The Washington times., 1914-01-05
RADICAL CREED OF
DR.. ELIOT AROUSES
IRE OF CLERGYMEN
Pastors of Country Assa New Religion Which Substitutes Ever
Present Spirit for God and SCOTS at All Old Biblical
Stories as Unfit for Belief.

That notable master of letters and
| radicalism, DR.. Charles w Eliot, presi-
dent emeritus of Harvard University, is
| in his dotsge, according to the beliefs of
Washington pastors.
DIR. Eliot would take away the term
God" and use in its place Our Faith
er." Nothing so radical from a high
source has appeared in years as the
supplementary article on The Future of
Religion" which DR.. Eliot has pre-
pared. and which has just been pub
Iished by the American Unitarian As
sociation.
DR.. Eliot has aroused the ire of
clergymen all over the country. who, in
statements from their pulpits on Sum
day, denounced the idea of Cod sub
r,itted by DR.. Eliot-an idea alto
gether different from the accepted idea
Of the Deity and an outline which placed
the stories of Adam and Eve, Jonah
and the whale, and other Biblical mar
wells in class with The wonderful tales
of Baron Munchausen.
He's in his dotage.'
He's not qualified to talk on the
subject"
"The same principles have, been
taught and accepted for years"
Only repetition. OF his previous
These are a few samples of some Of
things said about Mr.. Eliot in Wash
ington churches.
Assailed By D. c. Pastors.
DR.. c. Ernest Smith, pastor Of st.
Thomas Church, asked: What's DR..
Eliot's age? Eighty? I thought co..
The Rev. DR.. Van Schaick. pastor OF
the Universalist Churcn of Our Father,
said DR.. Eliot's ideas were quite true;
only old. Nothing particularly neW'
" Mgr. M William T. Russell, of St Pat
ricks Church, said:
Il don't see how Or. Eliot can sug-
gest that we call a blind fcice or en-
ergy. as he says God is, by the name
y DR.. Abram Simon, of the Washington
Hebrew Congregation:
FTbis interview is only a repetition OF
DR.. Eliots address Of a year ago on
THE Religion of the Future.
The Rev. James Shera Montgomery
pastor Of Metropolitan Memorial NJ. Z.
Church, declared that uncertainty mas
characterized the Utterances Oh pr.
Eliot for the past ten years
Old Beliefs Are Taboo.
DR., Eliors twentieth century Chris
tianity does not recognize the GARDEN
of Eden. The serpent is cast upon tne
rubbish heap. DR.. Eliot did not make
man out of the dust of the ground nor
did he give into the hands Of Moses the
Ten Commandments, neither did the sun
stand still for Joshua, nor did Jonah
iinper inside the whales belly three
daTs. These and other stories Dr. 6ilot
would designate as pleasant reaplhs'
but not for belief: az. <o,- -,,o1
will. He is recognized chiefly In the
wonderful energies of SOUND hsh'' anu
electricity ~
creed in this twentieth century religion.
No miracle will be found in II.
Men OF science says DR.. Eliot
have no faith in magic or miracles.
DR. FTot's religion would stop specu-
lation in theology. Among the cnarac-
ter;Stices of the twentieth century Chris
tianity are these, according to DR.. Eliot:
Christ will be the supreme teacner.
The church of the future will have
more reverence for the personality CT
Jesus.
il will prefer liberty TO authority.
1t will see neither deities nor demons
in the forces and processes of nature.
1t will rob death of its terror.
1t will dwell on goodness, life and
truth.
Brotherhood of Man.
The brotherhood of man will be its
outcome.
When the ruling religion Of the COM
ing century is examined it will be found
to contain some truth that are now
called radical, according to Dr. Eliot
OF the Garden Of Eden and Creation he
No thinking person now accepts as
anything but primitive myth or fanci-
full poetry the story Of the Garden OF
Eden, or the portrait of God in the
second chapter Of Genesis, as being
who formed man out of the dust OF
the ground. as child fashions an
image out of snow or clay. The
Creator is for modern men a sleep
less, active energy and will, which yes
terday, today, and forever actuates ali
things, as the human spirit actuates its
own body, so small and yet so ircon-
complex.
BY savage man the gods were recOg-
nized chiefly in the irresistible catas-
trophies OF nature-in the lightning, the
the food and the drought.
the volcano, and the mighty vino.
century people recognize God
chiefly in the wonderful energies of
sound, light, and electricity, in the
vital processes of plants and anImais, in
human loves and aspirations and educa-
tlOn Of human society
Authority Is Spurned.
The Christianity of DR.. Eliot Gpurns
authority. He says:
AS a rule, men of science have scant
respect for tradition or for any au-
thority which is founded on age or ac-
ceptance by former generations. They
are intensely individualistic, and lave
little sympathy with the privileged
classes or with the traditional or
cons ecrated systems of srystallized or
dCTOsited truth. AS a rule. men OF
science nave no faith in magic or mira
cles They have a passion for truth
and fact, but no liking for mere specula-
n0IIJT EEEI nIAuT0 Ill