Professor Triggers New Controversy

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31318, 14 March 1967, Page 18

Professor Triggers New Controversy

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, March 13.

“What Professor Geering said last night about man having no immortal soul is bound to create a much worse controversy than his statements on the Resurrection,” said the Presbyterian Moderator of Wellington, the Rev. J. K. Fairbairn, today.

Mr Fairbairn said he had been exceedingly disturbed to think that one man could make statements which would destroy the faith of so many people.

He was commenting on a report of a sermon given by Professor L. G. Geering, principal of Knox College, Dunedin, at the inaugural service of Victoria University. Professor Geering said in his sermon that man had no Immortal soul, and that the traditional view of heaven and hell found very little biblical support. “At a time when there is so much confusion in the realm of behaviour, it is regrettable that statements are made which will only add to the confusion by tossing aside the faith and belief that has sustained so many throughout the ages,” said Mr Fairbairn.

“Professor Geering said the orthodox Christian tradition does not hold today what it held for our forefathers, but that is no proof that they are wrong.

“He says we have been led back to a view of man almost identical to that held by the ancient Jew. Who has led whom back?”

It was one thing to destroy faith, but quite another thing to build up a faith in a loving God, he said. “I think this is bound to create a much worse controversy than the last one,” said Mr Fairbairn. “Play Of Words” The Dean of Wellington (the Very Rev. W. Hurst) said that what Professor Geering had said was a play of words. "The whole question,” he said, “hinges on what we mean by the soul.” What Professor Geering had said was certainly provocative. “Theologians know what he Is talking about,” said Mr Hurst, “but the average person won't “I think the term Immortal soul* has been equated by people with Christ’s promise of eternal life, and what Professor Geering is really saying Is that, while man has a heart, a liver, lungs and a tongue, you can’t lift the soul into that category.” "It seems logical that Professor Gering will now resign his post at Knox College and his membership of the Presbyterian Church whose creed

expresses belief in the life everlasting,” said Mr R. J. Wardlaw, president of the Presbyterian Laymen’s Association, in Auckland tonight. “It would certainly be a welcome development and will enable the Church to replace him with a theologian who really believes in his ordination vows. “Difficult”

“We feel sorry for the professor and all like him with no hope.” The Moderator of Auckland (the Rev. D. W. Watt) said that Professor Geering’s statement must make It very difficult for the layman to maintain his faith in the straightforward teaching of God’s holy word, and must strain bis sincerity when repeating the apostles’ Creed. He defended the traditional scripture-based interpretation of immortality after death. “I would say there Is reference after reference in the New Testament to teach that the soul continues to live after death,” said Mr Watt.

Agreed With Speech The chairman of the Auckland District of the Methodist Church, the Rev. R. F. Clement, agreed with the speech, if the professor had meant

that there was no resurrection of the earthly body. “I agree that there is no resurrection of the body, its atoms and molecules,” he said.

The sub-Dean of St. Mary’s Cathedral (the Rev. E. A. Johnston) said that he also agreed basically with Professor Geering in the sense that the idea of immortality was not a Christian idea. Man did not automatically survive death, he said. If there was any life beyond this one, it was God’s gift. It was a resurrection of the dead, not a survival of death.