THE BIBLE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 96, 20 October 1934, Page 11

THE BIBLE

I ITS USE AND MISUSE

DEAN INGE'S POSITION

OPEN AND FREE MIND (From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, September 5. For the last timo as Dean of St. Paul's, Dr. W. E. Inge is presiding over the Modern Churchmen's.Conference, at Birmingham. The title- of. his .address was "The Use. and . Misuso of the Bible." , , '.-' .- - "In my. young, days', •* ho.said, "one found a copy of .the Biblo.. not only in every guest room1 in privatq.houscs, but in'many hotel bedrooms..',A. chapter was read by ■most- religious people either in private on. in. f amity;pr.ayers. But when! became an,examining.chaplain I found that even the- young nicn from tho. theological.colleges wero^ery badly grounded in.the Bible;" ■-.■-- ■ • Ah ju'teUigen.t- aui devout"use'of the Bible/he said;.was a :valuable part at education; and ;-rio-other, Jbqok ..could take- its plaeo.-.-At the same., time1 lie did not wish to-seem to, ; . advocate a return to the old ■ uncritical, and.-undis-criminating us% of- tho. .Scriptures. Much of the Old Testament had' very, little.religious value-for us today, and we- were so far remo.ved ifronr. the manner of living and from the thoughts of the ancient Hebrews that a great part of their sacred literature is really unintelligible to ordinary- English readers. . - , "Much harm has been done and much infidelity manufactured by the untenable attitude which many old-fashioned people still supposo to bo obligatory upon Christians in dealing with the Old Testament. I think extracts ftom it are. better than tho 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. moans wholesome 16The Dean said that he and Mrs. Inga in teaching, their own children concentrated upon the Gospels and gave.them very few lessons from the ..Old Testament.- • •. •■•.■■•'-. . ' . ; ■■■. . LANGUAGE OF. THE PSALMS. ■Referring .to . tho' language of the Psalms, he declared: "The Jett was a tcrriblo hater; ho . often is so still. There is an Oriental ferocity. about many of tho Psalms which makes them quite unfit .for uso in public: worship. They are not recited in the synagogues now. I can never forget-the debate- ; in Convocation about leaving -\ out the 'cursing Psalms.' 1 Ono -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' well-instructed- • Christian knew that they referred exclusively to our spiritual enemies. ■ Ho did not explain how wo can dasn the children of our spiritual enemies against tho stones. Dean Inge said that the superstition about verbal inspiration of the; Biblo was Jewish. Though he himself was brought up in a Tradtarian family, he was taught that the whole Biblo was literally truo. .. ■ ■ ; As late as 1864 Pius the Ninth condemned Biblo societies along with Communism and Freemasonry. Ho added-. "I believe that tho maoonty of Eoman Catholics today are almost incredibly ignorant o£ the Bible." "DEBT TO HERETICS." Dean Inge said that the time might come when all thoughtful inembors of, the Church of England w.Ould realise how much th'oy owed'to, the bf_ave stand made by the present - Bishop of Birmingham. . , " . ■ "I do not regard myself as an extreme Liberal theologian," ho said, "but I am quite sure that if it is now possible for a man to be a clergyman of tho Church of England without being either a dunce or, a. liar, or a bigot, ho owes much to those- men Who m their lifetimes wore not afraid to be called heretics. It is absolutely-necessary that thought should be free, and that it should bo recognised, as it is not by ovcrybody, that a clorgyman is not- a cheapjack who is pledged to cry_ up cortain wares whtther he believes in-.them or not, but that he is bound to tho sor-j vice of tho spirit of truth, and that.it is his duty and- privilege to. say pub- • licly what he really believes, r : I "In my experience the' young people who are now growing up : will listen with pathetic eagerness to-any man whom they .believe to bo. honest and speaking "from his heart. -In spit© of certain discouraging symptoms, I trust and believe that on the wholo tho people- of this country do want to keop 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 thoir promotion in "telling people what they believo to be the truth;" BRIEF COMMENTS. The Dean's comments, on certain Old Testament books werb:-r- -. .-. Proverbs and l|cclesiastes:- Collections of popular aphorisms which assunio tho existence of God.-and that honesty is the best policy. • ■ ' Job: Contains, the finest poetry o± the

Old Testament. , .. . ... , :'. Daniel: Deservedly popular, but not

as history. * Buth: A very charming pastoral symphony. . • . :'"'^ :-... ■-■"■- Jonah; Has no historical value. ....... ; Esther: A" very. wtcrestijig .story. God '8 namo is hot mentioned' in. it, ' The Song of Solomon: Nota religious book at all, but a collection .ollovo lyrics, probablyv. to be, sang : at marriages. Not written by Solomon..