The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1916-07-30
MISGUIDED BAPTIST EFFORT.

of advanced education as sunshine in
q clear sky. They have fostered uni
versity education since the founding
of the nation and include honest, orig
jnal research as among the things that
brought them to America for their re-
ligious liberties. Religious persecution
that barred individual thought and put
conventional government forms in the
place of enlightened conscience was
the thing of all things to be left be-
hind in the Old World.
I Here in the good state of Georgia
the great army of true and tried Bap-
lists are now being constantly warned
against infdelity in the christian col
leges by the one organ, the spokes-
man for the denomination. The Chris
tian Index has slammed at every pro-
gressive step taken by its own educa-
tional Institutions and has helped to
choke the life out of every honest in
structor within the Baptist ranks so
long that Baptist education looks like
a puny thing.
There is a great difference between
infidelity and an education which
comes by honest, original research.
We belong to that class which studied
geology at Mercer University in the
: light of the eternal laws of nature,
both within the class room and out in
the open country. Every step taken
was wonderful revelation. The i'm
press of the handiwork of Great
Creator is in our lives never to be
erased. 1t is the stronger for this
honest effort to learn something OF.
the worlds creation. This study OF
geology never at any stage OF our
work required us to unravel the mean
ing of the biblical statement that the
world was created in seven days. In
chemistry, in biology, in the history
of nations of people, in ethics ana
philosophy, psychology and the rel1-
gion, of the people of the earth,-ev-
erywhere we found that same pro-
foundry eloquent evidence OF the In
finite But, oh how wonderfully Diff
ferent is our world now from the
world of our boyish religion! Chris
tianity has a new and beautiful mean
ing And vet the last one of the in
structors who taught us most how to
appreciate Christianity have been re-
moved for teaching infidelity!
Our friend who constantly delights
In charging us with infidelity does not
see the really sad condition of things
when he accuses us OF denying the
=ecessity of the new birth, he misses
ne mark, very, very far. He fails
- see. as we see, that the great rank
md file do not know the meaning OF
ne new birth. When he accuses us
-of denying the full inspiration and dl-
wine unity of the scriptures, he fails
10 realize as we do that for the lack
of knowledge most people miss the d.
Wine, not only in the holy scriptures
but in all else in the world.
] What "a pity! How much more
good could be accomplished if the en-
orgies of our Baptist publication were
turned constantly and faithfully to a
means of carrying the desire for real
education into the hearts OF the
Noungi Wherever our denomination
serves as the agency of broader educa-
tional research, no one need fear that
we will pass from the influence OIL
christianity, Or the Bible, for there
ran be no such thing as real educa-
tion without the influence OF BOTH
Educated men and women know TINS
better than others.
The college Instructor who is capa
ble of original investigation and wider
research is usually christian ana
better one for the things that lie
knows. The road to knowledge is
strewn with the guide posts OF chris
tianity. AT college. however the
vsoa,ng man finds that there are other
bibles than his own, and other far
away religions by whose creeds the
raees OF men live and die. These o'h-
or books of holy writ of other races
df men are there for him to see ana
mine that he may know for MN
self While he tolls away. he sees IN
the works of the great men who nave
done the thinking of the ages llial
there runs a rich coloring-broken
bere and there, it is true, and batter
ed often to Iowly plane,-of an III
finite purpose that finds its truest rev
elatfon in christianity.
1t is a crime against the boys anu
girls of the state to cry infidelity all
the day long until the honest college
instructor is no longer free TO 90 MS
hest. The good instructor teaches LOT
the love of his divine calling. Let US
not block his efforts by accusing MN
as he goes to his duties
Denominational education in Geor-
sia will be at it's best when it is not