SYNOD AND THE BIBLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21639, 3 November 1933, Page 13

SYNOD AND THE BIBLE

Sir, —It would bo a groat satisfaction to have for those anxious about the authenticity of tho Scripture, an endorsement that there is truth in the main theme all through the Bible; that is in relation to the appearance of Christ among His children —-the fulfilment of the prophecies in the Old Testament, and the promise of His return in tlie New Testament. Agreement on this salient feature would give us all common ground to consider whether it would not be wise to exercise patience jind wait for Him, to give a full and <'rave interpretation to matters of some moment to our theologians—for instance, the whale and the ark. Jn the meantime, why not narrow the examination of the'sacred writings to a real interest in the promise of His second comiii", the importance of which teaching tile Church has rather lost, sight of in"a close scrutiny of much that is of little relative value. And surely our Saviour will come quickly to a world in tribulation through false doctrines but nevertheless, so dear to a God oUnvo. —[ have to thank Sir. »T. V. Mackv for his courteous response to my request for quotations from the writing ~f a few living geologists, biologists or anthropologists of eminence, who accept, the verbal accuracy of the Old J < r s . " incut. It is unfortunate, however, that while allegedly possessed of an imposing list of 70 such persons, he selects two gent lemon who cannot claim the required qualifications. AY. Bell Dawson, born in 3.50 1, is not a geologist, hut a eivil engineer, who later became an official of the Canadian Government in connection with tides and ocean currents Professor Maeready Price is not an "eminent" geologist, but a teacher of that science in a sectarian institution the Kminanuel Missionary College of Michigan. U.S.A. His qualifications remain unrecognised by anv of the learned geological societies, and Ins chief claim to notoriety lies in his publications with their puerile attacks on the theory of evolution. Tt was your correspondent who raised the question of the attitude of scientists, and while he has not brought forward anything to dispose of my contention that eminent living scientists do not accept the scientific "accuracy of the Old Testament and while my challenge still stands. J would be the first to agree that the opinions of scientists, apart from aspects relating to their particular fields, carry no greater weight than those of other people. Facta non V ebba.