THE GENESIS STORY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 80, 1 October 1924, Page 6

THE GENESIS STORY

OLD DISCUSSION REVIVED

BISHOP GORE DECLARES IT

'•IMPOSSIBLK."-

(moil OOtt OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, 7th August. Bishop Gore has. made a declaration that a physical resurrection of the body is "impossible." Bishop Barnes, of Birmingham, has said,' 'Man was not specially created by God." As usual, these statement* coming from important-dig-nitaries of the Church have created widespread discussion.

An essential article of the Apostles' breed is the statement "I believe in the Resurrection of the Body," but Bishop Welldon, in commenting on Bishop r.T fi,PP ro emphasised the fact that the physical O r materialistic theory of resurrection is not Christian. Flesh and blood," he said, "cannot inneut the Kingdom of Heaven." ♦I,The f , new, Kshop of Birmingham, on hpr T .hand' states 'hat he is not sure that Dr. Gore's "claim that material resurrection received no sanction in the early days of Christianity would be endorsed by all theological scholars." I should like to know," says oue correspondent to the "Daily E™°" witT hr c V- e li 00™1™ his statement with a belief m the omnipotence of the Creator, to whom all things are and must be possible. It woulds seem that the bishop m currying favour with of' God " "yI"S one of the attributes

Our high Church dignitaries," writes most of. their t.nie nowadays removing their neighbour's landmarks. The material resurrection of our bodilj parts it laltZ ■ v 038^1^'.' also it is 'impossible that a man unaided should remove a mountain, and 'impossible' that he fa aM° Ul f d 6XISt a <BeinS' who «'ark* ovprfnl t a s PaITOW in a world so overlul of sparrows. Alas! in the bright, lex.con- of Bishop Gore, apPf >?. y I' 1"6 ore no BU<* w«>i'ds as faith and simplicity'-the simplicity of the little chid; the faith which binops used to teach waa capable of performing impossibilities.' Church dignitaries forget, that the words 'I cannot explain, but I believe,' have a value that any old village woman with her Bible could attest. '

VITAL' ESSENCE OF CHRISTIAN

One gathers that Bishop Barnes does not believe m the fait of man," still another critic writes, "and consequently no atonement is necessary. The vital MfT ,of., Christjanity the fact of a iv,' IS? • ! need of an atonement. The title Christ is the priestly and substitutionary one given to our Lord in His capacity of the Redeemer of mankind. Oau any man honestly call himself a Un-jstian who denies the very facts embodied in the name? Is not the main object of the Christian Church to preach the-good news of a Saviour for sinners? If this is taken out of the Scriptures, as the logical result of the teachings you quote, how much is left? No doubt Bishop Barnes is a man of brilliant ability and great scientific knowledge; but if we must accept'his words against those t °>, r , Lord' " en there is an entire end of all belief in the words of Him who said, 'I am the Truth.'"

"SECRET" BELIEFS. From the Rev. C. L. Drawbridge, •honorary secretary of the Christian Evidence Society, there comes .the following: "The very large majority of the clergy of the Church of England under the age of 70-although they very seldom say so—do not go to the Book of Ooncsis for their natural science, but to modern scientific works. Personally, I think they make a mistake in being so' secretive upon this point. The rising generation is interested in this subject."

"Men like Canon Dames find deeper truth and unity in the old story thai) those who first compiled it from' tradiU6n, divinely inspired though they undoubtedly were," is the opinion of' another writer. "These earnest searchers see the whole process of e-1 lution as the working out of God's great purpose, and tliev find its consummation in Jesus Christ. They do not refute, they open wider the gate of interpretation, revealing' new and beautiful vistas of the 'things God h:is prepared.' "