Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-07

lege, and / have been glad ever since
that l became a member of the church
before 1 left home for college. for 1t
helped me during those trying days
And the college days cover the danger
GUS period in the young mans life; he
Is just coming into possession of his
powers. and feels stronger than he ever
feels afterward-and he thinks he
knows more than he ever does now.
II was at this period that 1 became
confused by the different theories Of
creation. But l examined these theories
and found that they all assumed some
thing to begin with. Well, / have a
right to assume, and l prefer to as
sumo. a Designer back of the design-a
Creator back of the creation; and no
matter how long you draw out the
process of creation, SO long as God
stands back Of it you cannot shake my
faith in Jehovah. We must begin with
something-we must start somewhere
and the Christian begins with God.
/ do not carry the doctrine of evolu-
ton as far as some do; 1 am not yet
convinced that man is a lineal descend
mean to find fault with you II you
want to accept the theory; all l mean
your ancestry back to the monkey, il
you find pleasure or pride in doing so,
you shall not connect me with your
family tree without more evidence than
has yet been produced. l object to the
theory for several reasons. First, it
is a dangerous theory. II a man links
himself in generations with the mon
key it then becomes an important ques-
ton whether he is going toward him
or coming from him-and I have seen
not know of any argument that can be
used to prove that man is an improved
well to prove that the monkey is a
degenerate man, and the latter theory
1t is true that man in some physical
characteristics resembles the beast. but
man has a mind as well as a body, and
a soul as well as mind. The mind is
greater than the body and the soul is
greater than the mind, and 1 object to
having mans pedigree traced on one
third of him only-and that the lowest
third.
One does not escape from mystery,
however. by accepting this theory. for
it does not explain the origin of life.
When the follower Of Darwin has traced
the germ of life back to the lowest
form in which it appears-and to follow
him one must exercise more faith than
religion calls for-he finds that scien-
lists differ. Those who reject the idea
OF creation are divided into two schools.
some believing that the first germ of
life came from another planet. and
others holding that it was the result
of spontaneous generation. Each school
answers the arguments advanced by
the other. and as they cannot agree
with each other l am not compelled to
agree with either.
But. while l do not accept the OAR
winian theory shall not quarrel with
you about it; ] only refer to it to re-
mind you that it does not solve the
mystery of life explain human prog
ress l fear that some have accepted
it in the hope of escaping from the
miracle. but why should the miracle
brighten Us? And yet l am inclined to
think that it is one of the test ques-
tons with the Christian.
Christ cannot be separated from the
miraculous; His birth, His ministra-
tions and His resurrection all involve
the miraculous, and the change which
His religion works in the human heart
is a continuing miracle Eliminate the
miracles and Christ becomes merely a
human being and His gospel is stripped
of divine authority.
The miracle raises two questions
Can God perform a miracle? and