504 



POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



DISCUSSION AND COERESPONDENCE. 



GEOLOGY AND THE DELUGE 

 AGAIN. 



To the Editor: — The August number 

 of The Popular Science Monthly 

 contains a letter signed 'X. Plain' 

 which asks Prof. G. Frederick Wright 

 certain questions in regard to his re- 

 cent article in 'McClure's Magazine' en- 

 titled 'Geology and the Deluge.' Is 

 this quite a fair procedure on the part 

 of X. Plain? He knows that Prof. 

 Wright holds the chair of the harmony 

 of science and religion in Oberlin Col- 

 lege, and that he is filling the position 

 in a manner satisfactory to his constit- 

 uents. Then is it fair, I ask, for X. 

 Plain, whoever he may be, to stand be- 

 hind the door and, thus protected by an 

 assumed name, take Professor Wright 

 to task for doing his legitimate busi- 

 ness in an acceptable, even masterly 

 manner? X. Plain evidently does not 

 dare to say what he thinks upon bibli- 

 cal matters. Nobody in this country 

 does. Ingersoll said a few things, and 

 I have heard good Christians say that 

 he should have been burnt alive for 

 saying them. Other very good Chris- 

 tians whom I know will not permit his 

 works in their homes. Elbert Hubbard 

 rather pvits a damper upon the sup- 

 posed harmony of science and biblical 

 history by saying a few things every 

 little while. Ingersoll was not afraid, 



and Hubbard is not afraid, but the rest 

 of us are, X. Plain included. We do 

 not dare to put in words our estimate 

 of the Bible if we wish to retain our 

 positions, either professionally or 

 socially. The professor of biology to- 

 day must teach evolution. The tide of 

 evidence is so overpowering that he is 

 carried nolens volens along with it. 

 The church has been forced to accept 

 the 'theory' of evolution. It has 'har- 

 monized' apparent discrepancies, and 

 has comforted trembling souls as 

 mothers do their little ones: "There, 

 there, there, Evolution shall not hurt 

 you." But a professor of any one of 

 the natural sciences is obliged to be a 

 very juggler with words, in order to 

 teach the truths of evolution to those 

 who are able to comprehend them, and 

 at the same time not disturb the faith 

 of those who wish to keep intact the 

 religion, or rather theology, which they 

 have inherited. Because of that im- 

 perative law of evolution, self-preserva- 

 tion, we must earn our bread and but- 

 ter. Therefore the myths of Genesis 

 are 'reconciled' with science. Hence we 

 fall meekly into line, and, as we dare 

 not express our thoughts freely, we 

 maintain a careful silence. In melan- 

 choly proof of which, I too must use 

 the shield of anonymity. 



Y. Obscxiee. 



