The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-27

Z Congress OF 1S's' ~
SUNDAY, MARCH "a, 1910.
KNoCl<1NC: OUT THE bible, AGAIN.
Now comes Professor William G.
sumner. of Yale University. with an
attack upon the bona fdes OF the Blble'
or rather It's inapplicability to modern
conditions. Last December he was TO
deliver an address before the American
Sociological Association IN New YORK,
q bit he was stricken with cerepral
5,,amorrhage and the lect'TEe he was
~ deliver then has now been printed
I'm tho American Journal of SOCIOLOGY
Itssued by the Chicago University
sPress. The title Of the lecture IS Ike
p1igion and the Mores." There Is sofae-
sthinr almost conclusive In the word
IGNORES, and the, higher critics and
heyery Tray, Blanche and sweetheart
hare barking with the leader OF the
kmack. "Peoplo don't care what the
fRible saws any more, as the morality
8fpt this book was written for the
Iancient days; nobody has ever done
frrhat the Bible says; "the pulpit as
Inn institution no longer speaks with
authority; ut wants to attract at
4 tentioh-like books, theatres, the lee
tire nlatform--and it has to have re-
\ course, like them, to sensational SENSE y. IA
i; methods to win success; "rellsion.
81 properly speaking. simply fails away.
sgt IS not as strong a motive as nus
sAmanitarianism, and it Is nowlse neces-
!. sary to the work OF social ameliora-
4 4ion often 1t is O tindrance by divert
ling energy and capital from social
F,york to ecclesiastical expenditures
ttThere Is a good deal more OF the same
Il sort Of stun in what Professor suns
ner says, and, II he is to be believed.
we are, indeed, "in a hell OF a. lx''-as
Henry Watterson would say.
isn't 1t strange that after all these
4 thousands of years the whole thing
IS to be upset by former and not
invariably trusted teacher of political
economy in one OF the great institu-
tions OF learning in this country? Prob
ably the Professor will have bette,
luck with his religious instruction!
than he had with impressng hi
views OF free trade on the pupils VIII
ts sat at his feet.
we are not disturbed by this lates
assault upon the Bible, and the syster
s of belief or beliefs that has bee
founded upon it's teachings. The hu
manitarlan doctrine Is as old at leas
as Professor Sumner, having bee
much affected by other philosopher
sf6 who have held that mankind is t
work out his own salvation by doln
deeds of charity. we are quite read
to agree with the Professor that TIL
morality OF the Bible does not fit il
we'll with that OF this day, and tina
Is not saying anything against tn
Bible. But other men. hundreds o
them, thousands OF them. have bee
saying the things which Professo
sumner has said, ana saying it bette
without serious" disturbance Of the es
tablished order: "for before these day
rose up Theudas. boasting himself t
be somebody; to whom a number {
men. about four hundred. Joined them
selves. 49,. After this man rose II
Judas OF Galilee and drew away muc
people after him: he also persisted
and all. even as many as obey hir
were dispersed For II this work |
of men It will come to nought; but
1t be Of God, ye cannot overthrow it
Wherefore, comfort one another VII
tho reflection that Professor SUNNI
IS not the first. nor will no be Il
last, who has set UP nothing to tai
tho place Of something in the int
lectual and spiritual uplift OF t
human race.
--------=
THE SCIENTISTS ON THE spooh
spooks will come from their dar
ness t scientists have their way. 7
inhabitants Of the other world (
no longer to upset tables and rus
curtains only In the shadowy inter
ft,,,F -Gfr.I,, T