The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-08-27

tons short address before the FeI-
lowship Club of Stone church
Tuesday night was extremely in
Iteresting and since the announce
ment in The Citizen of Wednesday
that it would be printed in these
columns, a number of readers
have expressed their qualification
at being able to secure a copy of
the speech.
Below will be found the short
address as delivered by Mr.. Sin.
gleton:
81 was told that | might choose
my own subject for this talk.
am choosing one that interests
you. If it does not, there need
be no encore. It is a subject SO
large that / can merely state it.
I will not have time to develop my
statements.
"But. if it does interest you,
and you wish to proceed with its
consideration, l suggest that we
discuss it in future meetings.
am willing to speak every other
week, providing that in the in
tervening week. someone win take
my notes and present the other
side of the subject.
For there must BE- two sides to
the proposition that the Bible is a
workable political handbook. Eth
er the Bible theory is unavoidable,
or there must be some sufficient
reason why we do not deem il
wise to work it.
''If there is no opposition to the
thought | put out, then we are
all in agreement and there is
nothing more to be said. If. on
the other hand, you believe me
to be wrong; so wrong that it is
not worthwhile to try to set me
right, in that case. also,- we might
as well take up something that
will be more interesting.
81 will speak from a manu-
script for these reasons. + am
more familiar with writing than
am with speaking ex-tempore, and
/ wish an exact transcript Of my
talk to be in the hands of who
ever wishes to discuss it. Thera.
fore. when / have finished speak
ing, / win hand a copy of this
over to the chairman of the Pro.
gram COMMITTEES. After that. il
is up to him.
Most failures to arrive at an
understanding arise because def
initions of the words used have
not bsen agreed upon. may try
to define certain words. and will
ask that, for the purposes of this
argument, that these definition:
be accepted. If we must quarre'
about definitions. we can make .
separate issue of that. later on
There are two ever-present diff
ficu1ties to be faced by him who
would discuss any part of the
Bibta. One is that we hesitate
to undertake such discussion be.
cause there is a tendency to as
sumo that anyone dealing with
that subject is posing as a 'sgood
man" At least, a little better
than the ordinary run of the mill
/ assure you, that is not the case
with me. The other reason why
Bible discussion is often fruit,
less and tiresoma is that while
Bible truths are dynamite, they
are like powerful drug, enclos.
ed in an insoluble capsule. We
swallow them without fear Of
consequences because we know b.
experiences that they viii have
no effect upon our systems, per.
sonal or political. In brief, the
Bible is conventionalized Il
death.
with all this time devoted tc
preface, I have barely time to say
what / am talking about.
"Can we agree that the Law
of the Lord is perfect? We al
say it is, and my argument hinges
upon the theory that ii really !.
perfect, and that it is not merely
Pollyanna exhortation to bs
good, so that We win be happy
that it IS capable Of exact defini
ton and, like every other Law
il can not be invalidated By viola.
ton. II may be ignored. with ths
following Consequences as certain
as would be the consequences Of
ignoring the law that two and two
make four. No nan-made statutes
can make two and two add up Il
five. or thrae. Any Law can b
ignored with consequences as Ger
tain IS those that would follow
the ignoring Of the Law Of grnvi
tation. should we decide to easl
ourselves down from some high
place.
Legislatures make no Laws
They may enact statutes TO bring
about the observance Of a Law. Of
they may. and do. enact statutes In
violation of Law. Non hasa diseov-
cred . few Laws. Gravitation
Mathematics. certain Laws rslativs