War, Birth Control and Science (1930)
The article was published in the newspaper Christianity Today of PCA (Presbyterian Church of America), In September of 1930
„A Presbyterian Journal Devoted to Stating, Defending and Furthering the Gospel in the Modern World.”
Samuel G. Craig, Editor, H. McAllister Griffiths, Managing Editor
Published monthly by
THE PRESBYTERIAN AND REFORMED PUBLISHING CO.
501 Witherspoon Bldg., Phila. Pa.
War, Birth Control and Science
THE bringing together of these somewhat unrelated subjects finds its explanation in the fact that it is the pronouncements of the Lambeth Conference on these matters that have attracted most attention in the public press. A report of this Conference and its findings and pronouncements will be found in our news columns-to which the reader is referred. While there may be some justified difference of opinion as to the function of CHRISTIANITY TODAY the Church as an organization in the Sphere of the State there can be no doubt that every Christian is under obligation to do all in his power to avert war. We would not go so far as to say that war is necessariiy sinful-we do not regard the phrase, „a Christian soldier,” as a contradiction in terms-but surely if it be true that war is „incompatible with the teaching and example of JESUS,” as the pronouncement affirms, the Conference should not have contented itself with saying that the Christian Church should refuse to countenance a war until arbitration has been attempted, because in that case war should not be countenanced under any conditions. It seems somewhat of an anti-climax for the Conference to commend the nations for condemning war as a means of settling international disputes and then as a body of churchmen to content itself with withholding approval of only those war in which the matter in dispute has not been submitted to arbitration. But while we believe that the Christian should do everything in his power to avert war, and while we think that Leagues of Nations, World Courts and such like may do much to avert war and may avert individual wars altogether, we have no hope that there will be a warless world save as the PRINCE OF PEACE rules in the hearts of men. The trouble with our pacifists is that they are bent on setting up a millennium in a sinful world. There is only one way to get awarless world; and that way is the conversion of the world. Until sin is abolished there will be, as JESUS warned us, wars and rumors of war.
The pronouncement on birth control was adopted by a vote of 193 to 67, 47 of the 307 members of the Conference being apparently absent when the vote was taken. By such a majority the Conference gives a qualified endorsement of birth control by other than the primary and obvious method of abstinence. While the use of any methods of birth control from „motives of selfishness, luxury, or mere convenience” is condemned yet we are told that „in those cases where there is a clearly felt moral obligation to limit or avoid parenthood, and where there is a morally sound reason for avoiding complete abstinence” other methods may be employed provided this is done „in the light of Christian principles” – which seems somewhat equivalent to saying that there are circumstances under which we may lie or steal, provided we do so in the light of Christian principles. Apparently the majority of the Conference acted on the principle that motive determines the character of an act – a principle that has only a limited application. For while an act done from a wrong motive is always bad an act done from a good motive is not necessarily good. Otherwise, for instance, it might be held that it is right to steal to feed the poor. We need to keep a firm grasp on the fact that bishops or no bishops what the LORD forbids is always wrong.
According to the pronouncement on science „it is no part of the purpose of the Scriptures to give information on those themes which are the proper subject matter of science,” a statement that is amplified in the encyclical letter of the Archbishop of Canterbury who writes: „we are now able, with the help of the various departmental sciences, to trace in outline a continuous process of creative development in which at every stage we find the divine presence and power.” It seems obvious that the secular press is correct in seeing in this pronouncement an endorsement of the theory of evolution and of that solution of the conflict between science and Christianity that holds that the Bible does not teach things with which science has a right to deal. We can do not more than touch on the matter here but it ought to be obvious to all thoughtful people that this is a solution that involves the rejection of all that is most distinctive of Christianity, viz., the great saving facts that GOD has wrought for the salvation of His people culminating in the birth, death and resurrection of JESUS CHRIST. To assert that at every stage of history there has been nothing but a continuous development is tantamount to denying that history knows anything of the supernatural in the form of the miraculous, which means in turn that history knows nothing of the SON OF GOD become incarnate for us men and our salvation. Moreover if supernatural events like the resurrection of CHRIST actually took place they were events in the external world and as such a proper subject matter for scientific consideration. We cannot acquiesce in the attractive but superficial solution of the conflict between science and religion which holds that the realm of facts belong to science but that the realm of ideals belong to religion. Religion itself, certainly the Christian religion is grounded in facts as objective as any with which any department of science deals. It would be suicidal, therefore, for Christianity to adopt such a solution. We believe indeed that there is no conflict between Christianity and Science, true as it is that there is conflict between Christianity and the theories advocated by many scientists. We are confident that in the long run no scientific theory will be judged adequate in which the great facts that lie at the basis of the Christian religion and makes it what it is do not find a natural and logical place. For the present it is imperative that we distinguish between the voice of Science and the voices of the scientists.
Resource
A Presbyterian Journal Devoted to Stating, Defending and Furthering the Gospel in the Modern World.” Samuel G. Craig, Editor, H. McAllister Griffiths, Managing Editor Published monthly byTHE PRESBYTERIAN AND REFORMED PUBLISHING CO. 501 Witherspoon Bldg., Phila. Pa. September, 1930
https://www.pcahistory.org/HCLibrary/periodicals/CT/1930-31/01-05-sep.pdf
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