The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-08
BELIEF IN THE BIBLE
 NOT SINCERE ENOUGH
Professor Foster Attacks Some Salient Points of Church Doctrine In His Book Which He has Had
 Published.

Chicago, June 7.-PrOf. George s. Foster, whose writing, denounced as "a bitter indictment of the Christian religion before the bar of skepticism,' has narrowed the clergy of Chicago, to- day was called on by Rev. Johnston Myers, pastor of the Immanuel Baptist church. to withdraw from the Baptist ministry and to yield up his ordna- tion papers. The fire of criticism was directed chiefly at Professor Fosters recent book, "The Function of Re- ligion.'
 This motion was put before several hundred preachers and church laymen gathered at the conference of the Bap tist executive council and only the ob jection of one man, Prof A. K. Parker. who, like Professor Foster, is an in structor at the University of Chicago, prevented eviction. Professor Parker prevented action by calling attention to an educational provision preventing action without a weeks deliberation. This matter was accordingly postponed until June A.
 q want to say now that I'll be here next Monday morning to present the same motion,' cried pr. Myers defiant ly. It was after Professor Foster had been characterized as an undesirable Baptist, and as a teacher (which would dethrone the church and deify evolu- tion" that the effort to eject him from the councils of the denomination was made.
 Called knave.
 Professor Foster declares" cried Rev. MT. Mathews in the course of his discussion of the recent book penned by Professor Foster, that one who calls himself believer in the Bible is a knave. Then, thank heaven, I am d knave." May I ask how that word is spelled?" interrupted Professor Parker at this point.
 "K-n-a-v-e," replied the speaker.
 If you will pardon the correction" observed Professor Parker, T have the book in my hand and the word is spelled "'n-a-i-v-e
 T want to say at the outset" said Rev. MT. Mathews, that as a scholar have the high est respect for Professor Foster.
 T was a pupil in his first class of doctrinal apologetics. As a teacher and as gentleman, l hold him in high re- gard. But in his religion, I regard Professor Foster as an undesirable Baptist.
 Professor Foster states in his book, The Function of Religion which 1 pro- pose to review, that God did not make man in His own image, but that man In hi e ir,,o IJa we are not fallen angels but developed animals.
 He says that miracles have always been the resource of ignorance and that modern technic must take the place of magic. I wonder what he means by modern technic.'
 Trade Against Clergy.
 He declares that science has under- mined the Trinity-of course that it is in his own mind He says that Jesus was a child of his time and to copy Jesus is to kill the soul He makes a tirade against the clergy. He says that the book of humanity is greater than the Bible.
 The title of this book should have been Religious Without Christianity He is guilty of the supreme conceit of rank ing self greater than Christ. He styles our grand old book as the 'petrified re-
 
 While the Rev. MT. Mathews was speaking, his voice quivered with the emotion he was unable to control The situation was as tense one as has de- veloped in Chicago's church circles in many years. The auditors leaned forward in their seats in order to miss words of the proceedings.
 Through it all, Professor Fosters IT, year-old son sat with flushed cheeks and shining eyes. The lad shifted in his seat during the earlier part of the denun- ciation of his fathers views and at last unable to restrain himself longer, he half rose and cried:
 why don't you review the book and not the mani"
 A buzz of excitement spread over the room but the speaker paid no attention to the interruption.
 When the motion was made to expell Professor Foster, there were cries of sec ond it." second it' from all over the hall. After the meeting Dr. Parker said that whatever action might be taken by the preachers it would not affect Professor Fosters relation with the University of Chicago in the least.
 s.This conference has nothing to do with inc university" he said.
 "Two-thirds of the university's trustees are Baptist laymen but they could not vote to expel member of the faculty without moral grounds