Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-09-25
The Greatest Hope of Mankind
Is Gn Evangelical Christianity
BY Bishop w. 4. Gambler

| In a recent issue of that very able
and excellent paper of the Presbyteri--
ans-the Christian Observer-appear-
cd the following:
THE most amazing statement thai
has appeared recently in connection
with the attitude of the Teutons to-
ward the world war is that contained
! in recent issue of the German news
paper, Kreutzeitung,' of Berlin. A dis
patch from The Hague quotes that pa
per as containing an article in which is
| the following declaration: 1t must be
| one Of our first tasks on the conclusion
! of tho war, when Germany shall arise
out of IT renewed in power and vitality,
! like another phoenix, to set a board of
qualified experts to work to produce
not only for our own benefit, but also
Tor the moral uplifting Of mankind,
! ii new, a more glorious. a purer Bible,
! instinct with the German spirit of Kui-
tur and morality. If this repf esents
the real attitude of the German mind,
| 1t furnishes another proof that the
world is not wrong in its estimate of
the moral as well as the mental, in>
sanity of a people who think that they
write a better Bible than God has given
us in His Holy Word"
The editor of the Observer says truly
| that this is a most amazing state
ment" or rather, 1t would be mos,
amazing, if we had not become accus-
toned to obullitions Of Teutonic conceit
and consciencelessness
Nothing could be more preposterous
than the proposal to make the Bible OF
Moses and the Prophets and the Apos-
ties more glorious and pure by a re-
vision which would render 1t instinct
with the German spirit of Kultur."
1t is not to be supposed that this pre-
posterous proposal is a suggestion for
a new translation of the Hebrew and
Greek Scriptures into the German Ian
guage "Luthers Bible" is, with the
possible exception of our King James
translation, the best version ever made
of the Holy Scriptures, and against it
no intelligent German would bring the
complaint that it is marred by serious
mperfections.
What the editor of the Kreutzeitung
of Berlin proposes is such a radical ed
iting of the Bible as will conform 1t to
the tenets of German rationalism ana
the low ethical standards of those who
account sacred treaties as mere scraps
of paper" and justify the most barbar>
Gus deeds ES pleas of military necessi-
ty. And this Teutonized Bible is to be
produced "for the moral uplifting of
HldHhliu! was ever COnCcAI IlOT6 lHN
ordinate and disgusting?
However, we should not forget that
what this German editor proposes is
about what certain rationalistic preach
ers in our own country have been at
tempting in their crude and clumsy
preachments for the last twenty-five
years. We have had among us a certain
class of pulpiteers who have never
wearied of commencing the destructive
criticism, which had it's origin in Ger
many, and they have seldom entered
the pulpit without exhibiting the Sec
ond-hand and shop-worn wares of Ger
man rationalists. They have delighted
in proclaiming themselves as progress
sive thinkers" and deriding as moss
backs" all who dissented from their
half-baked theories Well we now see
the "kultur," upon which they have
dotted and from which they have drawn
their theology, setting the world on
fire. There is no system of theology
which does not give birth to an ethical
system hearing its own image and like
ness. German rationalism gives rise
most naturally to German ruthlessness.
When a corrosive criticism impairs the
authority of the divine revelation. II in
evitably enfeebles the force Of the
moral law. Doubt in the head makes
disorder in the life.
One good result of the war will be
that German universities will not for a
long time, if ever again. be the educa-
tional centers of the world. Their in
huence upon the universities of our owl,
country. and upon multiplied thousands
of American students, has been dis
tinctly and unquestionably injurious.
They have been equally hurtful to the
Japanese.
The world will be better off IL edu-
cational commerce with Germany cease
for a long time. Certainly we OF Amer
lea have had far too much of Teuton-
lied theology.
The editor of the KreutZeitung of
Berlin need not clamor for the creation
of a commission to concoct a new Bible.
Bible bearing the mark made in
Germany would not be warmly re-
ce3ved by mankind, just now. Its
power "for the moral uplifting" of the
human race would be seriously and
universally suspected.
The characteristic of German schol- !
arship is it's narraw specialism. IL
scrutinizes restricted areas until it be-
comes nearsghted and incapable or
perspective 1t proceeds as II astro- |
nomy might be studied with a micro
scope and the contents OF the milky
way ascertained with lactometer. we
have had quite enough OF its grotesque
theorizings in theology.
THE men in our own country. VINO
have been giving us Teutonized theol- /
ogv AZ se..,rd all tnird hand, haVo
been blind guides of the people who
hove followed them and II Is now evil
dent that all have fallen into the ditch !