CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION AND THE BIBLE

Southland Times, Issue 24533, 6 September 1941, Page 4

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION AND THE BIBLE

J. P. Graham and his critic “Countrywoman” both look upon the Bible as the “impregnable rock of Holy Scripture” but on the fundamental question of its attitude towards war they find themselves opposed to each other. In what sense can the Bible be held to be impregnable? The Genesis account of creation to which Mr Graham adheres is a proved myth. Any boy or girl in the higher forms at a high school could refute it from a text book on geology. There is not a single Bible miracle that science validates. Even the sources of the Gospels are of doubtful authority. No one can say with certainty that words attributed to Christ were really uttered. Consider the following facts: Christ spoke the Aramaic language—a language without a literature. The earliest gospels appeared in Greek about 40 years after the events and speeches recorded. There were no stenographers or dictaphones in those days. Every thing that Christ is alleged to have said must therefore have been memorized by his

disciples. After a lapse of not less than 40 years these memories were pooled and translated into another language. The full manuscripts containing the gospels, the Codex Siniaticus and the two others, did not appear for another 300 years at least. On this most slender evidence of what Christ said, cases are built up for conscientious objection to military service. It can be said with certainty that no British Court would entertain evidence of such doubtful validity, yet the term “Gospel truth” is held to be the hall-mark of veracity. The several instances quoted by Mr Graham of intervention by Providence to benefit British arms are unsupported by any evidence. Even in that most recent “miracle” the evacuation of Dunkirk, nothing happened that did not conform strictly with natural law. There would have been ho “miracle” but for the valour and co-ordina-tion of the fighting forces. Why deprive them of the glory and give it to a hypothetical deity? ' EUS RATIONIS. 1