REFLECTION ON THE BIBLE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 24 July 1925, Page 9

REFLECTION ON THE BIBLE.

Teaching of Scientific

Doctrines.

ANOTHER SUIT IN AMERICA

By Cable —Press Association —Copyright.

Router’s Telegrams. ’ (Received July 23, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, JuJy 22,

Treasury officials have been ordered by the Local Court to show cause why the salaries of the school officers here should not be withheld, because oi teaching scientific doctrines which are alleged to reflect on the Bible. Tho suit was brought by Mr Lauren Wittnor, taxpayer, under the provisions of the District of Columbia Appropriation Bill, providing that no saiury shall be paid any superintendent who permits, or teacher who teaches, disrespect of the Bible.

Mr Wittner asserts that tho teachings of approved text book, taken literally, conflict with the Scripture text.

ON THE SIDE OF SCIENCE. VIEWPOINT OF PETITIONER. By Cable —Press Association-r-Copyright. and N.Z, Cabls Association, (Received July 23, 5.5 p.m.; WASHINGTON, July 22. A test suit to restrain. the authorities teaching . evolution anu other sciences in the public schools in the district of Columbia, has been hleu by Lauren Wittner, Government cierk. The suit involves all the unheard evidence in the Scopes trial, and seeks lo prevent the payment of teachers’ salaries, under a clause of the Appropriation Bill, passed by Congress, stating that no part of the funds should be used to teach disrespect of the Bible.

The petition contends that biology denies the Biblical story of the origin of man, and teaches disintegration oi organic bodies after death, whereas the Bible says all will rise on the judgment day. It also refutes the Biblical statement that man is the perfect physical image of God. It alleges that chemistry teaches that one elemental matter cannot be changed into another, whereas the Bible says that Christ made wine from water; God made man from the dust of the earth, and turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt. It alleges that physics teach that the rainbow is the natural reflection of light rays on water in clouds, whereas the Bible states that God made the rainbow as a promise to No all that no flood would again kill all life. It alleges that astronomy shows the Sun is the centre of the solar system, around which the Earth revolves, whereas the Bible states that the Earth is the centre of the universe; that the Earth was created four days before the Sun, and that the sun, moon and stars travel around the earth. It alleges that philosophy shows that language, and speech are the gradual outgrowth of thought, whereas the Bible teaches that the earth had one language until God confounded man’s speech in the Tower of Babel. Mr Wittner has brought the suit as a taxpayer of the district. He said: I am on the side of science. I have filed the suit to determine what Congress really meant by the restrictive clause.”