Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-09
Religious Questions
DISCUSSED BY
DR.. S. Pdrkes Cdd,ndn.

@. Will you kindly ten me what Is
the fundamental estimate Of human
nature as disclosed In the Bible? In
reading the Book 1t appears to me that
there is q complete divergence OF view
which il irreconcilable.
A. Some scriptures extol mans essen
tial greatness, declare him but little
with glory and honor. Others chant
a melancholy requiem over his brief
and seemingly valueleSs existence. He
comes UP to be cut down like q flower
Of the field and his place shall know
him no more. These passages can be
taken as typical Of the dual estimate
running throughout the Bible.
Many Of its prophets and thinkers
dwell on our purity and our baSeness,
our moral might and our aninaliStic
impotence to be moral at all, or to con-
For a comparison Of these diverse texts
consult Strong's Concordance Of the
Bible" under the subject heading
Man"
You urge that such diversities Of view
are mutually contradictory. Yet, closely
scrutinized, they are complementary
and human experience confirms their
teaching. You have only to appeal to
your individual experience to recall the
opposing judgments you have passed
from time to time upon yourself. In
his own estimate the same individual
is at once proud and Inundated. lofty
and abject, blessed and cursed. Saints
lament their exceeding sinfulnesS and
sinners plume themselves on their in
trinsic excellence. AS rule the nearer
q man Is to the eternal light the more
deeply he feels his own dimneSs.
The confessional and dogmatic utter
ances of the church have stressed mans
total depravity." Yet how can this
position be sustained when one con-
siders his ability to know and desire
corrupt he could not respond to any
overtures Of betterment Surely the
key must ut the lock, and the fact that
We can and do accept the deltverance
from sin which God provides Is sig
nal proof that we are not by nature
hell deserving worms" On the con-
trary, the human element In the Gospel
exists by reason Of our aspirations for
the true, the beautiful and the holy
Upon these aspirations Christ rested
His message.
AS I see 1t, the course most con-
sistent with the facts is to acknowl-
edge the willful defects and backslid-
ings of which man Is guilty, for all
have sinned and come short Of the
glory Of God" This admission Is dis
tasteful to an age avid for excitement,
but distressingly destitute in reflective
Nevertheless there are too many
"throw-aways" for our complacency in
life's great crusade. This waste can
be avoided by our heartfelt acknowl-
edgment Of the need for divine grace,
If we are to surmount our fixed limi-
tations. No religion 30 strongly In
sistS on mans priceless worth as does
Christianity. At the same time 1t also
emphasizes that unless he - reborn
he cannot fulnll the purpose Of ms
being, or enter the kingdom OF spiritual
realities.
This I believe to be the dominant
note underlying the wide range OF
biblical analysis Of mans nature and
destiny, which at times may super
ficially appear to be composed OF dis
cordant estimates, but which IN their
entirety contain an inherent harmony
corresponding with the facts Of mans
progressive development.
@. Do you believe Christian should
either preach or practice birth control?
A. The laws Of some countries are
against the dissemination. OF mforme-
ton regarding methods Of birth con-
troll, and in such countries no chris.
tian, as o law-abiding citizen; coulo
properly take part in any enterprise
for the spread Of those methods.
Even In countries where there is no
express law on the subject he might
well pause before assuming the lead
ership of q birth control movement,
for the reason that it Is q matter Tor
medical specialists and not for laymen;:
Some laymen may have q general
knowledge which enables them to dis:
cuss In q general way the problems and
issues involved. but they lack the 90.
thoritative backgrounds and conciu.
eionS % the scientist. Matters OF quch
a intiHsts nature sHs - fs = cs g