on the general
precepts Tor conduct, simply q matter
OF cxpedlency. something that may be
be set aside by any one on by any So
ciety that finds this law Ion the way Of
what it considers 20 be its welfare This
Is precisely what various social groups
are always doing. Whenever they set
aside the moral preccpts that interfere
with the ends they seek
A. one critic Or the now ethics OK
presses Il. this would really mean "the
abrogation ~ universal moral law
and make Il a matter OF social condi-
ton or geography New York's social
group Of -Four Hundred could set up
one moral code. the middle class an
other, and the lower stratum Of society
stlll another. Chicago would have ono
cthic. St. Louis another, and Texas
another A man could change his
morals with his residence"
And it seems entirely clear that while
some Of the Biblical precepts and COM
mands were limited by special clrcum-
stances to the time and place in which
they were given, yet the great majority
Of them eanbody the universal princl-
pies OF right conduct and in 30 doing
they apply to all mankind in every age
OF the world
The protested purpose OF the new
ethics was to "set forth religious belief
in such a way that it shall not be
disastrousy affected by the science OF
our day" but, as Max KILLER observes.
such a standpoint is likely to involve
one in "equivocations. antiquities. in
genious cancellations" OF every sort.
and instead Of frankly renouncing a
BELIEF which will not square with posi-
tive knowledge. is so recast as to
lose its real character. The conclusion
Of this writer just quoted Stems to
cover the ground
To say for instance. that the moral
precepts Of mankind will change with
changing circumstances OF life Is 10
utter harmless truism; the fact how
ever, Is that the moral concepts are
subject TO corresponding alterations,
and that the Bible exhibits these
fluctuations, not merely in the custonys
II relates, but In commandments which
Il enJoins upon all generations TO come
similarly, tt Is very safe TO warn
against deriving the contents Of ethics
exclusively fr~'s' 49, nth.-' ~. rt
however, is that modern ethics Is. al
times, IN open conflict with the Bible
ana the question then is 10 speak out
honestly as 10 which side one must
spouse"