THE BIBLE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 54, Issue 32595, 11 July 1945, Page 5

THE BIBLE

(To The' Editor ;Sir, —With reference to Mr Broadbent’s letter in the Hauraki Plains, Gazette of May 11. The correspondence arose out of an article “The Bible” appearing in an earlier, issue in which scientists and great intellects were accused of endeavouring with frienzied zeal to discredit the Bible.

In a letter to your paper I challenged the writer of the article to produce the names of any scientists of note who had ever made a wanton attack on the Bible and also asked for further enlightenment on other matter contained in it. I have not been supplied with these names, (but in l reply to my letter through your columns Mr Broadbent issued a counter challenge for me to produce proof that the Bible was- in' any single matter inaccurate or that God’s work was not .perfect in every way.

In reply I pointed out in a letter published in the Gazette 'May 11, that Adam l and Eve succumbed to the first temptation and this could not be taken as a sign of perfection. I now wish to quote a passage in a further letter in reply to mine in the Gazette May IT ‘By this he (Hauraki)' means why did not God' make men incapable of sinning.’ Hauraki said no such thing. He said ‘lf all Godfe work is perfect, why did Adam and Eve succumb to the first temptation.’ Mr (Broadbent went on to say that God gave Adam and Eve and doubtless other creatures free will which I understand to mean freedom to follow the instincts and desires implanted in them by God, they could have got these from no other source, and apparently from. Mr Broadbent’s way of thinking the only way they could exercise this freedom was by sinning. Now if the serpent had been endowed with high instinct by God, instead of being the “most subtle of all cattle” he would not have tried to tempt EVe to eat of the fruit and if He thought there was any fear of her doing so would have done all in his power to prevent this and so have exercised' his free will to good punpose.

If Eve had 'been endowed- with high instincts she would have exercised her free will and not yielded to the serpent’s wiles. If Adam had possessed high instincts he would have exercised his free will and not fallen when tempted by Eve. But the sad part is that God purposely put temptation in their way.—-I am, etc., HAURAKI. Paeroa. ,