The Church, the Schools and EvolutionConant, J. E. (Judson Eber)
Religion
The Church, the Schools and Evolution
Conant, J. E. (Judson Eber)
Evolution; Religion and science
But stop and think a minute. It is both foolish and futile to demand that
either the =implements= or the =faculties= used in the scientific realm
shall be brought over and used in the pursuit of spiritual truth. This is
precisely the thing we are seeking to show. But that does not mean for a
moment that the inquirer must therefore give up the =scientific attitude of
mind= and cease to work according to the demands of the =scientific spirit=
the moment he begins inquiry in the spiritual realm. For that spirit is
simply an honest and accurate method of investigation, and because science
is compelled to stop at the border of the spiritual realm is no reason why
we should cease being honest and accurate when we investigate in that
realm. It is perfectly true that the scientist, as such, has absolutely no
pronouncement to make concerning spiritual truth; but it is equally true
that the inquirer in the spiritual realm, if he does not pursue his
inquiries by scientific methods and according to the demands of the
scientific spirit, will have no pronouncement to make either. The man who
intends, therefore, to be scientific enough in his spirit to give primary
truth its place of primacy by interpreting in its light the truths of other
realms, and who, with the instincts of the true scientist, recognizes
spiritual truth as primary in its relation to the natural, will be actuated
sufficiently by his scientific attitude to determine to know what spiritual
truth is, in order that he may be able to interpret natural truth in its
light.
This will bring him face to face with Christ's formula for entering upon
the knowledge of spiritual truth. Being honestly desirous of knowing what
spiritual truth is, he will determine to do God's will in order that he may
find out.
=a.= This Will Mean Surrendering the Heart to God.
This is the only thing it can mean. For spiritual truth is primarily heart
truth, not intellectual truth, and the only way to know heart truth is to
surrender the heart to that Holy Spirit of truth who "searcheth the deep
things of God," and who was sent into the world to "lead us into all the
truth."
The grammarian, the philologist, the historian, the naturalist, the
philosopher, therefore, have no service they can perform here. They cannot
carry their apparatus over into the spiritual realm and weigh and measure,
estimate and judge, illumine and interpret spiritual truth for us. When we
stand here we are on that holy ground where we must lay off our sandals of
scientific paraphernalia and stand before God with open heart ready to hear
what He has to say. The moment we get to this realm, the whole apparatus by
which truth is received changes from reason to faith.
But do you see where this brings us? Straight back to Christ's formula!
This is precisely what His formula involves, for when a man wills to do
God's will, he takes the first step in faith.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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