The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-04-10
NOTED CHURCHMAN
CR|T|C|SES GENESIS

and Eve, to an Oriental myth. and
maintaining that the first chapter of
Genesis, with the exception of the
first four words, is historically untrue
and must be given up by all who are
mot willing to anesthetize their intel
leets completely. DR. A. c. Scott, until
recently a member of the state board
of education of Oklahoma and well
known educator, created a sensation
of considerable proportions at the
monthly dinner of the Mems Dinner
Club at the Lee-Huckins Monday
night.
DR.. SCOTS subject wos Evolution
and It's Relation to Religious Thought,
Evolution and Christianity, even
after fifty years Of living side by side,
seems to be preserving a sort of arm
ed neutrality toward one another" he
said. Il viii say that have listened
to an average of more than one SER
mon a week for the last twenty-five
years, and have never once heard the
facts of evolution frankly admitted
and their relation to religious thought
discussed; in fact, have never heard
the subject referred to, except 1t We're
in derogation or in absolute denunmia-
tion of the doctrine"
Still no Change.
Twenty-Five years ago" continued
the speaker, Joseph lie Conte deelar-
ed, There must be not a mere shift
ing of line, but change in base; not
a readjustment of details only, but a
reconstruction of Christian theology.
There can be little doubt in the mind
of the thoughtful observer that we are
even now on the eve of the greatest
change in traditional views that has
taken place since the birth Of Chris
tianity But has such readjustment
| taken place? Has there been any
great or radical change in the ira;
ditional views of Christianity?
have not been able to see it. There
was, for some years after the an
Enouncement of the theory OF evolu-
tion, a tremendous and acrimonious
warfare between the evolutionists and
i itheologians--in which victory came
swiftly to the evolutionists. But 1t
seems to me that the theologians have
been proceeding since as If the victory
had been theirs, or rather, as if there
lhad been no controversy, and as if
things were just as they were before.
"As | said, | have never heard the
lsubject of evolution referred to, ex-
cept it We're in derogation or in abso-
lutte denunciation of the doctrine. And
this, when evolution is transcendently
the biggest fact of the modern world.
the biggest fact, not only of science,
but of religion, since it has to do most
profoundly with the origin, the his
tory and the destiny of man, and since
it is so contradictory of certain ira
dictionary views that these views must
be surrendered or modified by every
thinking man"
"Some may say that the clergy takes
evolution for granted, as it does the
lCoperniean theory of the universe and
the laws of gravitation, which once
so disturbed the religious world--per-
haps, and let it go at that. | can only
sa again that this is not true within
the range of my observation and GER
tainly no such readjustment Of relig-
ious thought or restatement of relig-
ious faith has present moment, IN VIC
lent contradiction TO all the rest of the
bible.
Less than six months ago ! lis
tened to a sermon delivered in this
city by one of the most eloquent bis
ops of the great Methodist Episcopal
lchurch-not our resident bishop how
eyer-in which, while granting the
evolution of other forms Of life, he
i spoke with scorn and derision of the
descent of man from lower forms. And
indeed that seems to be the limit al
| which the church still balks. But it is
mot perfectly evident that to grant the
descent Of the brute creation from
lower forms is just as contradictory OF
the Mosaic account of creation as tc
grant mans descent from lower forms
for Genesis as specifically asserts the
/, direct creation of the one as the other
taken place as full acceptance Of tht
, facts of evolution would render neces
sary and inevitable.
Not Much Of It Left
1T is true that the church SO fai
has yielded to the Overwhelming proofs
Of antiquity OF the earth as to extend
the six creative days Of the first chap
ter of Genesis to six creative periods
But it is plain that the first chapter
of Genesis must be given up altogether
. Except the first four words-by al
who are not willing to anaesthetizt