Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-24
CLARK AND BARNES WILL CLASH
CONSCIENCE AND RELIGION ISSUE
Vigorous Stands Are Taken
on Opposite Sides in
Scientific Monthly.
Both Have Created Storms
by Views on Question.
Stand by Guns.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Dr. Austin H. Clark of the Smithso-
MAN Institution, and DR.. Harry Elmer
Barnes of Smith College will cross
swords in the May issue of the Scientific
Monthly on the issue of science and re-
iigion.
Both men have come into national
prominence during the past few months
| by their vigorous stands on opposite
sides OF this question. Barnes, a Sociolo-
gist, threw bombShell into the annual
meeting of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science in New
York in January by insisting that it is
essential for mans advancement that he
/ throw overheard present conceptions of
i the Deity and rebuild his religion alto
! gether on a scientific basis. This drew
on his head a storm of criticism not
only from prominent clergymen all over
| the country, but from Henry Fairchild
| Osborne, noted evolutioniSt and preSi-
dent of the society.
A few weeks later Clark, noted BIZ
ologiSt of wide reputation, announced a
new theory of evolution, based largely
on evidence from obscurer forms of life,
which constructively denied the descent
of man from an ape-like ancestor, and
which was hailed by fundamentals re-
| ligious leaders as a long step toward
| reconciling the findings of science and
Scriptural revelations. This also drew
a storm of criticism, this time from the
| scientists, which came to head at a
| meeting of the Washington Academy
of Sciences few days ago.
Each Gathers Evidence.
Both men have stood by their guns
under fire, and have garnered new EVIL
dence to support their contradictory po-
Sitions. Clark, in the forthcoming article,
repeats his objections to the theory of
an ape-like human ancestor.
I'VE in the United States" he says,
now are embarked definitely on what in
the years to come will be regarded as
type of culture new in the history of
man, culture chiefly characterized by
the increasingly broad application OF the
correlated facts Of science to our daily
lives. Many regard this type of culture
as wholly materialistic in its nature and
as a growing menace to the nominate
rial side of human life. They argue that
by affording in rapidly increasing meas
ure opportunities for recreation and for
diversion it is correSpondingly inimical
to the more serious cultural and spirit
ual phases of human understanding.
Human Nature Unchanged.
"But we are prone to judge conditions
by the most obvious phenomena con-
nected with them, which intrude them
selves on our attention. We are all too
likely to forget that these are only
superficial, transient and to us UNI
welcome attributes OF socoal read
justment.
History shows us that after all hui
man nature has through the ages re-
L. fol1 t,nahon0pd Ont.
ward appearances have undergone
marked variations from one epoch to
another. but as a rule these have al
fected only a small proportion OF the
people. or else have been wholly super
fetal.
Since the basis of the new condi-
tions is the ever increasing application
of the facts of science to our material
welfare. it is fitting that we should
survey the present situation and from
this survey ascertain so far as possible
both what the present situation is and
what the future has to offer.
"There Can Be No Conflict"
"One hears 1t commonly remarked
that a firm belief in science eventually
will supplant religion, or at least SO
modify it that it will be wholly diff
ferent thing from the religion that our
fathers knew. One also hears it said
that science and an increase in scientific
knowledge eventually will be blocked
bv the growing opposition of religion.
Neither hypothesis is tenable. There
can be no conflict between science and
religion. For truth Is truth quite re-
gardless of the manner in which 1t may
have been attained, whether through
the paths of science or through religious
teachings.
Through religion all of the very nu-
merous factors, material and non-ma-
terial, which in any way bear upon
human existence, both individual and
social, are co-ordinated. Religion con-
templates order in all things, whether
touching human affairs or not. But
when subjected to analysis, everything
is found to have bearing more or
less direct upon human activities and
human welfare.
Through scientific investigation we are
striving to discover and to correlate the
facts which will enable us to under
stand the ultimate order upon which
universe, in the broadcast application of
that term is based, and in addition we
are endeavoring to find the means of
applying such elements of this order
as we are able to determine to human
activities with a view to the betterment
Of human welfare.
Science Builds Up Structure"
Science, therefore. Is engaged in
building up structure which should
serve to strengthen the foundations of
religion, not to weaken them.
Approaching the same end by diff
ferent paths, the one material and the
other spiritual, there would seem to be
no reason why science and religion
should not 60 hand in hand, and, work.
ing together, hasten the mutual progress
toward the common end.
But, like all things human, science
on occasion becomes directed into paths
that seem to run counter to religion.
Perhaps the best example of such a
manifestation at the present time is af-
forded by the concept which is known
as evolution"
Barnes, on the other hand. declares
that present-day religion consists of
primitive and Superstitious ideas in con-
nlct with a very advanced scientific and
mechanical civilization.
The scientist is bound to come into
contact and conflict with orthodox re-
ligion," he says. EFT is continually
hampering his activities. Even today
ne has to devote part of his attention
10 protecting himself against anti
evolution laws and blasphemy laws.
The orthodox conceptions of the uni
verse and man clash at every point
with the scientific. The conventional
-