The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-13
The Bishop and the Judge

The Bishop and the Judge
II Is said of Woodrow Wilson that IN MS coAege
DAYS he divided the Princeton prze-speakng contest
with an opponent Wilson got the prize for ex-
preston. His opponent won the victory in regard
to thought SO in the recent clash between the bishop
and the Judge we may award Lindsey the prize Tor
courage and DR. Manning that for taste.
Bv his action last Sunday, the Denver 1urist and
phlanthropst hardly qualified as the al-American
white hope in the national good taste tournament
more appropriate time and place could have been
found for protest and refutaton with respect to the
alleged ISLANDERS of the man OF God
Lindsey is no ideastic sophomore He long since
has learned not to expect accuracy and fair deahng
from the orthodox higher clergy Anybody more lib
eral than Ralph Easley is in way to be denounced
by them as free lover atheist Communist anarchist
traitor, materalist and vulgarian
Still while one is on the good taste topic the
Judge had fine precedent for his behavior in the
conduct Of the Great Teacher to whom the bishop
declares such touching fidelity Christ once raised
far greater rumpus the temple at Jerusalem than
Lindsey did last Sunday in the temple on Morning
side Heights
Moreover he always was thrusting great thorns
in the sides of the Mannngs of his day and denounc-
ing them in terms far more severe than any of the
shafts delivered at the prophet of Denver by the
msster Of the cathedral.
Moreover, one hardly refrain from observing
the failure of the bishop actually to inculcate the
spirit Of the humble Nazarene in his congregation
after years Of supervision and preaching. There was
little of the urn-the-other-ch psychology IN
the congregation of ST. John the Divine last Sun
day one stalwart apostle of Christ pleaded to be
allowed to slug the dminutive judge, who already
was in advanced stages of the coarand-seat treat
ment Another kicked him in the head as he was
being carried out, while sweet woman disciple de-
manded that the Judge be lynched Indeed the treat
ment of Lindsey on his way out Of the cathedral was
not unlike the way Christ is said to have been treated
on his way to Calvary
If Lindsey does not get the silver cup for eccles
astical etiquette neither can bestow upon DR..
Manning any distinguished service medal for gal
lantry in action. He had a fine chance last week
to go and hear Judge Lndsey-something which his
Sunday sermon proved that he greatly needed If he
did not personally care to read any Of Lindseys books
He had an opportunity to debate Lindsey or to
designate competent subordinate to uphold his
views No loss of dignity implied here
Greater men than Manning have debated. Wit
Gladstone, Huxley, Ingersol and Professor Seg-
man. even Henry Cabot Lodge and Lawrence Lowell In
stead the bishop chose to defame Lindsey under con-
ditions where the judge had no immediate comeback
except in the unseemy conduct which he exhibited at
the end of the bishops sermon.
But the core of the whole matter is not Judge
Lindsey's ruffled hair Bishop Mannng's ruffled
dignity 1t is rather the statement of the bishop in
his telegram Lindsey echoed last week in the state
ment given to the press by the bishops subordinate
Dr.. Gates: For Christians the moral standards
given to the world by Christ are not open to debate
This is the nub of the controversy and here the
Judge has as much advantage over the bishop in his
tory logic the bishop possessed in heavy bat
talions last Sunday.
T1ne mini of on asst
ogy medicine, geography, psychology sociology an
thropology economics political science and the like
are admitted even by the faithful to be debatable
The orthodox have filed great tones with debates
about these matters Just why should Christs views
on morals be reserved from the of intelligent
discussion?
If Christ was God, then His notions of astro-
physics and evolution should be omnscient and valid
for all time. If He was man, then His moral views
have no more intrinsic authority than those of any
other man-and certainly far less weight than those
of great modern moral teacher like John Dewey or
Havelock Ellis. thoroughly acquainted with the sci
entifc and esthetc basis of morals.
Many a sincere orthodox Christian believes Judge
Lindsey very dangerous man. But we choose to be-
lieve that Bishop Manning is far dangerous. AS
DR.. Stockman has well emphasized in his article in
Harper's magazine there has been tirhe when
the world so needed a sound moral code which the
masses will respect.
Such guidance is indeed, essential to the very
preservation of complex urban and industrial civ
ilization in the machine age
The supernatural code of the bishop longer COM
mands either the fear or the admiration of the
present generation. 1t will receive even less atten-
ton from coming generations. Moral anarchy will
result unless rational and humanistic code can be
constructed and adopted. Judge Lindsey at least is
looking in the right direction. Bishop Manning is
inviting the deluge.
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