Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-02-17


er1orts OF certain mediaevaIis
ne who would legislate the limit,
re- tions of scientific teaching in I'll
.at schools including anything toucf
re Ing the creation of man.
L suppose some of these gen
,Ia tlemen would like to cut the ear
ho OF those who disagree with thet
~ or would like to light inpuisttor
h lal fires. | thank God, however
81 that men like Washington, JET
: ferson, Franklin, Adams. an,
a others that followed them of tn
=, type of Horace Mann, have SO
-, religious liberty ON such a secur,
40 foundation, and have separated
the church from the state so wei
- that the dark ages will never re-
" ~ peat themselves In the history OF
- our country.
II fou nave discussed so well the
n general principle involved, that /
v Deg TO narrow the field to the
tneorles concerning the creation
OF man. One Of your correspon-
aehts says that Evolution in only
a theory. That is true. The best
BIBLICAL scholars say unhesitat-
ihgiy that the story of the special
creation as given in the Old Testa-
meht is also theory.
We have then two types of the
'rleS 10 consider. l say types be-
cause the Hebrew version of crea-
tioh Is one of several of the same
general characteristics. We have
IKE creation stories in Babylonta.
Pefsla and India. Since the civ
illzat1ons of these nations wara
older than the Hebrew cililization
IL Is reasonable to assume thai
the Judatstic version is related to
them-at least influenced by
them.
Man tlnds himself In a world of
apparent contributions. He finds
that he has to work IL ne must
i've. He has feelings and he finds
himself suffering. He tries kol
philosophise; he seeks to unity
Ut hafmonize these conflicts. He l.
ehdeavors to reason himself into
peace.
me one who gave us the story |
or Adam and Eve and their exnor. C
FENCES in the Garden of Eden. did G
Just that. He did a fairly good C
JoD considering the fact that there e
was no biology, chemistry or the p
other sciences as we have them Fl
What there was very elementary "
ihe theory advanced that man II
was created perfect and then fell ri
because prompted by his wife he m
'te from the tree Of knowledge tt
IS not only unreasonable but is tc
hlghly unethical. We see that Ell
me ethical or moral standard, of ii
man are very low-when he te
'lames his wife for his curiosity, OF
u pleads weakness and blames tbel
'empting power of woman, W
"o caHhOC accept that III
ort or thing for the world does &c
nove forward in its intellectual of
ma moral and religious life. All M
re based on mans mental and th
noral nature and development to
Ine concept of Evolution is not eli
ased on the findings of Darwin hi
lone. A rudimentary KNOWLEDGE be
biology alone would prevent IN
ne from making the assertion tn
nat the theory Of Evolution has tn
no with man and his relation ar
, monkeys or what not. Lamark po
'eVrles and practically all modern no
'lentlsts accept the theory with pa
'ouillcations. The notifications
. not weaken the theory of ey- tn
lution but strengthen It by des- wo
fibing and explaining growth tn,
I'D development of species is
trough mutations and sports. an
The choice has to be made be- ea1
yeen two things; this
l. The explanation given bv the pa,
GUS Imagination, as
q The evidences given by all lib,
'ahches Of scientific study and its
search. VII" 49,
Assuming both to be theories ex-
remains to choose the one far
nlch gives the most facts. least ity
as and prejudice, and mora de- VIII
@ to find the truth which will us?
IKE men more free from the Y
aKles OF prejudice and super- tbo
tuition. "pe' 'He
A. us
AS FAR as the religious man Is tha
hcerhed, the theory of eyoIu- mil
III opens a larger universe and and
'es nun a larger inkling of the are
'rles OF God. Instead of doipq GOO
'ay with the dignity of man clos
opens an eternal vista of hone ing
eternal development and prog as ,
d. IL has larger message of W
hos all .aHr, uaa ahd eve story no {
:, ud miserable sim we
$ Tor no fault of their own. beir
ueclares man fallen. low. som,
1vo,,,ti.,., " ea'ure' e' thar
evolution rejects any such pes that
- - ,'U"' V II declared that lit q
ts % IL. ,a'!en from perfection Will
- "s morally and sptritu- shou
: from imperfectiou to perfec- -
/,
Il course certain theologies are
ad on the fall of man and
Us innate depravity. To such 4
luton strikas far,,,, M, - E5