CHURCH AND THE MODERN ACE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 136, 5 December 1929, Page 8

CHURCH AND THE MODERN ACE

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Two items of outstanding interest appeared in your Tuesday night's edition —Canon James's reply to the Rev. D. C. Herron, and "Hell and Hereafter," in which two well-known English divines' views were given. Had mere laymen expressed the same views as those of the Bishop of London and Dean Inge, the Prophet of Pessimism, they; jroald have been thunderingli; de-

nounced by the churches, for even in thes» modern days the Church apparently doea ts utmost to stifle rational thoughts on. Christianity— to the great detriment off Uimtianity and church attendance. Most thinking laymen scrapped the belief in. Hell years ago, yet the opinions of thesa two eminent divines were broadcast as it they were wonderful new discoveries. Has any cruder, more unjust, more niercinrl 01' fT 6 lUo Sical Principle ever been propounded or believed by sane people than Eternal Punishment for temporal crimes or sms? It is a doctrine not only, inconsistent with, common sense, but also with the great Christian doctrine of an. f sTll %Ft Allf°™B Father, and a bon who died to make men better To frM? SU^ a- Pernicious doctrine might frighten the ignorant and superstitious, and temporarily benefit the Church's pocket, but sooner or later it will kill Christianity, because not even the Church, can stifle thought-truths. Whilst the b-Toad-mindfd must admire Canon James's nnovatioF, yet it "fill do little co remedy church attendance as long as a medieval minded Church continues to preach to a modern age in an unknown tongue. Mature-minded men discover more beauty iv a noble classic than ever they did in the immature days of boyhood when in duty bound they were forced to read it. Their whole conception of the classic might be utterly changed, but the greater truths revealed create a far greater admiration for the work of genius. Until our spiritual leaders scrap their incredlble medieval conceptions of Christianity, apply modern thoughts to its study in order to elucidate the greater beauty that should be revealed and so teach its truths in the light of modern reason, they will be unable to prevent the drift from the churches. Sabbatarianism doesn't tend to make the Seventh Day holier. Christ's own words were "The Sabbath was made for man. As man changes with every age so must his ideas of the Sabbath -i 1 am, etc.,