Evening star., 1929-01-03
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

enough of the bogus science of their
day to enable them to pose with that
Greek cobbler, and strut their knowl-
edge of truth" as he did his skill
as an art connoiSseur. A loaded gun
is harmless even to the fool who
thinks it is unloaded, when compared
with that dangerous thing-"a little
knowledge" That is how the states
men from the sticks got into deep
water when they undertook to limit
on Old Ocean, Thus far shalt thou
come and no farther, and here shall
thy proud waves be stayed"
The teachers of science resolved that
all laws limiting the teaching Of evo->
luton should be nullified, notwith-
standing the concession that evolution
is not a recognized science, but only a
generally accepted theory. Professors
know more about evolution than do
statesmen or theologists. They know
a lot about many thingS-even things
that "ain't So"
Professors look into Time and find
that the world has existed 400.-
100000 years, and man has lived
on it 40,000,000 years. The old-fash-
ioned Bible experts had figured it out
that the Garden of Eden was opened
to the public only 5000 years ago. But
the learning of the professors has done
to that theory what Mr.. Bryan pro-
Baltimore convention-"knocked 1t into
a cooked hat" knowledge expands
ones brains just like that.
Other professors look into space and
tell us that they can measure the
boundaries of infinity. They say that
our solar system is revolving around
star called Sagittarius, which Is so dis
tant that it takes a beam of light. trav-
cling 10000 miles second. $4,000 years
to come from Sagittarius to Earth.
We get around that center once in
800, 900, 900 years. though we might be
charged with speeding, even at that.
If 1t takes 0.00O, 900 years to make
one galactic year, and the world is
only 00000,000 years old. it is less
than one and half galactIc years old.
Something of the meaning then of the
expression "a day is as a thousand
years" may be grasped.
There are some 100000 other
worlds" in our own little galaxy, and
there are many galaxies already known.
Prof: Shapley of Harvard showed so
photographs of different galaxies.
What effect does all this majesty of
the Universe of universes have upon
the mind of college professor? Does
it humble him? Not always. Even
in the New York Conference of Scien-
lists for the Advance of Science, one
of the species rose and argued that
the immensity of space indicated that
our conception of one infinite Creator
must be wrong. He couldn't be equal
to that! AS il a universe Of infinite
wonder did not itself proclaim an in
finite Creator
When I consider Thy heavens. the
work of Thy fingers. the moon and the
stars which Thou hast ordained:
What is man that Thou art mind
full of him and the son of man that
thou visiteSt hin1?"
Then came back the president of the
Society for the Advancement of
Science. DR.. Henry Fairfield Osborn.
who had been absent when the profess
sor from Smith College, DR.. Barnes,
had expressed his unorthodoxy. and
the president denounced the skepticism
in unqualified language, declaring that
Prof. Barnes had spoken on a non
scientific subject in a meeting devoted
to science" The modern Phidias, In
substance, repeated the classic advice,
Let not the cobbler go beyond his
last
Prof Osborn added:
I'VE are very desirous Of requesting
the clergy to relieve the public mind
the possibility of any
between science and re-
ligion. There is none, and there can
be none. Some of the greatest men of
cnin 6nx knA raj Sn.sAs
This same Prof. Osborn is head of
the Museum of Natural History, and
he ranks with the highest authorities
in natural science. In an article by
him. published in the Forum, February.
1925. he pointed out that "the Gro
Magnon man who dominated Northern
Spain. France and England between
rs 600 and 10000 years ago could COM
pete in the art schools with any of the
animal sculptors and painters of our
day, and. judging from the brain of
the Gro -Magnon youth, I believe that
they could enter any branch Of the in
life of today, on equal. If
not superior. terms" THAT includes
Smith College.)
But that being true. what becomes
,f the theory of evolution. based upon
he gradual development Of man to-
ward perfection. rather than the fall
,f man from ideal perfection? The
answer is that 10000 years ARE but
Is yesterday" evolution deals in mill
ions of years. In his book, "Evolu-
ion and Religion DR.. Osborn saws:
The moral principle inherent In
evolution Is that nothing can be
sained in this world without effort:
he ethical principle in evolution is
hat the best only has the right to
survive; the spiritual principle In
is the evidence OF beauty. u
u order. and OF design in the daily
myriad of miracles to which We owe
,ur existence"
.copyrisA.. isss. ~ Paul '. esln.s.s