Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-16

| q. our clergyman constantly em-
| phasizes the necessity OF being convert
ed" Just what Is conversion?
A. Conversion makes man face the
way that Christ trod and walked in
at any cost. It begins with change
of mind and ends In change Of heart,
after which the interests Of the Master
become those of the convert.
He enters into q divine fellowship
which transforms his life within and
without. The love and grace Of the
Redeemer flow into his scanty veins
and enrich his whole being. Mem
DRY, mind and will are placed at the
disposal of the One who loved him
| and gave Himself for him.
This is conversion, and it is always
| taking place somewhere. But It's fire.
| quency does not dim the fact that 1t is
the eclipse of miracle.
@. You are reported to have said
that there Is no hell. Is the report
correct?
A. Just as Heaven is the Fathers
house of many mansions, so hell Is the
realm Of the unfilial and the unfra-
ternal who reject Gods overtures of
mercy, discard the laws of truth and
justice and degrade themselves by liv-
ing selfishly and riotously. It is not
possible to dogmatize on this subject,
but the New Testament clearly states
that there is certain fearful expec-
tation of judgment" for those who sin
| willfully (Hebrews, x.27). This is mea-
Surably true now and here and there
need be no doubt about it in the here
after. But the materialiStic symbols
Of fire and burning, employed to portray
this doom, have no application to a
purely spiritual existence
@. Why do you support institutional
religion? Do you not realize that its
power is about played out?
A. Quite otherwise; 1t has scarcely
tuned up for It's opening overture. Dean
Bennett of Chester, England, remarks
that our age has suddenly passed into
an extraordinarily new world, and that
the incorporated wisdom of the past,
which enabled us to make the passage
Is now at a discount.
This diSturbS some and delights
others. But both groups can moderate
their emotions The recovery Of In
stitutional religion is simply a matter
OF time. It will not vanish while mans
social instinct remains When it does
come back, 1t will bring with it the
drama, the radio and other trophies
which hitherto have not been obviously
religious, together with the richness
and significance derived from a more
united church. She has not gone far
beyond her rlldimentary beginnings as
an earthly organization, and meanwhile
her citizenship is in Heaven.
@. No educated person today believes
the Adam and Eve story. The truth
of the story, however, Is, in the opinion
OF some, vital to the theory that Christ
died to save US from the results Of
Adams sin.
Must not this theory, therefore, be
also given UP?
A. st. Paul's conception Of Adam as
the head Of the old race and of Jesus
as the Christ, and. therefore, the head
of q new race, has in it some sug-
gestive factors which your inquiry ig-
nores. First, we have to ask If sin,
however explained, is mans factual ex-
perience;. and, secondly, is the claim
valid that Jesus delivers man from the
dominion Of sin? am quite prepared
to surrender with you the literal story
Of Genesis. Yet after this is done
fines him, Is far from being what
he knows he should be, whereas the
man who puts himself under the con-
troll Of Christ becomes by the testi-
mony of his own heart "a new crea-
ton"
In other words, you do not get rid
Of sin by repudiating the historicity of
an ancient document. Nor do you
abolish 'the saving power" Of Jesus by
challenging the philosophy of salvation
as set forth In st. Pauls letter to the
Romans. Theories vanish once their
usefulness is ended. and because
fc 1{xy9a oh
continually. But 1t never gets away
from the central position of Chris
tianity that man needs to be rescued
from his lower self, call this what you
please and account for 1t how you may.
Nor does it forsake the demonstrated
verify that Jesus Is able to save men,
even to the uttermost.
@. I have always thought that
temptations came from within us and
| that a man who consistently devoted
himself to high ideals would be free
from temptations.
How do you interpret the temptation
Of Christ by Satan? How could such
thing happen to spirit as pure
as His, which had been schooled and
trained for 80 years In absolute ODE
obedience to Gods law?
A. Let us begin with q fact. not q
theory. II we say that good man
cannot be tempted, we at once face
the experienced fact in daily life that
he Is tempted Nobody escapes temp
tation. Therefore. Jesus as the purest
of our race, is represented in the Cos
pels as undergoing an actual ordeal,
The assertion that He was immune to
temptation may simplify speculation
about Him, but 1t also places Him out
side the human category and reduces
His trial to mere stage play. This Is
entirely too costly q price to pay Tor
a mere hypothesis.
Again, temptation Is always relative
to the character and moral qualities OF
the person tempted The absolute holi-
ness Of Jesus and His complete devo-
ton to the purposes Of Heaven helped
to create the possibility Of His seduc-
ton. He felt no response to gross
sensuality, because ito the pure al
things are pure" But it was subtly
conceived that He could be .allured by
the invitation to abuse His regnan'
power in order that He might establish
Kingdom contrary TO the will Of God
Nor was the proposal that He should
display His conscious endowments II
ways of wonder without its appeal
Stones made into bread at His com
mand seemed to be q benevolent ust
of those endowments. BY them HI
could also inaugurate in Israel realm
of material pomp and splendor, ar
achievement at the farthest distance
from the cross of sacrifice. He had thu
ability to do these things and conse'
} quently they rose as possibilities before
His spiritual vision,
His very love for the Father, His en-
thusiasm for humanity, His eagerness II
accomplish His mission, gave such In