BIBLE READING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 238, 8 October 1934, Page 9

BIBLE READING.

"PART OF EDUCATION"

OLD TESTAMENT CRITICISED,

DEAN INGE'S COMMENTS,

An intelligent and devout use of the Bible is a valuable part of education, and 110 other book can take its place," said Dean Inge, when presiding, for the last time as Dean of St. Paul's, over the Modern Churchman's Conference in Birmingham last month. Contrasting the prevalence of Bible reading in his youth with its neglect to day, Dr. Inge said: "When I became an examining chaplain I found that even the young men from the theological colleges were very badly grounded in the Bible, and in one party in the Church contemptuous language about it is sometimes heard. "It is a great pity; for an intelligent and devout use of the Bible is a valuable part of education, and 110 other book can take its place. "At the same time, I do not wish to seem to advocate a return to the old uncritical and undiscriminating use of the Scriptures. Much of the Old Testament has very little religious value for us to-day, and we are so far removed from the manner of living and from the thoughts of the ancient Hebrews that a great part of their sacred literature is really unintelligible to the ordinal}' English readers. " Extracts Better Thain Whole." "Much harm has been done and much infidelity manufactured by (he untenable attitude which many old-fashioned people still suppose to be obligatory upon Christians in dealing with the Old Testament. I think extracts from it are better than the 'whole book. "I have never felt happy in teaching children the so-called historical books. They contain attractive stories delightfully told; but how much they contain which is by no means wholesome reading!" The Dean said that he and Mrs. Inge in teaching their own children concentrated upon the Gospels and gave them very few lessons from the Old Testament. The following are extracts from bin comments 011 some Old Testament books:— Proverbs and Ecclcsiastes: "Collections of popular aphorisms which assume the existence of God and that honesty is the best policy." Job: "Contains the finest poetry of the Old Testament." Ruth: "A very charming 'pastoral symphony.'" Jonah: "Has no historical value." Esther: "A very interesting story. God's name is not- mentioned in it." The Song of Solomon: "Not a religious book at all, but a.collection of love lyrics, probably to be sung at marriages. Not written by Solomon." "Ferocity" of the Psalms. Referring to the language of the Psalms, he declared: "The Jew was a terrible hater; he often is so still. There is an Oriental ferocity about many of the Psalms which makes them - quite unfit for use in public worship. They arc not recited in the synagogues now. I can never forget the debate in Convocation about leaving out the 'cursing Psalms.' One well-known member of the Lower House defended them on the ground that they expressed our justifiable feeling towards the Germans. Another said that he thought every wellinstructed Christian knew that they referred exclusively to our spiritual enemies. He did not explain how wo can dash the children of our spiritual enemies against the stones." Dean Inge said that the superstition about verbal inspiration of the Bible was Jewish. Though he himself waJ brought up in a Tractarian family, he was taught that the whole Bible was literally true. " Debt to Heretics." Dean Inge said that the time might come when all thoughtful members of the Church of England would ' realise how much they owed to the brave stand made by the present Bishop of Birmingham. "I do not regard myself as an extreme Liberal theologian," he said, "but I am quite sure that if it is now possible for a man to be a clergyman of the Church of England without being either, a dunce or a liar, or a bigot, he owes much to those men who in their lifetime were not afraid to be called heretics.

"It is absolutely necessary that thought should be free, and that it should be recognised, as it is not by everybody, that a clergyman is not a eheapjack who is pledged to cry up certain wares whether he believes in them or not, but that he is bound to the service of the spirit of truth, and that it is his duty and privilege to say publicly what he really believes. "In my experience the young people who are now growing up will listen with pathetic eagc-rness to any man whom they believe to be honest and speaking from his heart. "In spite of certain discouraging symptoms, I trust and believe that on the whole the people of this country do want to keep their minds open. I trust there will never want a succession of men in my profession willing to make a sacrifice of their reputation and perhaps of their promotion in telling people what they believe to be the truth."