Writing in 1924 in a book published by The Deseret News, Frederick J. Pack demonstrated more intellectual honesty and integrity than a certain braindead hack who is currently demonstrating, apart from his failures as a human being, his failures about science and scripture, too:
Concerning the manner
of man’s origin, however, the Biblical account is remarkably quiet. The
narrative simply states that man was formed from the dust, but of the
particular way in which this was done it leaves the reader uninformed. The Biblical
statement, in its literal form, might be interpreted with equal justification
to mean either that man was moulded from the dust or that he descended through
procreation. There is no justification, however, for the belief that the term formed,
as used in this connection, can mean nothing but moulded.
It is not an uncommon
practice on the part of theologians, who hold the “plastic clay” idea of the
origin of man, to refer to this particular interpretation as the “Biblical
account of the creation” and to denounce anyone as an unbeliever who does not
subscribe to the identical meaning thus placed upon it. As a matter of fact,
the Bible is wholly silent as to the precise manner of man’s origin.
This same attitude is also assumed by some of the theologians who do not believe
the doctrine of organic evolution. By such people the “evolutionist” is not
infrequently regarded as an unbeliever in the “Word of God”; whereas the “evolutionist”
may be fully as devout as the theologian in his acceptance of the Biblical narrative.
The difference of opinion exists only in the matter of the meaning of the
narrative, and not in its truthfulness.
It should be apparent
to careful readers that the Biblical narrative does not attempt to explain the
manner of man’s origin. On the other hand, it emphasizes the fact that God is
the author of man’s existence, and, furthermore, that man was fashioned in the
form of Deity. Elsewhere the record even states that human beings are His “offspring”.
If God were to repeat
the story of man’s origin He would probably clear away man of the obscurities surrounding
the account contained in the Jewish scriptures. Doubtless, however, as people
become more and more anxious to know the truth, He will supply means for their
enlightenment, but no one would care to say whether this enlightenment will
come as a direct revelation from God or through the researches of science. (Frederick
J. Pack, Science and Belief in God: A Discussion of Certain Phases of
Science and their Bearing Upon Belief in the Supreme Being [Salt Lake City:
The Deseret News, 1924], 178-80)
