The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-09-26

what we want to See and believe, &c
nara Is 1t for US to come to the
scriptures with an open mind. There
Will be a difference of opinion, also
among those who believe In these re-
cent changes as to how they should
be used from the pulpit. We all rec
ognize that 1t Is almost criminal to
undermine the foundation upon which
any christian stands, even though II
be a false foundation, without at the
same time giving them something bet
ter to take its place. Only a positive
gospel message can ever help mon to
meet the temptations and burdens Of
our modern complex life, but let no
man say that we must bind our faith
to outgrown theological statements In
order to SO present the gospel. DR..
Jefferson Of New York says that the
lime has come when we should shout
these things from the housetops, and
this is surely tru in reference to our
instruction of children and young
people. DR.. George Hodges, dean Of
the Episcopal Theological school at
Cambridge, Mass, says: when the
child asks, is that true" the teacher
of the bible may answer with all
frankness. If he doubts that the his
torian got the number right when he
said that Sampson with the jawbone
OF an ass slew a thousand men, no
calamity will follow when he replies:
I think not The truth is in the
might Of Sampson, not in the details
Of his adventures, and the same prin-
ciple holds when the child asks: Was
that right?' Was 1t right in the
psalmist to desire to wash his foot
steps in the blood Of the ungodly and
to have the tongues of his dogs read
through the same? A thousand times,
no. That was simply as far as they
had got at that time along the road
of conduct. Today, taught as we are
by wiser teachers. even by Christ him
self, we know better. When the chill
dren are i~ncredulous about the swim
ming Of the axhead we may be per-
fectly frank in u reply. If we doubt
that the axhead swan, there Is no
prudential reason why we should not
say So If we overstate the perfec-
ton of the scriptures in ~instructing
children in religion, there is a
great likelihood that eventually they
will lose faith. not only in the scrip
lures. but also in their former in
.structors. We have made demands
upon the bible, and made claims for
the bible, that border upon the re-
diculous. We have feared lest there
might be found Dsome contradiction
between statements in Genesis and
statements in Natural Science. We
that the bible is not a text
book on geology any more than it is
an authority in medicine. A religious
truth can no more contradict a truth
in physical science than the law of
gravitation can contradict the love of
Christ. They have nothing in COM
o they belong to two different and
distinct realms. There is no more rea-
son why men should take Genesis as
a text book on geology than that they
should take Christ's teachings as a
on botany, rs he speaks of the
lilies, or should take Luke's gospel
a text book on medical science bei-
cause 1t speaks Of healing men. The
bible lis a book of religion in which
Is recorded mans religious ideals
from age to age. 1t tells us Of God,
our Father and Christ, our Savior.
the brotherhood Of man, and as a
guide TO the honest man, seeking to
know the will Of God, It is an In
eallibles guide in religion, but when We