SAYS RELIGION IS DEAD IF IT FIGHTS SCIENCE

"Perfectly hopeless" was the answer of the Reverend Theodore Gerald Soares when a CRIMSON reporter asked him to comment on the theology expressed in the recent speech here of Dr. John Reach Straton. "If religion must fight science in order to exist, then religion is dead. The modern theologian accepts the decisions of the expert getting the best help he can from the scientist. We make theology as we go along, because we do not want to have any dogmatism."

Dr. Soares who has just completed two weeks of conducting services in Appleton Chapel, is one of the foremost authorities in the country on Modernism. As preacher in the great Hyde Park Congregational Church in Chicago, he has also made intimate studies into the religious life of college men, particularly at the University of Chicago. He is also the author of numerous books and religious pamphlets.

Evolution In Morals Religion, Too

"We are in the most cordial discipleship to the teachings of science" said Dr. Soares, "The Harvard Theological School is modernistic in its teachings, Religion itself is evolution, evolving unending possibilities before man today. The evolutionary hypothesis accords with the whole theory of the Modernists, since he recognizes evolution in morals, in society and finally in religion itself.

"Dr. Fosdick believes that he is in a growing church. Since everything else is growing, evolving, why doesn't the church have a right to grow and evolve too? John Calvin regarded the theory of virgin birth as necessary part of his hypothesis, in order to get at the proper interpretation of truth, but it may not be necessary to the interpretation of truth today.

Believes in a Growing Truth

"The Fundamentalist believes there is only one truth, that there never was or never will be any other truth but the Bible. We believe there is a growing evolving truth, and that there is no such thing as static truth. There is however such thing as developing through human experience, and the evolutionary hypothesis seems to be a very natural explanation of that."

Questioned regarding his opinion of the kind of religion college men desire, Dr. Soares answered "They won't go to church if we preach only dogmatism to them, nor will they be interested if we tell them they must keep their scientific and their religious worlds separate. Religion does not needed to oppose science. We do not believe, as the Modernist does, that God has given us in the Bible all the truth we need to know. I can enjoy the sincere, and beautifully phrased religious sayings of Mica, but I don't believe Mica when he says the world is flat. God is the great moral power working through humanity. He is the great evolving power bringing us to better things. But he didn't cause Germany to become embroiled in war, as I am told Dr. Straton claimed, nor does he have a hand in isolated acts of that sort.

Says Bible Does Not Teach Science

"The view of the Modernist" he continued "is that the Bible doesn't teach science at all, but is primarily a great literature of human experience. The scientific views contained in it are the opinions of men of the time it was written. That these scientific views are the expressions of men inspired by God to teach the world, the Modernist does not believe, since to him many contradictions are obvious, and he regards the discoveries of science as in no way injurious to the teaching that he believes. Many of our greatest scientists are the most devout Christians."