Article February 18, 1911 Issue

FROM OUR EXCHANGES

with contributions from Harold Begbie, H. C. Ledyard

[Harold Begbie in Christian World.]

The Christianity to which men have become indifferent is that Christianity which has for its first postulate a human origin of evil, and which makes of sin so violent and terrible a mutiny against God that the sacrifice of Christ was essential to secure the salvation even of a moiety of the human race. Men reject this idea. They admit the seriousness of sin and deplore its consequences, but they cannot bring themselves to think that it was simply on account of sin that the Son of God became incarnate and suffered death upon the cross. It is the idea of sacrifice they reject. They feel that Christ came as a light to the world, and not as a victim; that his revelation lies in his teaching, and not in his death. Light of the world—yes. But "propitiation for our sins"—no.

Here, I feel sure, is the cause of modern indifference to religion. And here, too, if theologians will well examine themselves, is the root cause of all theological confusion. It is for a new definition of sin that humanity is waiting, and on that definition hangs everything that is precious to religion. There can be no reconstruction until it is finally settled between the theologian and humanity what is the origin and nature of sin, and what is the true meaning of the incarnation.

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