The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-21

hearers to think again on the good works of this, the Book, as a suffi- cient credential for it's character and It's claims. It has justified it's claims by it's deeds and has thus vindicated it's right to stand forever as the one sufficient and final authority among the children of men,"
 O O O
 Potter Takes Negative.
 Mir. Potter said he consented to take the negative side in the debate only because of the exact wording of the subject, Resolved, that the Bible Is the infallible word of God" which he declared could be interpret ed only as meaning that every part of the Bible is the word of God and therefore infallible."
 The question. he said, was whether God actually was speaking in "every verse, phrase and word in the Bible."
 Declaring his doubt of the Bibles infallibility began at an early age, before he had read the writings of the higher critics" Reverend Pot ter based his arguments largely on passages which he declared were:
 "1-Inaccurate, historically or sci entifically.
 '2-Obvious contradictions.
 "3-Representing God as doing or approving something which seems to be morally wrong"
 Cites Error. o9 Tac2. q
 In support of his first premise Reverend Potter quoted. among oth- GUS 11:6, And the hare, because she cheweth the cud." Scientists, have long since proved, he said, that the hare and rabbit are not cud chew ing animals, although they make motions which the unscientific ob- --I,k A1Tx operation. The same sort of mistake was made, he said, when grasshop- pers, crickets and locusts were spoken of as going on all fours" when all these insects have six feet.
 Three errors of history occur, he said, in the second chapter of Luke, which relates that decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled"
 This" he said, was the first en- rollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Joseph and Mary, this passage says, went up to Beth lehem for enrolment and there Jesus was born, while in Matthew the event is described as taking place in the days of Herod the king"
 MT. Potter asserted history showed no record of world census. not even a Roman world census; small en- rollment in Palestine, made by Quirinus, but 10 years after the death of Herod, and that at the time of the birth of Jesus the governor Of Syria was not Quirinus but Quintus Centius Saturnis.
 Contradiction Quoted.
 Citing passages which he said were contradictory, he quoted from I'd Samuel, 6:23: "Michal. the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death," while 2d Samuel, 21:s, says: "The five sons of Michal, the daughter of Saul" In the New Testament, he declared. contradictions also occur and he quoted Romans 2:11, which says: There Is no re- spect of persons with God" and from Romans 9:1S: Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will and whom He will He hardeneth."
 The Bible, said Potter, If 1t is the infallible word of God, represents God as having morally degrading ideas" In Deuteronomy. 113s:21, he de- SIvs.un disobedient children witi,oe oe,. trial, on the accusation of their parents" If the parents of New York obeyed this thing what 1t would mean. For one thing the parents would be arrested for murder. and rightly
 Anyone of these inaccuries," con tinued the modernist representative. who has quoted many other biblical verses in support of his theories, would, taken alone. prove my thesis that the Bible is not the infallible word of God All of them taken to- gether and many others which might be cited, constitute a body of evi- dence within the book itself which refutes my worthy opponents con- tention.
 Rev. Potter concluded his main argument by pointing out that if the Bible was infallible then there must have been infallible copyists.
 "Thousands of early Christians and later monks, oftentimes wearied with long hours at the desk, might have made errors in copying, as the exist ing manuscripts show even to observer that they did"