REPLY TO MR A. D. CAVE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 196, 18 July 1935, Page 2

REPLY TO MR A. D. CAVE.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I have searched Mr Cave’s original letter for statements which he thinks I should have made an attempt to disprove and find only one left which requires to be dealt with, namely, that Christianity is based on the fact that all things return whence they came; that organised matter is finally disintegrated into its component parts. That this simple, and fairly obvious fact is included in the Biblical writings I have no desire to dispute, but to say that it forms the base of Christianity is utter nonsense, over which I. refuse to waste either your space or my tune. The quotations he makes from tho Bible are worthless dogma, not requiring to Ik> dealt with. He brings forward no evidence to support this. Again, lam accused of not substantiating my claim-—which claim? That evolution is based on observed facts, I suppose; and yet why should I have to furnish these observed facts' when he could read of them for himself in the many works procurable? However, here are a few facts if he wants them: —(a) Tn what radioactivity tells us are tho oldest strata of the'earth’s crust we find hsMis of “only” the more primitive forms of life. The lalcr the stratum the more highly organised the forms of life, ns shown by the fossil remains. For instance, we never find lions’ hones mixed up with those of the pterodactyl; or hones belonging to reptilian forms now extinct, jumbled together with fho.se of the early ancestors of Hie horse, (b) Man’s body is a museum containing numerous vestigial organs —organs which, though useless to him. were necessary in the lower forms of life. An example is found in the fact that we all have tails in our pre-natal existence and occasionally a child is horn with-one. (e) The evolutionary theory is used by the world of .scienco to account for the many thousands of facts otherwise unexplained. In conclusion, T note flint your correspondent says that tho great bulk of Christians aro very open-minded ami fair and would welcome having these misconceptions removed from their minds. Personally, I have not found this so. and my experience has been that very few Christians “welcome” having their misconceptions removed. —I am, etc., W. E. H. CREAMER, Atkinson Street, 'Woodville, July 17, 1935.